Tips & Observations to help make your souvenir shopping a snap, from Melissa at Picturing Disney.
When my niece was little she used to carry a picture around
of me, my husband, and “tink” from a Photopass magnet I gave to my
parents. It was super cute because she
would carry us around with her while she was at my parents’ house but this got
me thinking… if that little magnet made
her happy in a way that generic toys did not how could I pick out something she
would love when we were away again?
Here are a few of the secrets I have learned, as a
non-parent who loves to bring things home for her niece and nephews, over the
years:
1. Be mindful not to
buy gifts that will make the kids wish they had come with you.
It seems like everyone in Walt Disney World everything says
“Walt Disney World” or boasts pictures of the castle or Spaceship Earth. I found that although I always wanted to
splurge on the monorail or Cinderella Castle playset it might be a little
enticing to a kid, especially knowing that there are ads for the Parks all over
TV and magazines.
2. Be careful of
transporting items!
Some of the bigger snowglobes cannot be carried onto planes
anymore and same with some of the water filled toys for kids. Check the boxes *before* you buy- they have
notices right on the label and shipping home can be pricey. I have now seen people told they could not
carry a snowglobe home on the plane twice, and told they had to be
gate-checked. On the other hand, I got
my niece a super adorable Disney Cuties snowglobe that was on the smaller side,
(and conveniently made mostly of plastic which was great for a kid) wrapped it
up in my clothes, and was on my merry way.
3. Think like a kid!
Sure as an adult I might think that a really nice print or
shirt would be adorable but kids want something fun and even a little exciting!
There are toys everywhere in Walt Disney World and even some really cute books
with CDs (I got my niece an awesome It’s a Small World book that had the lyrics
to the song throughout the book that was filled with awesome drawings and it
came with a CD of the music. Now my
sister probably hates it but it was a really cute way for me to bring home a
book!)
4. Don’t overlook
World Showcase!
Some of the best shopping for anyone of any age can be done
here! I especially love the shops in Japan and UK! There are unique toys with
great learning opportunities attached so you can teach your friend, niece,
nephew, grandchild, cousin, or whomever you are buying a souvenir for a little
about world cultures.
5. When in doubt stop
at Goofy’s Candy Shop!
Filling up a cup with candy on your last afternoon or just
picking up some nicely wrapped sweets from Downtown Disney or one of the bigger
shops like Mouse Gears in Epcot is one sweet way into the heart of any kid!
Melissa is a World History teacher living with her husband and dog in NY. She is a frequent visitor of WDW and occasional DLR guest as well. Melissa currently shares her love for Disney with her fantastic Photo Blog, Picturing Disney. She also happens to be really nice and an awesome Disney person I hope to meet someday in real life! Thanks again for the cute Mickey watch, Melissa!
I often bring home for small friends, pen or pencil sets or the shaped character crayon set and colouring books. They don't take a lot of packing space and I know when my sisters kids were small, they loved taking Disney pens/pencils to school to show off!
ReplyDeleteAwww! Thanks, Jenn! You are one of my favorite Disney people too! xo
ReplyDeleteThanks for this wonderful and easy tips. I learned and now I know some tips for making
ReplyDeletegifts for my kids. Thanks for sharing.
A webmaster of disney photo books online