Disney is expensive. Airfare, hotels and park admission. Paying to get there and stay there is just the beginning. Fortunately, there do exist SOME souvenirs you can take home without spending too much. Here are my top ten:
1. Pressed Pennies. Costing a total of 51 cents, these are some of the least-expensive souvenirs. They may be small, but they have always been fun for me to find in my purse long after my trip has ended! Disney also sells little collectible books to keep your pennies in (but probably worth more than your collection)!
2. Mickey Ear Shampoo Bottles. If you've already paid for a Disney hotel, why not take a bunch of these home? If you use one even a little bit, Mousekeeping gives you a new one when they clean your room, and leave the old one, too! I love the little mouse ears on the caps. I have a small collection myself!
3. Disney World Pens. Another room freebie, but I think you only get the one. I took mine home and it adds just the right touch of magic to the mundane.
4. Postcards. I don't remember how much a postcard cost when I was there, but it didn't break the bank. They have some pretty cute ones. I keep the one of Mickey and Minnie riding Dumbo with the castle in the background on my bookshelf.
5. Mickey Swirley Straws. If you are dining at a Disney restaurant, you have the option of Mickey straws for about 50 cents (actually 40-something, but I'm rounding up). I know this because when Jim & I last ate at Be Our Guest Restaurant, we ordered using the kiosk instead of ordering ahead (I recommend ordering ahead--you'll miss the suits of armor getting into coughing fits, which isn't too appetizing), and one of the options was a Mickey Straw! We got 2 and they are so cute.
6. Mickey Foam Keychains. They have these up next to the registers at most souvenir shops in Disney--little one-inch balls of foam with 2 foam ears glued on, on a short ball chain. About a dollar each, they are great souvenirs! Simple and durable, they come in a couple different styles--Mickey, Minnie, Tinkerbell, princess, and rainbow! There are probably more by now. Tinkerbell has cute little wings on the back, and the princess one has a tiny tiara!
7. Photos. If you can't spring for the Memory Maker (which is a great deal if you're using PhotoPass anyway), just use your own camera. The Disney photographers (especially the enthusiastic ones) love taking pictures using your own phone or camera. You can also look at and share the pictures as soon as you have them taken, which you can't do with PhotoPass!
8. Park Maps. For friends who love Disney but can't get down there often, an up-to-date map can be a great thrill! It's also nice to have for yourself! I have one from my Disneyland Paris trip years ago, and from the new Disney Springs in FL! I like looking at maps and remembering my favorite rides and experiences, and it's fun to see if something has changed since the last map!
9. Drawing Lessons. The Art of Animation resort offers daily free drawing lessons of your favorite Disney characters! I have one of Tigger and one of Mickey! They used to offer these in Hollywood Studios at the Animation Pavilion, but since it is going under a great overhaul, they have moved this experience to the resort (I only know this because I asked. I was very indignant about my favorite part of the Studios being taken away!)
10. Stickers. I see a lot of large, circular, doctors-office type stickers floating around the parks, having fallen out of pockets, bags and small hands. There are some specific to certain events, experiences and places, but the only source I have found so far was my hotel. I was in the Pop Century gift shop and there was a dry erase board with trivia questions on it. I asked the cashier if there was a prize for getting all the answers right, and she said she'd give me a sticker (I'm 31 and this got me excited)! They were all about Big Hero 6 and I had recently seen it, so I got all the answers correct, and she gave me a whole bunch of stickers (probably because of my glee and air-punches after "winning") of all different characters!
There are, of course, hokey gifts you could bring back to friends and family, like an empty water bottle labeled "Disney Air" or one you filled at the Cinderella fountain labeled "Disney Water," which, for the right audience, I'm sure would be a hit. I hope these not-so-hokey souvenir ideas make your shopping easier, lighten your load, and provide lots of good memories from your trip!
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