-
Subscribe for FREE!
Receive our Daily Disney Newsletter.
Have the best in Disney News & Views Delivered to you!
Tag Archives: affordable disney vacation souvenirs
Get Disney Souvenirs at Marketplace Fun Finds
Disney souvenirs can be an expensive part of your vacation, but you can get authentic Disney souvenirs at Marketplace Fun Finds for reasonable prices. There’s a great store at Downtown Disney called Marketplace Fun Finds where you can get your Disney souvenirs marked down to just a few dollars! Downtown Disney has no cost for admission and even offers free parking! Although the largest Disney store, World of Disney, is found here, there are plenty of other great places to get souvenirs! Marketplace Fun Finds can be found in the Marketplace section of Downtown Disney, next to Little MissMatched. This store has brand new, Disney merchandise for affordable prices!
More after the jump…
Disney World Quick Tips – Affordable Disney Pin Collecting Tricks
There are a number of things to keep track of when it comes to spending on your Disney vacation: accommodations, travel, food and park tickets are the 4 biggies and the ones that have the most written about them. But souvenirs often become the biggest budget buster, as many of us don’t really “plan” what we are going to buy until we get there….and then emotions take over, which is a sure sign of spending more than you want to! We’ve all been there, and it’s pretty frustrating, after having budgeted oh-so-carefully before your trip, to return home with a pair of Mickey crocs that you spent too much on and, really are you going to ever wear again?
However, when we discovered pin collecting, we discovered a great way of keeping that souvenir budget under control. Because pins are now our souvenir of choice, we are better able to plan our souvenir purchases and stick to a planned budget. We don’t get sidetracked, and don’t suffer “buyer’s remorse” when we get home either.
Is pin collecting for you? Well, if you are like my family, and find all those little pins just crazy addictive…then yes, this post is for you. So with that in mind, here are 5 tips on how to make Pin Collecting an affordable Disney souvenir strategy for your family:
- Decide on your Pin Strategy: collect for fun, collect to trade, or collect seriously. If you have kids who are going to trade everything away, you don’t want to spend a lot on them, or especially worry about what they look like. If you are going to primarily “pin trade” then buy cheap ones that you don’t like as much, and trade them for more “valuable” ones. (Of course everyone defines “value” here differently. For some, it is ones that are literally worth more. For others, it is merely ones that they like better.) Point is: don’t buy pins you want to keep. Seems obvious, but it took us a bit to actually figure this out. Now on the other hand, if you want to make this a serious collection, you can purchase only Limited Editions, for example, to increase the value of your collection. If this appeals to you, there are some great books that can give you more information and help you make informed decisions.
- Buy low, trade high: If trading pins is your main focus, then arrive at Disney with a dozen or so cheap pins for your kids to trade with. You can find some on eBay, on sale at DisneyStore.com, and even Amazon. The idea here is to trade these for others your kids will like more.
- Set a limit …and then stick to it. At this point, with hundreds of pins, we limit ourselves to 2-3 pins per trip. Because yes, this CAN be an expensive hobby if you are not careful! While the cost of pins can start as low as maybe $6-8 each, they can go up to $20+ for some very elaborate limited editions. It is easy once you start looking at them, to get carried away, so keep to that budget!
- Pick a theme, any theme: It is easier for many folks to keep to a pin budget, by collecting with a theme in mind. Maybe the resorts, or characters, or villains, or princesses. You name it Disney’s got a pin for it. Seriously. For us, we now pretty much buy our pins around dated events, as they are a great reminder of when we went and when we got the pin: for example New Years Eve 2005.
- Preserve your collection: Think about how you are going to keep them when you get home. Don’t go to all this trouble to buy all these pins and just keep them in a shoebox! Some people frame the lanyards and pins. Some put their pins in a shadow box. Some keep them in a display portfolio or binder. Whatever you choose to do, keep them in a way that will preserve your investment, and allow you to enjoy them.
Good luck with your pin collecting! If you are like us, you will find that it is an affordable and fun hobby, as well as a great way to relive your wonderful Disney vacation memories!
Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.
Related articles
- Beginners Guide to Disney Pin Trading (chipandco.com)
- Top 5 Places Disney World to shop for Disney Pins (chipandco.com)
5 Tips for Affordable Disney Pin Collecting
There are a number of things to keep track of when it comes to spending on your Disney vacation: accommodations, travel, food and park tickets are the 4 biggies and the ones that have the most written about them. But souvenirs often become the biggest budget buster, as many of us don’t really “plan” what we are going to buy until we get there….and then emotions take over, which is a sure sign of spending more than you want to! We’ve all been there, and it’s pretty frustrating, after having budgeted oh-so-carefully before your trip, to return home with a pair of Mickey crocs that you spent too much on and, really are you going to ever wear again?
