There are so many amazing souvenirs at Disney World, and it is difficult to decide what to buy. Word of advice: set yourself a budget, and only purchase something you absolutely love! You can collect ANYTHING at Disney, and it is so much fun! There’s no better feeling than adding another treasure to your collection.
One of my most prized possessions is my Disney World charm bracelet! I love it! It makes me happy when I wear it, and the kids I work with at church think I am SUPER cool! I love picking out new charms each time I go to Disney! Jessica and I also enjoy picking out charms for each other. We have matching Frozen charms, and she got me a charm when she went to Disneyland last summer. I love Cinderella and princesses, so I usually go with charms with those themes. My newest charm is a pink tiara with a Mickey crystal on it. Love!! If you see a charm that you like, buy it immediately. Most likely you will not see it again. There are many charm tables throughout Downtown Disney and Magic Kingdom, and they are all different. The charms are around $5, and the bracelet was around $8.
Pin trading is one of the most popular things at Disney. Most of the cast members have pin collections, and any of their pins are available for trading. There are multiple stores in the parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney that only sell pins. People typically keep their pin collections on lanyards, but sometimes the cast members have them on pouches around their waist. There are starter kits available that have a lanyard and several pins (about four or five) with them, and the pins are usually focused on a theme, like Frozen, Classic Mickey & Friends, princesses, etc. You can keep your favorite pins and trade the ones you aren’t too fond of. I heard a little boy go up to a lady in the park and politely ask if he could trade and take her Olaf pin. The lady was very kind and told the little boy that she had worked VERY hard to get that pin, and she was not interested in trading it. I never really jumped on the pin trading bandwagon, but I know that the people that do it really love it.
You don’t necessarily have to collect things labeled as “collectibles” (like glass figurines, snow globes, special dolls, etc.) My mom (Celeste) has three items that are usually on her shopping list each trip: a Christmas ornament, a refrigerator magnet, and a night gown. My dad (Chuck) doesn’t really have a “collection,” but we usually buy him things that have Grumpy (the dwarf) on them. My brother (Phillip) gets a new hat each time. My sister’s (Abby) favorite park snack is popcorn, and she loves to buy it in the souvenir bucket, so she can keep that forever. Jessica has a charm bracelet and a collection of mugs.
Another unique idea that my sister and I had was to buy and collect pieces for Mr. Potato Head. My sister bought one for a gift one time and bought several pieces to go with it, but she never gave it away. I told her to keep getting more pieces each time we go, and then eventually, her future kids would have the most awesome Mr. Potato Head ever!
There is no right or wrong choice when buying souvenirs. Buy something that you love, and you will love it forever. Start a collection, or buy something that you like; just find a little Disney magic to take home with you.
By: Emma Conner
One of my most prized possessions is my Disney World charm bracelet! I love it! It makes me happy when I wear it, and the kids I work with at church think I am SUPER cool! I love picking out new charms each time I go to Disney! Jessica and I also enjoy picking out charms for each other. We have matching Frozen charms, and she got me a charm when she went to Disneyland last summer. I love Cinderella and princesses, so I usually go with charms with those themes. My newest charm is a pink tiara with a Mickey crystal on it. Love!! If you see a charm that you like, buy it immediately. Most likely you will not see it again. There are many charm tables throughout Downtown Disney and Magic Kingdom, and they are all different. The charms are around $5, and the bracelet was around $8.
Pin trading is one of the most popular things at Disney. Most of the cast members have pin collections, and any of their pins are available for trading. There are multiple stores in the parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney that only sell pins. People typically keep their pin collections on lanyards, but sometimes the cast members have them on pouches around their waist. There are starter kits available that have a lanyard and several pins (about four or five) with them, and the pins are usually focused on a theme, like Frozen, Classic Mickey & Friends, princesses, etc. You can keep your favorite pins and trade the ones you aren’t too fond of. I heard a little boy go up to a lady in the park and politely ask if he could trade and take her Olaf pin. The lady was very kind and told the little boy that she had worked VERY hard to get that pin, and she was not interested in trading it. I never really jumped on the pin trading bandwagon, but I know that the people that do it really love it.
You don’t necessarily have to collect things labeled as “collectibles” (like glass figurines, snow globes, special dolls, etc.) My mom (Celeste) has three items that are usually on her shopping list each trip: a Christmas ornament, a refrigerator magnet, and a night gown. My dad (Chuck) doesn’t really have a “collection,” but we usually buy him things that have Grumpy (the dwarf) on them. My brother (Phillip) gets a new hat each time. My sister’s (Abby) favorite park snack is popcorn, and she loves to buy it in the souvenir bucket, so she can keep that forever. Jessica has a charm bracelet and a collection of mugs.
Another unique idea that my sister and I had was to buy and collect pieces for Mr. Potato Head. My sister bought one for a gift one time and bought several pieces to go with it, but she never gave it away. I told her to keep getting more pieces each time we go, and then eventually, her future kids would have the most awesome Mr. Potato Head ever!
There is no right or wrong choice when buying souvenirs. Buy something that you love, and you will love it forever. Start a collection, or buy something that you like; just find a little Disney magic to take home with you.
By: Emma Conner