what is a good souvenir?

[tinkerddeedee]

For families, friends, kid's friends?????:mickey:

[IamBelle]

We always buy the refillable mugs when staying at the resorts. They are good size and are useful during the trip. And, at home, you can use them everyday and be reminded of the Happiest Place On Earth.

[elmjimmlm]

We have bought snow globes, small clocks, mugs and Mickey Ears for kids...:thumbsup:

[Mousemates]

from WDW...pins are good inexpensive souvenirs
t-shirts/hats are also good gifts, but you can often find them at a far lessexpensive price outside of the parks.

[GoofyforFun]

[QUOTE=Mousemates;1868861]from WDW...pins are good inexpensive souvenirs


Kids love them and you get any character you want

[DANAM]

We always get treats from goofy's in DTD. Chocolate covered rice crispie treats (shaped like mickey heads or seasonal shapes) for teachers and coworker and mickey head shaped golfish for the kids to bring to there friends at school. We use our left over snack credits for those. I hit the $5/$10 or less store also in DTD for everyone else.

[Maleficent_vf]

The hit with my co-workers and friends this year was the green eco-shopping bag with the Mickey ears tree on it (Every tree has character). Practical for them, economical for me (especially when you're buying for 20!).

For kids, the plastic "shimmer" glasses where the picture changes slightly when you tilt it, filled with little goodies, like those towels packaged into a tiny square, the little Mickey/Minnie dolls, stickers, pens, pencils. I had a ball shopping for my friends kids when I was there in March. Lots to choose from - each kid had a unique gift with their favorite character or movie theme.

Oh, I almost forgot the popcorn - co-workers loved the various flavors - carmel, chocolate-carmel, jalapeno-carmel, ranch.

[Buddy08]

I like to collect plush characters in themed garb like Pirate Mickey, Star Wars Mickey dressed like a jedi, Goofy butler from TOT, etc. I also have an ewok and a little yeti. I need to add to my collection!:mjump::mjump:

[rkwctw]

I like the Mickey pins. We also collect Disney Christmas ornaments and key chains. There is also inexpensive food choices around Epcot.
Have fun.
:mickey:

[MarkC]

We always try to make sure and choose something that we will use again when we get home, i.e. no Goofy ears. Watches, sweaters or polos, etc are great long term gifts.

[Friend of Figment]

They make really cute tins of mints and they change fairly often. These have been popular with my co-workers.

[tinkerddeedee]

These are great ideas!!!! Food always works, forgot about food!!! :popcorn: :cart: :shop:

[MickeyandTink]

They make really cute tins of mints and they change fairly often. These have been popular with my co-workers.

These are great. They are about $3 and look like Altoids tins (the mints are pretty tasty and are shaped like Disney characters).

For the kid's friends, we usually get some Mickey "crazy straws". They are only 50 cents each (I believe). We've also gotten some of the kid's plates from the counter service places. They are black plastic and "Mickey" shaped.:mickey: Very fun and if you ask nicely, they will usually include a couple of unused plates with your meal at no extra charge.

[kemps@wdw]

The Mickey pasta put into a rafia ribbon-tied jar, any character-shaped goodies, the small glass blocks w/the character etched inside, refillable mugs, t-shirts, ball caps, pins. These are the things I usually get for others. DH always gets a ceramic character statue from the Art of Disney, DD usually gets some kind of jewelry for her and her friends. Me, I get my scrapbook album (dated), and supply kits.

[sleepingbooty]

By the way you worded your question, I'm assuming you mean things to by for other people at home, not souvenirs for yourself and kids, right? In that case, I usually go with something edible, like salt water taffy, popcorn, mickey shaped pasta, coffees, etc. I figure, most people are not Disney nuts like myself, and may not have any use or desire for a Disney themed knick knack, but we all have to eat!

[joonyer]

Most of our family and friends enjoy going to the beach (or pools) a lot so we like to buy Disney themed beach towels as gifts, We all have our own favorites too (one from Splash Mountain that says "Dry is not an Option" )

[AdventurerKim]

We buy "unique" souvenirs for family and friends that are dated or have a holiday on them. Pins are great because they are small and inexpensive. Also, a glass with someone's name on it from Arribas Bros. is always nice too if you want to pack it in your luggage (we've never had a problem with this) or send it home. We also like practical gifts for adults. We got a friend some kitchen items for picking up our mail and newspaper while we were gone. She loved them! :thumbsup:

[tinksmom02]

We only buy gifts for the kids in our lives anymore...last trip we just did T-shirts, MUCH easier to pack LOL

When I was teaching pre-K I would get the kids Mickey straws from the foodcourt.

DD usually takes a big bag of Chip N Dales Pretzels back to school to share with her friends.

I'm planning on getting my 2 year old neice and nephew the Mr. Potato Head from Once upon a toy this trip, but I'm saving it for a christmas gift.

[tinkerddeedee]

You guys have all given such great ideas! And it does make a lot of sence to buy food items. I know that I'M the only Disney addict that I know!

[TeamJonasSister]

I always get something for my brothers, sister, and Dad something from a country in Disney. I normally get my dad and sister something in Germany, like we always get my Dad a glass from Germany with his name on it. My sister also has two of the dolls from Germany, so I was thinking about gettting her a offit for her dolls. My brothers are hockey fans so normally they get something from Canada. My mom also runs a daycare and she normally gets some candy for the kids she watches.

[DANAM]

What are the mickey staws many people have mentioned? I don't think I have seen these.

[JavaDuck]

We bought a couple packs of pens with plastic Disney characters that wobbled attached to the top. I think there was Dumbo, Donald, Tinker Bell, Mickey Mouse, and a few others. We let our friends choose which one they wanted.

