How much do you really need? (Yeah, I want it all too…)One way that is all too easy to spend too much on a Disney vacation is with souvenirs. There are gift shops everywhere, and they all hold tempting treats. But just how much do you really need?
I’m not going to give a long lecture on what you need to buy and not buy. Instead, I’m just going to share my recent experience.
When my daughter and I were at Disneyland in December, we had limited space coming home. That meant we weren’t going to buy a lot of souvenirs. We decided that we would limit our souvenirs to two T-shirts each, plus a present for our dog Yoda.
We didn’t buy anything the first few days of our visit. We waited until the final day. That way, we knew exactly what we wanted to buy and how much it would cost.
Holding off also meant that we didn’t buy something and then wish that we had bought something else. I know myself, if I buy something on day one and then see something on day four that I wish I had bought instead, I’ll end up with both. If I hold off, I can decide which I want more.
As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that things aren’t all that important. Experiences are. When we were at Disneyland, we decided instead to buy Disney Genie+ for a couple of the days to get the most out of our time. Spending that $20 (it’s more expensive in California) was worth more than buying a trinket that will just catch dust on the shelf.
I’m not saying to not buy souvenirs. What I am saying is to try to keep the impulse buying under control. It’s a bit harder at Walt Disney World because the parks are more spread out than at Disneyland, but a lot of the merchandise is sold everywhere. Leave the souvenirs to the end of your trip, or at least to the end of the day. That will help you to decide what you really want, and what isn’t as important.