This is a safe space. We’re not here to judge. You can go ahead and admit that deep down, it’s pretty fun to buy souvenirs at Disney World. Yeah, we cringe when walking directly into a gift shop after exiting a ride. (Smart, but EVIL move, Disney!) Yes, those princess dresses are wildly overpriced. But you know what? The joy outweighs the cost.
That said, we’re not here to make you read a whole mushy, gushy post about the joys of buying souvenirs for friends and family. Instead, we need to talk about the harsh reality of buying souvenirs in Disney World because, really, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment when your little one is holding a 26” Simba plush. Think twice, people!
Logistics
We’ve been hearing this complaint ever since Disney World reopened in 2020. That’s four years without one of Disney’s BEST guest experience perks. Back in the day, if you purchased a big, bulky souvenir inside the parks and didn’t want to tote it around all day, you had options! First, you could leave your item with the Cast Member at the cash register, fill out a form, and then have your souvenir magically delivered to your Disney hotel room (for FREE)!
If you were NOT staying in a Disney World hotel, you could also have your item sent to the front of the park for souvenir pick-up. Either way, it was super convenient knowing that your souvenirs were safe and sound while you could freely enjoy your park day unencumbered.
These days, those options are still unavailable. Instead, if you want that giant Stitch plush or that fragile Crystal Arts souvenir, you better be prepared to carry it around all day. Get ready to stuff your merchandise in the tiny little pouch on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Good luck carrying your (very full) bag of souvenirs through a wall-to-wall crowd of people during the Magic Kingdom fireworks show. Yeah, it’s not easy.
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Packing Restrictions
Say you’re willing to splurge on a couple of souvenirs on vacation. Well, what happens when it’s time to go home? Many airlines have STRICT luggage weight rules, meaning you’ve only got a limited amount of space in your suitcase to work with.
Sure, we’d love to buy a whole bunch of those adorable weighted plush characters. But, um, who’s idea was it to make stuffed animals HEAVY?! We don’t have that kind of weight to spare in our suitcase, Disney! Guess how much that cute little Dumbo plush weighs? Two and a half pounds!
Even if you’re not stocking up on two-and-a-half pound plushes, there are plenty of other bulky souvenirs that take up a LOT of room in your suitcase! (Looking at you, Star Wars droids, Savi’s Workshop lightsabers, and light-up Ariel bubble wands…)
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Prices
Time to address the elephant in the room: the prices. Listen, MagicBand+, which is basically just a Bluetooth-enabled light-up bracelet, can cost up to $65. OUCH.
Yes, those Disney princess dresses are beautiful, but you can find some close matches for a LOT less on Amazon. The same thing applies to many Disney World souvenirs, like autograph books and t-shirts. But hey, it’s not the same to open an Amazon package as it is to hand-select an Elsa dress in Fantasyland, right?
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Availability
Sometimes, we are practically BEGGING Disney to take our money, but that souvenir we desperately want sells out in the blink of an eye!
There are some items, like new Minnie ears, Starbucks mugs, and Lug bags, that just can’t seem to stay in stock for more than a few hours! Those popular new items can be SUPER hard to find, and word travels fast when a popular souvenir arrives in the parks. Be prepared to put in the WORK if you’re really interested in a special new Disney souvenir. It might not be easy!
A Souvenir That Sold Out in ONE DAY Is Back in Stock in Disney World
As we said, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but it is pretty fun to spend money at Disney World. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
10 Must-Have Souvenirs From Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
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Have you ever experienced any of these annoying problems? Let us know in the comments!
I was trying to but souvenirs at Disney springs but when I looked at Disney website, the same items had a discount of 45%. I told my kids be patient that when we get home the souvenirs will be waiting for it at home.
The only ones I bought were the ones I couldn’t find online like the Christmas decorations.
What’s the operant word in most of these disappearing perks? It is “free”. If something at Disney is free, it won’t stay that way for long. I have been coming to WDW for a long time and have watched with dismay the erosion of perks, niceties and grace notes. Good-bye Magical Express. Good-bye magic bands included with a Disney hotel reservation. Good-bye Fast Pass. And so on. Every time I come to WDW I cannot help feeling like a bit of a sucker. I am heavily into DVC and will continue to come. Especially since the Disney Corporation does its best to make leaving DVC impossible.
A few times that I had too many gifts to pack I shipped them from my hotel.
Last time I was at the Wilderness Lodge, but had to ship from the Contemporary for some reason.
The gifts arrived at my house and it was a vacation all over again.