Souvenir shopping is part of the fun on any family vacation but can get expensive quickly if you purchase every doll, t-shirt or mug your kids ask for.
Here are some FREE Walt Disney World souvenirs that hopefully will make your kids happy:
1. Luggage Tags
For families staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, you will receive a Magical Express package in the mail a few weeks before your vacation begins containing information about your upcoming trip, coupons and luggage tags. These free luggage tags make great souvenirs for children (you can reuse them to label knapsacks, bags etc.).
2. Mickey Soap, Shower Gel and Shampoo
If you happen to be staying on site at a Walt Disney World Resort, you will find Mickey soaps, bottles of shower gel and shampoo in the bathroom area of your room. Mousekeeping does a good job of restocking every day (or every few days) so make sure you save some to take home.
Did I mention, these toiletries are made by H2O? Yup, it’s good stuff and so exciting to be able to continue the Disney fun at home!
3. Celebration Recognition Buttons
Are you or someone in your family celebrating something special while visiting WDW? Birthday, Anniversary, Honeymoon, 1st Visit, Happily Ever After and “I’m Celebrating!” buttons are available for free at Guest Services in the theme parks as well as the front desk if you are staying at a WDW resort hotel.
Both our children celebrated birthdays on our previous trip to Disney World and cast members were constantly wishing them both “Happy Birthday”. Our daughter loved the attention – especially when we were in restaurants and the wait staff brought out cupcakes with candles on them in addition to the dessert she ordered. Talk about a way to celebrate!
4. MagicBands
Being a guest at a Walt Disney World resort hotel means MagicBands are included free with your stay. These bracelets are programmable and are used as a hotel room key, park admission and hold all your FastPass+ selections, dining reservations and PhotoPass pictures. *Side note: MagicBands are available for purchase at select retail locations for $12.95 per band and any reservations you’ve made online can be transferred to your bracelet.
5. Character Autographs
What would a trip to Walt Disney World be without seeing some of your kids’ favorite characters? The characters really do stay “in character”. We saw Snow White 5 times during our last visit and although it was a different person playing Snow White each time, their poses, gestures and autographs were always the same!
On our previous trip, instead of buying an autograph book, we brought plain white pillowcases which the characters signed with fabric markers (bought them at a local craft store). We figure this would last longer than an autograph book which would probably get lost or ripped up quickly.
What other free souvenirs have you discovered at Walt Disney World?
Fantastic post! I would add some menus, napkins and toys from restaurants (althought not actually free if you count paying for your meal). For instance if you use your dining package and eat at Cinderella’s Castle you get a wish star and photo free.
And if you stay on site you can keep your pass card as a vacation souvenir! Programs and hotel brochures are fun too.
Laura
I totally forgot about the menus, napkins and toys. I will have to do a separate post on the “freebies” you get from certain restaurants. You’re right… not exactly free but definitely one less souvenir to buy.
Yes! I’ve kept the pass cards too from previous trips too. I love that they’re personalized as well so for kids it’s extra special.
What a great post! I myself am a Disney fanatic. Another great vacation souvenir is for you/your kids is at Epcot. When you visit each country pavilion, you/your kids can get a Duffy (the disney bear) on a stick that you can colour and get stamped.
Sometimes, not all the time, if you notify the restaurant you have reservations at in Disney that you will be celebrating a special occasion, they may put some confetti on your table. One year we went to celebrate my husband’s birthday and they decorated the table with Mickey confetti. Not going to lie, we brought some of that home with us 🙂
I forgot about the Kidcot stations and the stamps kids can collect on Duffy. The last time we went with our daughter she brought home 7 Duffys! She was 2 so she didn’t quite understand the concept about colouring and collecting stamps. Just a bunch of scribbles but those were probably her favourite “souvenirs” from the trip.
Confetti? Have you used it at home or just keeping it in a special jar?
I agree, kids love the duffy’s! We are just keeping the confetti in a special jar 🙂
Thanks for the fabulous post, We want to take our family to Disney next year. And it will be a first for all , so this is very helpful.
Great ideas!! Really, keepsakes acquired naturally during your actual trip are probably more meaningful than those souvenirs you purchase.
Thanks for the post and ideas, will have to remember them on our next trip
My top tip is to attend a Disney Art of animation lesson at Hollywood Studios, where you get a Disney artist to teach you how to draw a Disney character. Each Class lasts around 20 minutes and at the end, you sign and date your drawing and get to keep it!! It’s totally unique, individual and personal to you and is totally free!! Take more than one class and draw a different character each time! You will be surprised how good your drawing looks after the expert help you’ve had!! I’ve seen the same thing at DisneyQuest but you have to pay!!
I used to love Disney souvenirs as a kid!! Still do!!
Wow this is pretty cool , never been to Disney before.
So many cool and neat freebies. Wish I had known this back when we stayed at Disney.
With four kids, it can get expensive buying all kinds of souvenirs so I appreciate these tips.
The custom Disney maps that can be mailed for free to your house are no longer available 🙁 And I was so close too! Apparently they were discontinued at the end of 2014/January 1st of 2015. DANG IT!
Hi Kaitlin,
Thanks for the reminder that they dropped the customized Disney maps. I’ve removed that from the post. So sad that they did this 🙁
Cheryl
My family and I will be there the first week in March disney land