Thursday's Tip

Since it's close to Christmas (and, in full disclosure, I am soooooo not finished with my shopping), I've got gift-giving on the brain. What parent doesn't want to give their child a fun souvenir or gift to commemorate their trip to Walt Disney World? But the prices in the many gift shops around the World can often be exorbitant. (There are a few "clearance" spots to be found--even in the in-Park stores...you just have to look for them!) This is a tip I've shared before, but it is worth repeating: do your Disney vacation souvenir shopping before your trip at discount stores. If you're looking for small "get-a-gift-every-day-of-your-trip" items, you might want to check your local dollar store, as they stock tons of Disney licensed items. And nearly every major discount store has a full line of Disney items, many of them exclusive to a particular store. Additionally, shop your local Disney Store or DisneyStore.com for clearance items--many of them are the very same official Disney Parks items that you can buy on site.

Finally, if you have time to order, I find some of my best Disney deals on Amazon. You have to search frequently, as inventory and pricing changes often. Here are a few of my favorite items up for grabs right now: