While attending the Shecon conference I spent an evening at downtown Disney enjoying the sites. I browsed through the souvenir stores and had *sticker shock* when I glanced at some of the prices. I found a cute pair of sneakers and was planning to buy them until I saw the $50 price tag. How can you keep your wallet happy and the kids happy too? On a side note, I admit these strategies work better with tweens and teens.
1. Limit the kids to one souvenir apiece. Give them a price range and allow them to chose the item they want.
2. Purchase the kids something they will be able to play with more than once.
My daughter spent time admiring the Lego statues at Disney. She was surprised to find these kits were available on a smaller scale inside their Lego store. These kits can be rebuilt whenever the kids want and remind them of their vacation. Plus, they can be used in the backseat on the way home to keep the kids quiet!
3. Purchase something the entire family can enjoy.
Because the kids enjoy gourmet dishes, I offered to stop in the Gourmet Foods store and buy some spices of choice. Not only does this encourage them to find new recipes to use the spices with, it encourages family time when we cook the dishes.
4. Find the discount store or clearance section at the attraction.
Disney World has an entire clearance store with reasonable prices. I found t-shirts for as low as $7.99 and shelves of 4 or 5 items for $20. This was a considerable savings from the other stores’ pricing. Almost every major attraction or theme park has a clearance section.
5. Buy a Souvenir Cup.
Drinks at theme parks and attractions are notoriously expensive. Many places offer a Souvenir Cup for seven to nine dollars. These usually include low cost (around $1) refills during the entire stay, which adds up to a considerable savings. The cups can be reused at home too!
What are your favorite ways of saving money on souvenirs?
I love your spice idea and then them finding recipes to use them.
Thanks for these tips! We always spend WAY too much when we are travelling! You are certainly a savvy travel Mom!
great tips!
Thanks, I’m terrible with this so I could use the help!
Im not a smart shopper..thank!
Ugh, Disney kills my wallet or better yet my bank account. I spent $50 on this tiny little Lego set for Jace..And I think he lost half the pieces on the ride home!
I’ll be taking a not for pleasure trip on a very tight budget. When I return the kids, I know will be greeting with hugs and hands out…good advice to keep in mind when looking for a little something to bring back for them 🙂