I'll start with what prices of items that I remember. Sorry I did save my receipts so I would remember the prices but dh tossed them:
-adult Tshirts -cheapest was $18.99 and up
-adult sweatshirts-$40.00 and up
-I didn't really look at kids clothes b/c the prices were so outrageous that I never seriously comtemplated buying any. I think the prices were comparable to the adult prices.
-beach towels $20 and up
-throws $28 and up
-the cheapest thing for kids to buy started about $5 but they weren't very nice. My dd insisted on getting a hannah montana lip gloss phone for $10 and it broke the same day she brought it. I would say more like $10 for items that kids would use their own money to buy.
-The Mr Potato Head(animal Kingdom-dinoland) was a great buy and lots of fun. You can fill the box with the parts. we got only parts that were Disney specific. GET ARMS b/c the arms are not the same as the ones that come with the regular Mr Potato. with tax it was just under $25 for the box parts. for filler we got the mickey ice crean bars. you can get individual parts for $2 each but I was able to fill my box with waaayyy more than what I would have paid individually.
-another great buy is the charms. I was very lucky and found the exact Disney purse at my local Goodwill brand new, the purse cost $12 at Disney. The charms start at $5.95, but even the lowest price point has very cute charms. The bracelet $5 and the necklace $10.
-You an make tiara's and add to them but we figured the cheapest we could get one for was about $20 and not the high quality as the charms.
-Pins: If u want to trade I suggest looking for some now to trade. they just need to be disney related. I found a brand new 4 pin set at my local goodwill for $2. The single pins start about $8. the sets start at about $20. you can also get sets that have the lanyard with it and those I think started at $28. the cheapest lanyARD i saw was $5.95. you can trade with any cast member(disney speak for employee) and ALL employees wear them. Our hotel had a pin trading hour.
-shot glass $12
-sorry never looked at the cost of mickey ears- but I figured that is something that u either plan of buying or not.
- autograph books $8.95 and up
-pens $3- same as some of the ones I got at dollar store and target dollar spot
-postcards $2- yes they are all the same price.
food:
-pop $2
-juice box $1.80
-chips(about size of grab bag) $2.50 -grab bag are sold for $0.99 in my area
-popcorn in souviner bucket $6
-Best foood value was in Epcot - China had a plate of white rice and orange chicken $7 we got 2 and the 5 of us shared.
-Margarita was $9
-aniother great food value was a baked potato $3 (Liberty Square-Magic Kingdom)
-Mickey ice cream bars $2.50 -actually all the bars I saw were same price.
-our hotel had cups u could buy and get free refills at your hotel of pop/coffee. $12 per cup. we got 2 at the shared.

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

I'll add more prices tomorrow and yet to come my tips and what worked for us and what didn't. sorry I couldn;t edit last entry.

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

Wow! That could add up fast. I am thankful for the idea to buy shirts for the girls ahead of time and pack them in the suitcase. Who can justify those prices when you can get them on Disneyshopping for $5 for a t-shirt or sweatshirt!
Thanks for the info

I agree. When we went to WDW last Fall, I bought discounted Disney items all year long in advance. Disneyshopping really has some great deals if you wait patiently. I also made sure to get matching shirts for my boys in bright colors, so they would be easy to spot in the crowd should they get separated! (luckily, they didn't)

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My Mama always said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
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I agree on the clothing for kids. They will probably outgrow the next year. I opted for souvineers that they wouldn't outgrow. We did charms and figured they could add on charms from vacations from all over rather tha just disney.

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allgirls, mom to 3 girls

The "EARS" are all the hype, so many kids wear them around.
My dd has some Minnie Ears and my ds opted for Jack (nightmare b4 christmas) and each were $18. There's free monogramming w/ the purchase of these, so both have their name on them.

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I have never bought a piece of clothing at Disney. Living in Orlando, we went a lot, but I can't imagine ever buying clothing at Disney. The only "treat" I have to have is the mouse ears ice cream. I think it is $2.50. We take drinks in.

I guess I have learned all the tricks by now.

Do you have any more tips to share, Claire? I'd love to hear them! We hope to get the kids to Disney sometime in the next couple of years. Being from MN, it's more of a planned event! Not being a regular there, I have NO idea what the tricks are.

Thanks for all those great tips, Allgirls!!!

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I have to run make dinner, but I have a few. For example, if you are going in the summer, I can help you plan your trip around the park so you can get maximum air conditioning/cooling time. I had that down to a "t". But, then kids entered the picture and wanted to ride different sort of rides. But, I still like to go in and have a plan, if you know what I mean.

My biggest piece of advice is to RUN once you get off the ride through the gift shop they dump you in. The kids go nuts if you are slow going through. Of course, not really RUN, but you know what I mean.

I forgot about that. It is annoying how the ride ends at a gift store. That would be heck with kids!!