However, when we discovered pin collecting, we discovered a great way of keeping that souvenir budget under control. Because pins are now our souvenir of choice, we are better able to plan our souvenir purchases and stick to a planned budget. We don’t get sidetracked, and don’t suffer “buyer’s remorse” when we get home either.
Is pin collecting for you? Well, if you are like my family, and find all those little pins just crazy addictive…then yes, this post is for you. So with that in mind, here are 5 tips on how to make Pin Collecting an affordable Disney souvenir strategy for your family:
- Decide on your Pin Strategy: collect for fun, collect to trade, or collect seriously. If you have kids who are going to trade everything away, you don’t want to spend a lot on them, or especially worry about what they look like. If you are going to primarily “pin trade” then buy cheap ones that you don’t like as much, and trade them for more “valuable” ones. (Of course everyone defines “value” here differently. For some, it is ones that are literally worth more. For others, it is merely ones that they like better.) Point is: don’t buy pins you want to keep. Seems obvious, but it took us a bit to actually figure this out. Now on the other hand, if you want to make this a serious collection, you can purchase only Limited Editions, for example, to increase the value of your collection. If this appeals to you, there are some great books that can give you more information and help you make informed decisions.
- Buy low, trade high: If trading pins is your main focus, then arrive at Disney with a dozen or so cheap pins for your kids to trade with. You can find some on eBay, on sale at DisneyStore.com, and even Amazon. The idea here is to trade these for others your kids will like more.
- Set a limit …and then stick to it. At this point, with hundreds of pins, we limit ourselves to 2-3 pins per trip. Because yes, this CAN be an expensive hobby if you are not careful! While the cost of pins can start as low as maybe $6-8 each, they can go up to $20+ for some very elaborate limited editions. It is easy once you start looking at them, to get carried away, so keep to that budget!
- Pick a theme, any theme: It is easier for many folks to keep to a pin budget, by collecting with a theme in mind. Maybe the resorts, or characters, or villains, or princesses. You name it Disney’s got a pin for it. Seriously. For us, we now pretty much buy our pins around dated events, as they are a great reminder of when we went and when we got the pin: for example New Years Eve 2005.
- Preserve your collection: Think about how you are going to keep them when you get home. Don’t go to all this trouble to buy all these pins and just keep them in a shoebox! Some people frame the lanyards and pins. Some put their pins in a shadow box. Some keep them in a display portfolio or binder. Whatever you choose to do, keep them in a way that will preserve your investment, and allow you to enjoy them.
Good luck with your pin collecting! If you are like us, you will find that it is an affordable and fun hobby, as well as a great way to relive your wonderful Disney vacation memories!
Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.
Affordable Disney Souvenirs for Penny Pinchers
Among the most affordable Disney souvenirs is something that costs just over 50 cents, offers a good deal of fun involved in getting it, and can provide a great commemoration of your Disney trip……yes, that would be pressed pennies. With pressed penny machines located all over the parks and resorts, there are enough design options to satisfy the “collector” in anyone. Kids especially enjoy the process of squishing pennies and parents truly appreciate the ability to encourage their children in collecting a souvenir that won’t break the bank (sorry for the pun :) )
So if this type of souvenir appeals to you, what do you need to know?
Come Prepared
You may want to plan ahead and bring some pennies with you for this activity, as well as some quarters to pay for each pressed penny: cost is typically 51 cents (your penny, and the 50 cents to press it). You may want to consider whether you want “shiny” pressed pennies! Some people do, and choose to use only new pennies…but know that sometimes the zinc in newer pennies will show through the copper when pressed, leaving a marbled effect. Don’t like that idea? Then use older, pure copper pennies and clean them in advance using vinegar, or some silver cleaner and a soft cloth.
Or consider pressed quarters, which will of course cost you more, but can be a nice variation for your family’s collection.
Find All the Machines
One of the things that surprised me when we first started collecting pressed pennies, was the many, many options for designs that are available! Pressed penny and quarter machines are all over the place, and each one it seems, has a different design. Guest Relations can be a big help here, by providing you with a list of where all the machines are and the designs that are available. Generally, you will find machines in most if not all of the resort hotels, parks and Downtown Disney. One thing that I think is especially helpful is that there are often machines located in the shops, which is a perfect distraction for children who are begging for you to buy them something: go find the pressed penny machine instead!
What I Really Love About Pressed Pennies….
Other than the obvious thing, which is the inexpensive cost, what I truly love about this type of Disney souvenir, is the interaction that gets kids involved with the planning and collecting of their pressed pennies. I am a big fan of encouraging collections: kids love to collect things and when preserved, they can bring back special Disney memories for years to come.
