This question is for all the parents of young children (I have a DD7). What souvenirs do you recommend purchasing prior to your trip in order to save money? So far on my list:
Thanks!
The lure of stuffed animals is strong in the parks. Not sure if having one in advance would help that any.
Haha, I know…there’s no escaping that 
Have you looked into pin trading? if so I would pick up a few beforehand. Also toys for the pool like dive sticks. My DD10 had a blast with a Nemo set I got at Target for our last trip.
Pick up multiple packs of inexpensive glow bracelets and have her hand them out at night to other kids in lines/while waiting for things. It is a great way to keep them amused while killing time, and SO much fun to spread magic! 
Hit up Five Below, the dollar section at Target, and your local dollar store for inexpensive Disney themed stickers, coloring books (bring markers, not crayons…crayons melt!), etc to fill her backpack with for the trip to WDW. I would pre-pack my kid’s backpacks the night before w/ random surprises and they weren’t allowed to look inside until we were at the gate for our flight!
Other things I would include in their backpack for travel (depending on age/interest), one well loved book and one new book, a set of Disney characters from the Disney Store, a travel sized MagnaDoodle, a stuffed favorite friend, and small TSA friendly snack.
If flying, definitely have the conversation about a stuffed favorite friend needed to stay in a backpack during the security screening. It makes it easier than separating them before the scanners, and reduces the chances of them getting lost in the shuffle of stuff. We actually “practiced” the screening process at home using a doorway as the metal detector!
Activity set that comes with a pen and a container/pouch, water bottles, and I second stuffed animals.
Great idea, that’s perfect for her, thanks!
Disney themed water bottle…love it!
You rock, these are all great tips!
You’ve gotten great suggestions and I’m taking notes. The only thing I don’t think I’ve seen is a signature book or something for the characters to sign.
I thought about adding that (we generally also include a full set of clickable Sharpies…since they are recommended for ease of use by characters), but I didn’t think that any characters were doing signatures right now?
They’re not yet, no. But the thing my DD got into this past year in lieu of autographs? Pressed pennies. So I bought her a pressed penny booklet on Amazon ahead of time. It didn’t save money I don’t think (they sell the same one in the stores), but it did save the time of trying to find one, waiting in line, etc. And it also gave us something she needed to do - find the machines, choose which ones to get, etc.
Question: can you use credit to pay for these or do I have to carry around a bunch of quarters to pay for the cost of the pressing? Where the machines hard to find?
There are still a few that require coins but most take credit cards! (It’s all we ever used)
Maybe Disney gift cards too. We do gift cards for my niece - that’s the amount she is allowed to spend on her own souvenirs. My parents did that when we were kids too - a set amount that we could spend. Then we got to pick out a Christmas ornament as well that wasn’t part of that amount (that was the family approved souvenir - we do ornament and my niece will now get to pick out a pin at each park too as the pre approved family souvenirs)
Whoops, good point, I totally spaced on that.
Although, and it seems like this is just me, I had a terrible time with the clickable sharpies! I think maybe because we saw mostly costume characters and maybe they press harder, but the points got all bent and they stopped working by, like, day 3.
I was thinking of that as well. My thought was to purchase (4) $25 gift certificates and she can use one at each park.
My personal obsession is Christmas ornaments so we will be purchasing several of those as well! I can’t wait…so excited to go during Christmas this year!!! Just anxiously waiting for the Christmas party announcement!!!
Weird, ours lasted for years after each trip.
Sharpie has a huge multi-pack of clickables with ALL the colors. Dd carried the entire set, with her book, in her kid sized messenger bag. She loved carefully chosing which color pen each character would sign with! 
At that age we brought - we drive to WDW tho it’s 20 hrs - every article of Disney apparel that the kid fit into. Fewer t-shirts bought
We also brought every plush Disney character the kid owned. Prior to the trip we discussed character goals - we had Tramp but no Lady, she’s on the list. x 3. We’re only looking for 3 plushies this trip. Fewer plushies bought. *
At our resort the plushies lived on the kid’s bed. Sometimes mousekeeping rearranged plushies - extra fun. We did not mention ahead of time that this could happen.
Each evening we decided on a “friend” to go to the park in the morning. *see above. This friend got to ride rides and hug characters.
Each kid also had a daily envelope with money - five to ten dollars, depending on how much they saved/earned. Daily money could be saved toward more expensive stuff.
Bringing our already owned Disney stuff saved money and helped the kid manage their money. This worked for boys or girls.
We also always brought a bunch of glow stuff from our local Dollar General.
And did pin trading. Every day different pins would be brought to the park - to wear (show off) and pins to trade.
Through 2019 we did goodie bags for everyone in our group with this trip’s t-shirt, a bunch of lame pins for trading, glow stuff, I don’t even recall what all.
My son in law bought packages of glow sticks that could be twisted together to make shapes. I think he got them on Amazon.