[beksy]

I got ink pens one year, one year I got a mug for one co-worker and a stuffed tigger for the other co-worker's granddaughter. Usually I just go with food or if I want to spend more I will get a t-shirt. Dad loves Ireland, so I got him an Irish mug from Raglan Road and we got my mom one of the crystals with my sister and me as a late Christmas present.

[hauntedmansiongirl]

The big hit with my coworkers this year was the antenna balls. They come in many different characters for around $5 each. The mickey shaped rice krispie treats are great too (and you can use up extra snack credits). Another great spot to check for good deals- in the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney there is a clearance section in the food/kitchen area. Usually you can find boxes of chocolates, canisters of tea, cookies, mugs etc. for 50-75% off. I got a bunch of different teas for friends for $2 a canister (they were $10 normally). :mickey:

[DNS]

I like to try to find things around World Showcase. Tea at UK is a favorite, pot holders from France, beer glasses from Germany, trolls from Norway for kids and I can always find various items in Japan - Hello Kitty, snack items and beautiful hand painted items. If I go for something general Disney I usually just go for keychains and Christmas ornaments.

[beksy]

I can't believe that I missed a Clearance section, especially at the World of Disney! :jaw: :faint: I'll have to make sure to catch this in December (but it'll probably be for things for me or mom for the most part instead of for friends! :blush:)

[PrettyMinnie]

We usually grab some jewelry at the resort. Earrings, rings an necklaces work well for girls. I feel guys are a bit more difficult, but I don't usually have to worry about it. Good luck!

[Lakin]

Buy some unique food items! Last time I went, I brought home some mickey shaped pretzels. It was the curiosity among all of my friends when packed in my own lunch.

[dmosher]

That is a really tough one. One of the things we find most difficult is picking up something for friends while "in the world". Usually if I know I want to get them something, I look around their house at what they have and decide if a little something Disney could replace it. A picture frame, a magnet, etc. It also depends on how much you want to spend. Usually we break it down by how many and who we want to buy for, then how much we want to spend in total and lastly we divide that and see how much we can spend on each person. Yes that sounds a bit compulsive, but trust me it is WAAAY to easy to spend lots and lots of $$ on little items for all of those important people in your life.
:pipes:
D

[Nicki'sMom]

We got the kids in my daughters preschool class a cup that has water in the outside so it looks full and all sorts of character shapes are floating in the water. It was only about 4 dollars and we still have ours. It was a beautiful blue color and I think they had another color too. Got it in the shop in DTD where everything is under 10 bucks.

[Hull-onian]

For my DG I got her a key chain that looks like a pen, but it lights up. She loved it.

[kbean]

Stories of your trip..HA!

[twinboyz]

They make really cute tins of mints and they change fairly often. These have been popular with my co-workers.

Where can you find these tins of mints? I've never seen them, although I wasn't specifically looking. :confused:

[tinksmom02]

What are the mickey staws many people have mentioned? I don't think I have seen these.

They're plastic crazy straws in the shape of Mickey's head. I've gotten them at the POR and POFQ food courts, they're about $0.50, I think. I would assume all or most other food courts would have them, as well. Makes for a cheap, but cool, kids gift, especially when you have to buy for a bunch of kids!

(note to self: buy them for all the kids on my list this year!)

[Ropachs]

I've never seen those straws either, they'd make great stocking stuffers, Easter basket fillers, etc. as well as a cheap souvenier if you have lots of kids to buy for...perhaps a straw and something else.
I've seen those mints everywhere, one place I'm sure of is the candy store in DHS. Pretty sure MouseGears too.
The perfect souvenier, IMO, is anything that is clearly WDW and also practical. Love the kitchen-wares from the (pantry?) store in DTD, got DS a ruler last time - nothing's more practical that that, obviously the apparel. If I had seen those WDW-eco-shopping bags, I would've stocked up for sure!!

[figgie]

:thumbsup:Can't beat a great beach towel! I have a few, some from years ago that are still a great memory. I look for ones with Chip and Dale on them, they're my guys.

[wjrhw]

Last year we bought character pencils for DD's 1st Grade Class. This year we picked up enough park maps for her whole 2nd Grade Class. The kid's loved them. You can read them and daydream.

I would have loved park maps when I was kid (never went to WDW until I was 21)

[DisneyHoneymooners]

For family members, we like to get Christmas ornaments...some can be personalized. It makes for a nice memory.

[Iluvpooh]

What are the mickey staws many people have mentioned? I don't think I have seen these.
They are wacky/curly plastic straws that are shaped like Classic Mickey (circles) They come in several colors- red, blue ,yellow, green. You can find them at most resort food courts by thew registers they are only .50. I bought every kids in my DDs Kindergarten class some this past trip and you would have thought we had brought gold. They all loved them.

As the other posters have said- Snacks. I find the Mickey Rice Krispie treats to be the favorite so far. They travel well. I like to use my Dining plan dessert credits for them and by the end of the week, we have around 30.

[Tink#64]

My fav souvenear to get for others are antenna toppers! The holiday ones are always a hit! Or a particular sport themed one for that basketball or soccer fan! These are inexpensive and fun! Another fav is any kind of animal treat for those at home (they have their own furry children!) taking care of our furry children while we're at WDW! We've bought dog treats, dishes, toys, leashes, etc! Shot glasses are always on somebody's list!

For ourselves, it's always a new WDW Christmas ornament! :mickey:

[LandFan]

We tend to get Beach towels for our close family. They wear well and are pretty plush. THey are $20 each and seem to stick around a lot longer than t-shirts and other more expensive clothing items. We now have a large closet full of them and it is fun to pick out a new one to take to the pool each day.

It is also fun for little ones to use them as their bath towels and have a large pile of them to pick from for each bath time.

For little presents, we like the antennae toppers and keychain mickey heads. They are that rubber stuff so they are sturdy and colorful.