Budget Friendly Disney Souvenirs for Kids!

With so many great shopping options at Disneyland, narrowing it down to essential items that stand the test of time and not break the bank can be overwhelming! If your kids are like mine, they want to buy something everyday we visit the park.  Really, even if you have raised the most self-restrained kids on the planet, how can they resist Disney’s marketing strategies with racks of ” I want” items lurking on every corner?

Here are some ideas to help you as a parent keep within your financial budget, while allowing your kids to have  some special keepsakes to bring home with them.

Pressed Pennies

Around the park there are machines that will press your penny into a design representing Disneyland and California Adventure. For example, in the shop next to Pirates of the Caribbean a guest can get a penny stamped out to have the “Dead Men Tell No Tales” saying imprinted.

To get a pressed penny it costs 51 cents. One penny to get pressed and two quarters to pay. Make sure that you have shiny pennies, because the designs look the best on those. There are also pressed quarter machines that cost closer to a $1.

Purchase a pressed penny book for approx. $13 in Disneyland to collect pennies from all of the machines around the parks.

If you visit Guest Relations at Disneyland, you can pick up a map of all of the locations to get a pressed penny. This can be great fun for kids to check off the ones they have collected and which ones they want to get next.

Trading Pins 

Disney pins are small metal images with a pin back depicting characters or Disney attractions typically displayed on a lanyard worn around your neck.

Disney pin trading is a program where guests interact with cast members and other park guests.  To participate, one must purchase an official Disney pin and then find a cast member with a set of Disney pins of their own. Approach the Disney cast member and request to trade pins. Indicate the pin that you would like to trade for and give them the one you would like in exchange. Cast Members honor all trading requests whereas other guests may only trade for a pin they want.

There are sellers on eBay who sell pins ( some are real, damaged or fake; so watch what you are buying). We purchased these prior to our vacations and then the kids start with a set of ‘trader pins.” They were always super excited to get back to the hotel at night to arrange their ‘best pins’ on one side of their lanyard, while getting the other side ready for trading the next day.  Although we didn’t spend any cash on these while we were on the parks, the kids felt like they were getting something special each day.

Autograph Books

These are some of my girl’s most prized possessions! These are available for you to purchase when you arrive at the park or can be purchased at home before your vacation.

Make sure to bring a pen and something easy to carry the book around in.  Have the characters sign the right hand page in the books, leaving the left side blank.  Once you get your photos printed, you can easily add the photo in next to the autograph.  This makes for even more fun once you return home and provides memories for years to come.

Disneyland Name Paintings

In Disneyland adjacent to the Matterhorn and at a kiosk in Downtown Disney, Disney sells watercolor paintings of your name.

The price is about $5 per letter. Each letter is illustrated to look like a certain Disney movie or Disney character. One letter name squares are also available.  The expensive part of this purchase is the frame.  If your not too worried about having it framed, this can be a personalized souvenir that won’t break the bank. Just roll it up and store it safely in your suitcase until you get home.

Park Buttons

If you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or first trip to Disneyland, be sure to tell a cast member at Town Hall or in the shops.  Buttons to commemorate these milestones are available for free.  There are other less common buttons if you find yourself there on a special holiday like Leap Day.  Did you know a celebration button is available at Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland?  Just tell the cast member serving you when you are getting your child his or her first Dole Whip.

Jungle Cruise Map

A little known Disneyland fact is that your Jungle Cruise skippers have a map to give away at the end of your voyage – just ask as you get off the boat at the dock!

Autopia Driver’s License

For just $5, your child can have a photo made at the photo booth at the exit of Autopia and turned into a “drivers license.” This a great personalized souvenir!

Fast Passes

The days of Fastpasses being on printed paper at Disneyland are a thing of Disneyland past, but the machines still dispense paper “reminders” that look similar. Get them while they last !  My daughter has collected them all and has them hung on a light string in her bedroom. It is a very creative piece!

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