Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs Excluding meals and snacks, do you people (especially the AP-holders and the ones that go often) buy souvenirs or clothes or pins or other "little things"?
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 I go once or twice a year and I buy a few things every trip...can't help myself.
Originally Posted By llanatoye 5BR, I have a room full of "little things" that I have bought at Disneyland. And I before I go I always say that there is nothing I need to buy but guess what? I come home with something that I couldn't live without. I'm an AP so I guess I justify the purchase with my discount.
Originally Posted By tynkrbell1977 Well I am a shopoholic AND a Disneyoholic so I ALWAYS buy stuff. LOL There was one time that I spend $1200 on just stuff. That does not include the hotel or food. LOL Granted now that I have been laid off I will be lucky if I will even be able to get there anytime soon. =(
Originally Posted By cal2632 I hit the Character Warehouse first. Then after I've bought bags of stuff there for the price of 3 tee-shirts at WOD, I find I have the strength to be VERY choosy while shopping.
Originally Posted By tynkrbell1977 I used to be a CM so I would do alot of my shopping at Company D. =) Ahhhh I miss that! LOL
Originally Posted By gadzuux I usually give myself a budget of $20 or so, and I usually come to the parks once a year and pay retail at the ticket booths out front. I often will buy a hat - the most subdued one that I can find. I used to favor the denim blue 'Rushin' River Outfitters' hats, but they've been discontinued. Maybe a mousepad, maybe a shotglass. I'm not cheap, I just don't like to clutter my life with a lot of useless stuff. Surprisingly, I was looking for a sweatshirt on my last visit that just said "Disneyland" on it. Plain simple and to the point. They didn't have any. Hard to believe, I know. I looked on Main Street, in the largish store in toontown, and elsewhere - nuthin'.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I have an AP an go around 20 times per year (usually for about 5-6hrs), and I usually only buy something 2 or 3 times per year. If there is something in particular that strikes my fancy, I'll definately get it, but otherwise, I usually wait for a specific time to get a lot of stuff at once. I usually do my largest spending during the holiday time, getting items that are only around then. The past few years, I've combined my 20% coupon for renewing my AP with the $10 blanket offer they've done (both with a $50 minimum limit), and they average eachother out to around the normal discount. I'd guess that over the course of a year, I probably spend around $130-$150 on merchandise in the parks, which isn't half bad compared to how often I'm there.
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs Jnemo, lol, this was similar to my "how many of you don't ride anything at DL?"... Some of the LPers (like friendofdd, for example) will just sit on Main Street and people-watch, so I wondered if the frequents guests would also buy stuff. I for one always end up buying things, lol. I think the most shopping I did was in 2003 for WDW and in 2005 for DL's 50th. I think the only thing I came home with in '06 was a Villains shot glass...I had seen it before on eBay and had no interest in it, but after I saw it, I was like 'what the hey'. I usually buy books and CDs...and a shirt if I find something I like. I also try to find stuff for my Collection of Evil™, but the stuff at the parks is either waaaay too expensive or marketed towards little kids...I guess it's a good and bad thing with that lol. Borders had a Villains book set featuring 12 thick-board books for $12.98. Obviously aimed at the 7 and under, I refrained from buying it. I'm not a big pin fan, but I have a few either out of necessity (Collection of Evil™) or as gifts.
Originally Posted By MomluvsDisney I have gone over 40 times this year and about 1 trip out of 4 I will buy a little something. Sometimes it is a gift for someone else, or something for my DD. Othertimes something I have coveted for a few trips and finally purchase. I like purchasing things that will see some use rather then simply trinkets. Last trip I bought my DF a t-shirt that had a great saying on it (and one that totally fit him). A previous visit found me buying small items for party favors at my DD recent birthday. I have found that sometimes within the shops in DL I can find items that have been discounted (Sometimes up to 40% off!!). I bought my niece a t-shirt and a backpack about three months ago for less the $20. They wre 40% off and then my PAP got another 10% off!
Originally Posted By MomluvsDisney But I am with you FiveBearRugs, I just cannot get into the pin craze...although sometimes I am slightly tempted by the HM pins..
Originally Posted By SleepingBeauty82 I used to buy things a lot more often when I was working. I have an AP and I got at least once or twice a month. I'm with Momluvs, I'll buy something small maybe 1 out of every 4 trips. My last splurge was ears a couple months ago. I'll always get a new ornament at Christmas and something for Halloween.
Originally Posted By KCCHIEF I always shop at the Pooh store over by Splash Mt....and almost always buy something there.
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs LOL, I should've added that some pins were also bought for an occasion...I have the Disney Catalog lenticular Mansion pins for the 50th (which I felt should've included nothing *but* the Morphing Portraits). I've also bought Goofy and Eeyore pins for myself as well. I used to like the coloring books, and a few years ago on eBay, I won a mint, non-used 1983ish DL coloring book and a late 70s WDW coloring book with the Country Bears on the cover, also mint and unused. I've been looking for the early-90s coloring book (where Harold is one of the pages) on eBay, but 1.) it's hardly ever there and 2.) it's really not a concern. (Speaking of eBay, I better be getting my Silly Symphonies 1 DVD in the mail this week! i found out yesterday that the seller is no longer on eBay)
Originally Posted By bravebrother I only get to go once a year, so I drop a fortune on merch when I go!!!
Originally Posted By KittyPrincess1206 I bought pins for awhile back when I was working at Starbucks, and I would where them on my apron. Customers loved seeing the love I had for Disney. They even called me "Disney" Now, I stick to artwork, and books. I'll probably get birthday ears in December when I go for my birthday though.
Originally Posted By jnemo In recent years we have done much better with our shopping but there has been a time or two when we have to have stuff shipped home because we have bought to much. The biggest item is the picture in my living room, that was fun as we carried it out the front gate to the trams and then to the parking garage.
Originally Posted By ncnike7 Last year we went 3 times and I let my kids spend $100 each on the first 2 trip and by the third I had to limit them a little more. $100 sounds like a lot for a 2 and 4 year old, but when you get to Disneyland it doesn't go very far!