So get your kids involved in planning this souvenir activity in advance of your trip. Encourage them to help collect (and possibly clean if they are old enough) the pennies. When you get to Disney, have them “hunt” for the machines, and compare available designs: many designs are commemorative, and only available for a short time. Others are of just a particular location, ride, or attraction. Involve kids of all ages in this: little ones who can’t read yet, may enjoy collecting the “penny pictures” more than collecting autographs!
And have them be involved in pressing those pennies! You may want to help a bit at the beginning until they get the hang of it, but don’t be discouraged if each penny is not “perfect”…that’s part of the fun. (Want a tip to help your penny designs to show up well? Get the design pressed on the “face” rather than the “tail” side.)
Lastly, once you get home, display those pennies; don’t put them in a box somewhere! Just like looking at pictures and pins, looking at your pressed pennies is like revisiting your Disney vacation all over again! So get an inexpensive book that is designed to hold your new pressed penny collection (available in some of the gift shops), and take a look at it every once in a while. You’ll enjoy the collection as much as, if not more than, the special memories of your Disney vacation!
So….does your family enjoy pressing pennies? What tips would you offer??
Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that special “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.
How to Create a Disney Vacation Scrapbook Without Really Trying
One of the most affordable Disney souvenirs that I know of is to create a scrapbook of your vacation memories when you return home. While scrapbooking certainly can be complicated…and expensive….it absolutely does not have to be either. In fact, anyone can really make a simple scrapbook made with not much more than pictures, items you collect at the parks, and the most priceless things you have…your memories.
Don’t be afraid to try this. You don’t need a design degree, and you don’t have to be especially artistic even. Simply concentrate on what you ultimately want to do: creating a keepsake of those magical memories of your Disney World vacation. Get your children involved too, as this can be a wonderful way to re-live your Disney vacation together, and kids love to help create scrapbooks.
So where do you start? You start your scrapbook while you are still at the parks, because you want to be gathering items to put in your scrapbook while you are there. Free items. You are not going to spend a lot on this album, because we are talking about affordable Disney vacation souvenirs here. So throughout your trip, watch out for things that cost you nothing that you can put in your book.
What kind of things? Well, pretty much everything! Things we have used in scrapbooks in the past include: park maps, napkins, postcards in the rooms, parts of Disney bags, photopasses, Fastpasses (sometimes the castmembers have let us keep them once the time is expired), park tickets, Key to the World cards, receipts, even pixie dust (Mickey sequins that are part of the Magic Kingdom daily opening celebration). That is, of course, just a start. You really can…and should…use your imagination here. Nothing is off limits, as long as it can fit in a book. Oh, one more thing you absolutely will put in your scrapbook of course…pictures.
Once you return home, you will take all these wonderful items and put them together in your scrapbook. Now there are a couple things that are important to keep in mind here. The supplies, album, paper, adhesive, stickers etc. can cost a fortune if you are not careful: there is some really cute stuff out there and it is easy to get carried away. So my recommendation is to set a budget that is affordable to you and stick to it. The most expensive item will be the album, but you can get a smaller one to save money here if necessary. Now Disney does sell scrapbooking supplies at the parks, so if you want to splurge you can get a Disney album…but don’t feel as if you need all the other stuff that they sell too! Remember, your memorabilia and pictures are what will matter the most here.
As to other supplies, you will need some decent adhesive. Glue sticks will work on most paper items, but for anything that is heavier, you will want a stronger adhesive. Be sure to ask an associate in your local craft store for assistance if you need to. Beyond that, get maybe a dozen sheets of solid color cardstock: if you can get a pack or find a sale, this should cost no more than $5-6 tops. Make sure you have a decent pair of sharp scissors or exacto knife, and a good sturdy ruler. And that’s all you NEED for your book.
And then you can put it together any way you like. Don’t make this hard or complicated! Instead of focusing on “how it looks”, concentrate instead on telling a story. You had a fantastic vacation at Walt Disney World, and made some amazing memories. Use those memories….helped by your free memorabilia and pictures….to tell the story of your vacation.
Don’t forget to leave space on each page to write. You want to include the story of your vacation. Journaling really “ties it all up” so give this part some thought. You can hand-write your memories on a piece of cardstock and glue it onto each page…or if you don’t like your handwriting, consider typing it out on the computer and then printing it out to add to the page.
And that’s really it! Take lots of photos, collect lots of free Disney “stuff”, write down your memories, and put it all together in any way you like. When you’re done, you’ll have a Disney souvenir that costs next to nothing…but is truly priceless.
When not writing for chipandco.com, Nancy shares tips and information about planning affordable Disney vacations at her blog, theaffordablemouse.com. Patiently waiting for the chance to move closer to Walt Disney World, Nancy and her equally Disney-obsessed family currently live in Maryland.
