Hello again, I need some creative advice. I am taking my 7 yo and 3 yo sons to Dw in January. Figured I would spring it on them on Christmas. We are traveling from Idaho, along with my girlfriend, and I'm also bringing my parents in from South Carolina for the vacation since they have never seen their grandchildren. Since I'm paying for all this, it has gotten a little pricey. I would still like to give my kids a great Christmas(their first Christmas without their mom involved in their lives), but am strapped for cash. So if any of you have any Disney themed ideas that are creative and fairly inexpensive I would appreciate it greatly. Thanks Again.
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Christmas Present Ideas needed
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Cinderella Fan
New Member
Here is just an idea....you can go online to www.disneyshopping.go.com and click on the "Outlet" section. There, you can find alot of cute games, clothes, etc, for them.
If you don't want to go all out, you can buy them each a T-shirt with Mickey, or their facorite Disney character, to wear on the first day of their trip. Then, you can surprise them with the trip as an additional present.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas :xmas: and a great trip!!
:wave:
If you don't want to go all out, you can buy them each a T-shirt with Mickey, or their facorite Disney character, to wear on the first day of their trip. Then, you can surprise them with the trip as an additional present.
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas :xmas: and a great trip!!
:wave:
pinkrose
Well-Known Member
Santa could make each child a basket. A plushy of their fav. Disney character holding their WDW ticket, some disney dollars, a Disney t-shirt, some special items to take on the vacation (Disney toothburshes, ect), some type of activities for the car or plane ride. You could go to www.puzzlemaker.com and make them some Disney puzzles for free. Perhaps print out some Disney color sheets on some of the Color Wonder paper and include some Color Wonder markers. Just a few ideas. Hope they help. 
I Like That Idea
Great Idea & may I add we sell large plushes of nemo ect. at toys r us for $19.99 & disney beannies (sp?) for $4.99 each including Mickey himself. So check your local toys r us if you like the plush holding the tix idea like i do. May I add in a card or in a basket also plan some mickey shaped confette (sp?..its been a long day) Sorry if it seems like im "selling for toys r us" I just happen to see this everyday i work & want to snag that mickey & nemo myself so thought id pass on the info.pinkrose said:Santa could make each child a basket. A plushy of their fav. Disney character holding their WDW ticket, some disney dollars, a Disney t-shirt, some special items to take on the vacation (Disney toothburshes, ect), some type of activities for the car or plane ride. You could go to www.puzzlemaker.com and make them some Disney puzzles for free. Perhaps print out some Disney color sheets on some of the Color Wonder paper and include some Color Wonder markers. Just a few ideas. Hope they help.
Yellow Shoes
Well-Known Member
Unsolicited advice from another parent:
When our kids were younger, we dressed them in identical shirts. It really helped them stand out in a crowd. All I had to do was look for 2 yellow shirts, and I found my kids. (IMHO, it's much easier than remembering that one is in grey and black camo and the other is in a Pokeman shirt)
Craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc) have plain t-shirts for around $4. You could paint them with Disney stuff if you wanted. For safety reasons, you should not put their names on the shirts.
(I would suggest matching Disney shirts, but they are $$$$)
We found that neon green, orange, and yellow were the most visible.
My kids just LOVED having a disposable camera all their own to take pictures. We have LOTS of photos of knees that my 5 year old took. He was soooo proud of those photos when we got them developed!! (Most disposables don't have straps on them. Be sure to put your name on the cameras so they can be returned to you if they get lost. I put a return address label on them, plus the name of our hotel.)
Autograph books and pens are great to take with you. Make sure the pen is as big as possible, and is a click style instead of a cap that you will have to remove and possibly lose. Instead of buying an official book, you might take 4 x 6 index cards for the autographs, then you can put them in a photo album next to the picture of the kids with Tigger, Chip, Mickey, etc.
Have a great time!!
When our kids were younger, we dressed them in identical shirts. It really helped them stand out in a crowd. All I had to do was look for 2 yellow shirts, and I found my kids. (IMHO, it's much easier than remembering that one is in grey and black camo and the other is in a Pokeman shirt)
Craft stores (Hobby Lobby, Michael's, etc) have plain t-shirts for around $4. You could paint them with Disney stuff if you wanted. For safety reasons, you should not put their names on the shirts.
(I would suggest matching Disney shirts, but they are $$$$)
We found that neon green, orange, and yellow were the most visible.
My kids just LOVED having a disposable camera all their own to take pictures. We have LOTS of photos of knees that my 5 year old took. He was soooo proud of those photos when we got them developed!! (Most disposables don't have straps on them. Be sure to put your name on the cameras so they can be returned to you if they get lost. I put a return address label on them, plus the name of our hotel.)
