Saving on Souvenirs at Disney World

For many of us the trips we plan to Disney are about making memories, family time and good old fashioned fun.  For our kids its about all that...and the souvenirs.  Let's face it Disney is pretty good at tempting us adults too!  They have exclusive "Park Only" merchandise and the cutest little sweatshirts, stuffed toys, trading pins...OH MY!  I could go on and on.  They have not been in business for this long without knowing how to merchandise.  Here are a few tips to keep your wallet happy as well as your kids (and you).

  1.  Buy Before You Go.  Check out the Disney Store or Disneystore.com for small gifts you know your kids will enjoy.  The key here is small as you are going to bring them with you on your trip.  Little princess cell phones, McQueen bouncy balls, stuffed Tiggers are all good ideas.  Looking for these items on sale is the objective.  Even other stores like Dollar Store, Five Below, Target, Kohl's or Toys R Us carry Disney items.  Pick up what you can and put it aside.  Tip:  If you are flying and have so much of this stuff that you require an extra piece of luggage, you probably aren't saving money.  If it makes sense you can also mail packages to your resort ahead of time.  Again weigh the cost here of shipping.

  2.  Make the Small Things Special.  This can involve the gifts you brought down or things you purchase at the gift shops in Disney.  A good idea is mystery pins (which are cheaper than trading pins), stickers, sweets, key chains, toy cars.  When you arrive at the park and your child has the "gimmie/get-me's" you can assure them that if they are a good boy/girl during the day;  Mickey might leave them something during the night.  After your children have been as good as gold you leave the little surprise on their nightstand.  Tip:  It never hurts to use your imagination here.  Hide the gifts in funny places.  Maybe even include a note from Mickey!  Have as much fun with this as you want.  I promise you it works! 

3.  The Cheapest Souvenir in the Park.  My favorite souvenirs are pressed penny machines. Make it remarkable by purchasing a Penny Holder Book at the Disney gift shops.  There are numerous penny machines in every park, and each one offers at least 3 options.  Many of them are outside the rides, and are specific to that attraction.  Most of the resorts also have penny machines depicting images from the resort.  To make things easier on yourself, empty out one of the plastic mini M&M containers before you leave on your trip.  What you do with the candy is up to you!  Put two quarters and a shiny new penny inside and repeat until full.   That way your money is at the ready when little ones are looking for something to "buy".  Here is a link to an interactive map to find all those machines!    Tip:  If you make subsequent trips take pictures of your pennies on your cell phone before you go to avoid repeats.   

4.  Free Stuff.  Each park offers buttons at the parks by the entrances.  You can also get them at the resort concierge desk.  They say "First Visit", "Happy Birthday", "I'm Celebrating" and more.  Your child's name is written in and and it's an invitation for cast members to give them Mickey stickers.  Your child will also feel pretty special about being singled out by a cast member.  I always tell my clients to enjoy the "pixie dust" if it comes your way, but don't make your child any promises!  Don't forget about toiletries, napkins,  menu's, maps, etc.  They are super fun to look at when you get home and are away from the Disney magic.  If you are creative you can even craft them into something else.
Tip:  You want Free?  Make your kids pay for their own stuff.  If they get an allowance or "Grandma Money" consider turning some of it into a Disney Gift Card for their use during the trip.  They will definitely be thinking about what they spend their money on more carefully!

5.  Admit Defeat.  You are on vacation at Disney!  Buy a few things for goodness sake!  But set yourself (and each child) a budget and try not to go TOO far over.  Disney Parks Merchandise is one of a kind and will make you and your children happy.   Part of the Disney Magic is in the memories you take home with you.  Even if some of those memories have a price tag.  Tip:  All the parks will deliver your purchases back to your Disney resort baggage area for free.  It takes overnight but beats carrying it around all day.

What are some of your tips for Saving on Souvenirs?

Maria is a Travel Planner for Snapshot Getaways and always tries REALLY hard not to spend too much on souvenirs at Disney.  Loooking to plan your trip?  Email her today or follow her page on Facebook!

Pick-A-Pearl

For our recent trip to Walt Disney World my 15 year old daughter knew that she wanted to do something she'd never done before (there's always something new to try at Disney!) and that she wanted to bring home a unique souvenir that would do more than collect dust once she got home.

                                   

  

She did a bit of research and decided that she wanted to Pick-A-Pearl from the station at the Mitsukoshi store in the Japan Pavillion of EPCOT's World Showcase.

This store is quite large but the pearl station is easy to spot, front and center. When we approached the counter we weren't sure at first what to do but quickly figured out that we'd need to purchase a ticket to get our place in line. The ticket, good for choosing one oyster, cost $17 plus tax. Once we'd paid we were given a receipt with a number on it that we waited to hear called. It wasn't a busy day so we only had to wait about 10 minutes until it was my daughter's turn. The cast member gave her an enthusiastic welcome and then asked my daughter to choose her oyster from the shallow display case.

         

Once the oyster had been selected the cast member made a very big show of opening it to reveal the pearl inside and then measure (sizes vary) and clean it. The cast member then made a production (with drums!) of congratulating my daughter before presenting her with the pearl in a small plastic bag with the size marked.

