Disney Outside the Parks: To Buy or Not to Buy??

Hi! I’m Adrienne and I hope to share some of my Disney tips and ideas with you!! As much as we dream and wish, we can’t live at Walt Disney World forever so we’re going to be working on bringing that magic home with you.  I’m going to start with the obvious choice of Disney treats and treasures from your trip. 

The whole idea of bringing home souvenirs is to help you remember the wonderful time you had, the memories you made, and show off your Disney enthusiasm.  Of course, if you are like me, you buy all sorts of souvenirs which you then have to cart home (i.e. 3 gnomes, 1 Mickey ear balloon, a Mexican Day of the Dead skull, 2 bottles of wine, 1 set of bowls, and more shirts than I can count, etc).  On our first trip to Disney World, my husband and I thought it was a “once in a lifetime experience,” and proceeded to buy WAY too much.  But now, I have perfected a system that keeps me from spending too much money on random Disney pens.  *This system does not apply to the “necessity purchase” for those nights when you realize it gets cold in Florida, and you planned for Spring Break without a jacket.*

1. When you first see something that catches you eye, ask yourself if you’ve seen it somewhere.  (If you’ve been to 1 of the Disney gift shops, you start seeing they sell most of the same merchandise.) And did you like it as much as when you saw it the first time?
2. Is it something that will go with the rest of your home décor?  For instance, do you already have a gnome collection that Mickey and Minnie need to join? 
3. Is it something that would be of sentimental value?  An Arribas Brothers glass figure from your favorite Disney movie, or is it a $10 balloon that will be deflated in a week?

 After answering these questions, then you should be able to make an informed decision on whether that $30 Mickey topiary shirt from the Flower and Garden festival is something that you just can’t live without.  However, a word of caution…I have been known to see something at the one of the stores at Downtown Disney (a certain Tinkerbell shirt) never to be found again.  (However, I have the best husband who actually found my Tinkerbell shirt on clearance online for my birthday, but not everyone is as lucky). So if you see that special thing, make sure you get it before you either forget where you saw it, or its not there anymore.  Remember, if you are staying on Disney property, they will ship it to your resort if you are not checking out in the next 48 hours.

 Hope this helps to get you started! As they say, “Have a Magical Day.” 

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Adrienne is originally from the Chicago area but lives outside of Indianapolis with her husband, 2 dogs, and 2 cats.  She went to Disneyland when she was 7, which started her love of Disney.  She even named one of her dogs after her favorite princess, Aurora.  She and her husband celebrated their honeymoon at Walt Disney World in 2007 and have returned for every anniversary.  They have stayed at variety of resorts on property and traveled with friends and family.  Adrienne and her husband bought into DVC in May 2011 and rewarded themselves with their first fall trip for some of the special events.  Adrienne and her husband consider WDW their “second home” and have become the go-to people for any Disney related questions and advice from friends, families, and acquaintances.