Autograph books and pens are great to take with you. Make sure the pen is as big as possible, and is a click style instead of a cap that you will have to remove and possibly lose. Instead of buying an official book, you might take 4 x 6 index cards for the autographs, then you can put them in a photo album next to the picture of the kids with Tigger, Chip, Mickey, etc.
Have a great time!!
tink rules
New Member
& give them stickers!!! Kids LOVE stickers....
Make a trip kit for them....
I think Disney.com has pages for them to color - you could put together something like that and crayons you can get at the dollar store...
Make a countdown jar!!! Put stickers on it or anything... Let the kids put pennies in and you can add some too and whatever is in there when you are ready to go - use it for a special treat!!! Even if it's a couple of dollars, you could find something to do. Make it a daily event...you put .50 or $1 in and let them put some change in and then have a counting party and put the money in an envelope marked especially for Disney. They'll get excited about putting it in every day - do it at dinner or bedtime.
Make up a box (one of those cardboard photo boxes you can get at any of the chain stores - Michaels, AC Moore, etc...) you can line it with even disney wraping paper you can find around or stickers and put stuff in it that you can get from the resort itself. Get some of the park maps and some other things that they may see, like their hotel especially if you are staying inside Disney, or if not, things about that hotel that they may have. Call Disney and see what they will send you - I've done that and they will send some of the current maps, etc. And some pictures of the grandparents and build a trip box out of it. Put a notebook in it with little notes from each one about what character they would like to meet or what they want to try. Better yet - get some supplies and let them decorate it themselves! Make it a special Disney Treasure box!!!! Let them go through the box and see it all so it's not so overwhelming when they get there.
Also make a trip book for them. Things they can do along the way to remember that the trip is happening. Like, use a Calendar - get a cheap one at the dollar store... use star stickers and each week put a gold star on one more week down and that your getting closer... The older one will like that.
& depending on how what transportation you are taking to get to WDW... make a kit for them while traveling. Coloring pages, pictures of WDW anything - you can put it in a giant Zip lock bag and they can keep busy getting there and they can also decorate the bag and then they can put things in the bag from their trip like stickers they may get from CM's or anything else they may like.
And also try to keep a journal going - get a cheap one even a lined notebook will do and let the kids each week or so put down a thought or plan that they have to do down in disney. Also write down an entry each day and later put in pictures so later they can remember this special time.
I know that there is at least one - could be more travel books just for the kids. I know that I have used Birnbaums book for kids. It gives them a sense of what they are going to see. Also make up games for the trip - like hidden mickeys and fun things to look for, like Tinkerbell flying during the fireworks...
& the autograph book is essential. Make sure you have a fat pen with you - it makes it easier for the characters to sign. Your 7 yo will love it - first of all because he will see EVERYONE doing it and it will help your 3 yo to get closer to the characters if he sees his older brother doing it too.
Hope that helps... :animwink:
Make a trip kit for them....
I think Disney.com has pages for them to color - you could put together something like that and crayons you can get at the dollar store...
Make a countdown jar!!! Put stickers on it or anything... Let the kids put pennies in and you can add some too and whatever is in there when you are ready to go - use it for a special treat!!! Even if it's a couple of dollars, you could find something to do. Make it a daily event...you put .50 or $1 in and let them put some change in and then have a counting party and put the money in an envelope marked especially for Disney. They'll get excited about putting it in every day - do it at dinner or bedtime.
Make up a box (one of those cardboard photo boxes you can get at any of the chain stores - Michaels, AC Moore, etc...) you can line it with even disney wraping paper you can find around or stickers and put stuff in it that you can get from the resort itself. Get some of the park maps and some other things that they may see, like their hotel especially if you are staying inside Disney, or if not, things about that hotel that they may have. Call Disney and see what they will send you - I've done that and they will send some of the current maps, etc. And some pictures of the grandparents and build a trip box out of it. Put a notebook in it with little notes from each one about what character they would like to meet or what they want to try. Better yet - get some supplies and let them decorate it themselves! Make it a special Disney Treasure box!!!! Let them go through the box and see it all so it's not so overwhelming when they get there.
Also make a trip book for them. Things they can do along the way to remember that the trip is happening. Like, use a Calendar - get a cheap one at the dollar store... use star stickers and each week put a gold star on one more week down and that your getting closer... The older one will like that.
& depending on how what transportation you are taking to get to WDW... make a kit for them while traveling. Coloring pages, pictures of WDW anything - you can put it in a giant Zip lock bag and they can keep busy getting there and they can also decorate the bag and then they can put things in the bag from their trip like stickers they may get from CM's or anything else they may like.
And also try to keep a journal going - get a cheap one even a lined notebook will do and let the kids each week or so put down a thought or plan that they have to do down in disney. Also write down an entry each day and later put in pictures so later they can remember this special time.