                                      

                                      

                                      

At that time she had the option to move on and choose a setting for an additional fee. There are many, MANY options for settings at a variety of prices. But my daughter had done her research and knew what she wanted, a Cinderella carriage cage charm that opens to hold the pearl inside.

                                     

Overall she was happy with both the experience and with her extra special souvenir. We'd both highly recommend this experience!

Hope is ready to help you find the one of kind experience you're looking for on your next vacation. Contact her at Hope@SnapshotGetaways.com or find her on Facebook. You can also follow her on Instagram; sghope12. 

Friday Freebie-Customized Park Maps

NOTE:  AS of JAN 2015 Disney is no longer offering these customized maps.  We will notify you if they are available.

Little known fact.  Disney has something for free...and it's practical and can be a souvenir of your trip.  Customized Walt Disney World Maps.  This is perfect for First Timers and Disney Devotees to get a Dumbo's eye view of the four parks before traveling.  Familiarize yourself with the park layout and how far apart those rides can be.  Especially important when planning your dining reservations and FastPass Plus.

You can order your maps directly from Disney by clicking here.  Or going to your My Disney Experience Page.  You can decide to print maps of all four parks, or just one park in particular.  These maps can be customized to choose which rides you want on your "must do" list.  You can even map out your dining plans!  All you do is check a box next to the ride or attraction.   There are even tailored suggestions for travelers with little kids, big kids and no kids.

After you've customized your maps you have the option to print them at home or have them printed by Disney.  If you have them printed by Disney they will mail them to you at no cost and they are much prettier than the smaller, tri-fold maps at the parks.

Disney Devoted Tip:  If you choose not to order maps before you leave you can always print them when you get home.  By selecting the rides and attractions you did during your trip, you now have a  souvenir to put in a scrapbook.

Snapshot Getaways agents are more than happy to assist clients who book with us, on their Fastpass Plus and Dining Reservations.   You still can order the cool maps!


Maria is a Travel Planner for Snapshot Getaways and tries to order maps every trip!  Follow Maria at her Mickey Mom Facebook page.

The Cheapest Souvenir in Disney

What kind of souvenir can you get for 51 cents at Disney?  A Souvenir Pressed Penny.  Every attraction in the country seems to know the power of the pressed penny machine and Disney is no exception.  What sets Disney World apart is the sheer number and variety of pennies available.  There are entire blogs and websites devoted to pressed penny collecting.  I'm going to keep it simple and give you the low-down on pressed pennies at Disney World.

What are They?

Pressed Penny Machines are typically a crank-type machine which will elongate your penny and stamp a selected image on the front.  At Disney most of the machines have a button now instead of a crank.  The cost involved is two quarters plus the one penny you want to smoosh.  Although not prevalent,  there are also pressed quarter machines.  They are $1.25, four quarters and the additional quarter to be pressed.  After depositing your coins, you select an image from several choices and turn the crank or press the button.  For kids, this is their favorite part.  Hence the appeal of the penny machine.

Where are They?
Just about everywhere!  All the Parks and most of the Resorts will be happy to take your 51 cents.  Most of the attraction have a penny machine located near the exit or in the gift shop.  They will feature images and the name of the ride or attraction which makes them a great memory.

Why Pressed Pennies?
Besides being cheap, kids love them.  A penny from your resort is something you can look back on and stir up memories of your trip.  Kids can collect pennies from rides, especially the ones they have been waiting they've been waiting to be tall enough to go on for years.  A pressed penny can also solve that "gimme/getme" moment for minimal cost.  For 51 cents you've made your kids day...until you pass the next gift shop.  There are a ton of images and Disney changes them out occasionally, so they are something you can keep doing on subsequent trips.  A bonus benefit is the size.  They will not weigh down your backpack or require souvenir delivery.

Ready to hunt for some pennies?  Here are locations for Disney World and Disneyland.

Disney Devotee Tips:

• Buy a Penny Collection Book-This can be done ahead of time, but I recommend treating yourself to a Disney book.  Most of the gift shops carry them.  Organize your books by park, trip, etc.  If you plan to buy a book ahead of time, make a fun craft of decorating it for your trip.
• Be Penny ready-Before you leave, have your pennies at the ready.  The best method I've found is an old film container or mini M&M container (empty of course).  Put two quarters and a shiny penny in and repeat until full.  That way you are not fumbling in front of the machine for change.
• Avoid Repeats-If you are a frequent traveler, take a photo copy or cell phone pic of your pennies before you go back to Disney.  That way you will know which pennies you already have.
• Old vs. New Pennies-Older Pennies (Before 1982) that are all copper will "smoosh" cleanly, while newer pennies (zinc with copper outside) will have streaks from the zinc.  This is a choice you will have to make.  Older pennies can be soaked in vinegar to shine them up a bit.
• Heads vs. Tails-The head side of the penny is preferable.  The monument image on the tail can often distort the stamping.

Maria is a mom to 2 penny collectors and likes to eat mini M&M's.  She is also a travel planner with Snapshot Getaways and would love to help you plan your next trip.  You can follow her on her Mickey Mom Facebook Page.