I know that there is at least one - could be more travel books just for the kids. I know that I have used Birnbaums book for kids. It gives them a sense of what they are going to see. Also make up games for the trip - like hidden mickeys and fun things to look for, like Tinkerbell flying during the fireworks...
& the autograph book is essential. Make sure you have a fat pen with you - it makes it easier for the characters to sign. Your 7 yo will love it - first of all because he will see EVERYONE doing it and it will help your 3 yo to get closer to the characters if he sees his older brother doing it too.
Hope that helps... :animwink:
Yellow Shoes
Well-Known Member
3 year olds don't have a good sense of time passing, but 7 year olds do.
One of my favorite "count down" strategies is the paper chain.
First off, they will have fun making the chain--this may be your younger one's first paper chain! You got your scissors, your paper, your glue/tape--it just doesn't get better for kids!
Then there is the fun of tearing off a link each day.
You probably want one for each kid--perhaps hang on their bedroom doorknob.
And--you can't forget this--you've got to teach them to make Mickey heads with 3 circles º0º (<-- That is alt+167, then zero, then alt 167 again, for those of you who didn't know...) Pretty soon they'll be making them everywhere.
And remember that kids cannot sustain fever pitch excitement levels for months at a time (like adults can). Don't be discouraged or disappointed if they aren't bouncing off the walls during the prep time.
You can also make hidden Mickeys out of cupcakes on a plate, cucumber slices, etc.
One of my favorite "count down" strategies is the paper chain.
First off, they will have fun making the chain--this may be your younger one's first paper chain! You got your scissors, your paper, your glue/tape--it just doesn't get better for kids!
Then there is the fun of tearing off a link each day.
You probably want one for each kid--perhaps hang on their bedroom doorknob.
And--you can't forget this--you've got to teach them to make Mickey heads with 3 circles º0º (<-- That is alt+167, then zero, then alt 167 again, for those of you who didn't know...) Pretty soon they'll be making them everywhere.
And remember that kids cannot sustain fever pitch excitement levels for months at a time (like adults can). Don't be discouraged or disappointed if they aren't bouncing off the walls during the prep time.
You can also make hidden Mickeys out of cupcakes on a plate, cucumber slices, etc.
David
Active Member
When you give them the tickets, have a letter from Mickey saying how he excited he is that they are coming to his house. You can type it on a computer using just a "kids" font, or download the Disney font. (I know that it's available for download, but can't remember the site.)
You might want to hide their presents around the house. Cut out Mickey head cards and inside have information to tell the kids tell where the presents can be found, or just have the hidden Mickey attached to the present itself.
Not really a present, but how about making Mickey pancakes for breakfast?
You might want to hide their presents around the house. Cut out Mickey head cards and inside have information to tell the kids tell where the presents can be found, or just have the hidden Mickey attached to the present itself.
Not really a present, but how about making Mickey pancakes for breakfast?
darrelljon
Active Member
WDW Magazine 2015 Calendar - unfortunately for me they don't ship to the UK
Allym146
Well-Known Member
Lots of good ideas in here! I like the chain countdown, my 3.5 year old niece did one for disneyland and really enjoyed doing it every day. I just googled Dollar Tree Disney and it's looks like they have quite a few things. Including cute tote bags that you get and fill with little things. They have workbooks, coloring books, stickers, games ect. I'm sure whatever is near you (dollar general, family dollar) has similar things.
Also maybe try hitting up joann fabrics or michaels for some inexpensive gifts, or hobby lobby as I think someone suggested. There's always coupons in the paper or you can download their app for coupons.
Also maybe try hitting up joann fabrics or michaels for some inexpensive gifts, or hobby lobby as I think someone suggested. There's always coupons in the paper or you can download their app for coupons.
Nemo14
Well-Known Member
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
The Christmas before our kids' first Disney trip, we stuck to practical gifts and stocking stuffers that they could use while we traveled down or in the parks -- things we'd have needed to purchase anyway, like wheeled luggage (ebags.com often has some great deals in the clearance section), Disney coloring books and storybooks to keep them amused on the plane (I found a great used lot of Disney "little golden books" on ebay for cheap!), new sunglasses, T-shirts (from the clearance section of the Disney store website), sunscreen spray, a Disney ornament for our Christmas tree, blank journal notebooks (you could also use Dollar Store photo albums) to commemorate the trip and fill with character autographs, disposable rain ponchos (Dollar Store) etc. They were so excited to be reminded of their upcoming trip, they barely noticed that most of what they'd gotten was "sensible stuff"!
Daniel Johnson
Well-Known Member
For what it's worth, if your making a basket or something like that, the dollar tree's in my area sell lots of Disney branded stuff. Pens, pencils, coloring books, small plush toys, even disney towels....all a dollar. We buy stuff there just to have Disney stuff around our home and my wife's office. Good luck...sounds like a great Christmas gift!