So, um, do you totally spoil the kids while you're there or what?
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coastgirl · 05-12-2006, 03:44 PM

Just thinking, they're going to see things they want (there are gift shops everywhere?), we're going to want to indulge them, there will be junk food galore, we're on vacation...but I don't want it to turn into a huge whinefest either, if they start getting used to getting, if you know what I mean. Plus our kids are young, and I know if we do overindulge them, it could get ugly when they get overwhelmed. Any been there done that parents have tips to offer or philosophy to contribute? I would love to say they'll be especially happy and grateful for all the treats, but...uh...gratitude and good manners come and go in stressful situations (and there's good stress too, in addition to the change in schedule and routine).

CinderAbby · 05-12-2006, 03:51 PM

I would not indulge their every whim. The cost of some things is so high, and if your kids are anything like mine, the minute they get something new, the item they got at the last store is already forgotten about. When I go this August with my family, I will probably allow my DD to get something special from each park except MGM (she's 6 and not into a lot of the things at MGM), but that's it. 3 Disney items should be more than enough. It's not like she has no toys here at home for when we get home.

Stripes · 05-12-2006, 04:22 PM

There are several great tips in the "Office". http://www.passporterboards.com/ubb/show...;page=0#1202881

ladyt · 05-12-2006, 09:57 PM

I spoiled my dd rotten the first time we went. Since then, she has learned that there are certain things that are off limits or limited. She did really good on our last trip. I told her every time we left the hotel that she could get one thing and it had to cost less than $XX. It worked well.

I totally understand about the whining though. You don't want your kids to throw a fit on vacation or cry for 2 hours because they couldn't get something (my dd did this in December - it was exhausting), but you have to set limits, especially when the girls see those princess dresses!!! (By the way, my dd ended up getting the Ariel dress, but only after she agreed to be good on our Wishes cruise - so I totally blew that one!!!)

rebecca c. · 05-12-2006, 10:10 PM

My DH and I let our DS earn extra money leading up to our trip and all of our extra change goes into a Disney jar. Before our trip we see how much he has saved and divide by the # of days we are staying. DS knows he can spend by the day or all at once. However I do surprise him with extra treats, for good behavior but no more than one treat/gift a day!
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pinkerbell · 05-13-2006, 07:26 AM

We also let our son earn Disney Dollars leading up to the trip. Then, we set aside a time to shop at World of Disney, usually toward the end of our trip. That way he has sufficient time to make a "wish list" from all of the things he sees in the hotel and park gift shops. World of Disney usually has all of these things in one place, plus we get a 10% discount there with our DVC membership.

mousestruck · 05-13-2006, 08:36 AM

[ QUOTE ]
We also let our son earn Disney Dollars leading up to the trip. Then, we set aside a time to shop at World of Disney, usually toward the end of our trip. That way he has sufficient time to make a "wish list" from all of the things he sees in the hotel and park gift shops. World of Disney usually has all of these things in one place, plus we get a 10% discount there with our DVC membership.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep, we do this too. It has worked out great. That being said, we also indulge the kids along the way. We try to limit it to one "small" thing a day for each child, like a pin, since my son is an avid collector. But my husband and I inevitably lose ourselves in the magic and buy things without our kids even asking! We're hopeless. The truth is, we budget all year for our one big Disney trip so we CAN indulge ourselves... and love every overpriced minute of it!

**Caldercup** · 05-13-2006, 09:07 AM

We do the Disney Jar/earn money route and last time I bought a Disney gift card with it for him to use.

I also try to schedule our first World of Disney visit about two days into our trip and I remind him of that as he sees stuff he wants. "Remember, your money will go farther at WOD with the AP discount..."

He's now ten so I let him handle the purchasing transactions himself. I think it's good for him to see what taxes add to everything and to see the balance of his gift card (which is printed on the bottom of each receipt) go down, down, down.

Eileen

loobyoxlip · 05-13-2006, 12:14 PM

I don't usually, because I have the two of them. Something tells me I'm going to this trip b/c it's going to be just me and Jalen [img]/ubb/images/graemlins/whistling2.gif[/img]

**DyanKJ130** · 05-13-2006, 03:10 PM

A few trips ago I started giving DS $10 Disney Dollars each day before we left the resort. (If we had more than one child, I think $10 would probably be a little steep) It has worked out really well - he's become a much better shopper & will save until he knows 'the' items he really wishes to have.

My very first trip to WDW also coincided with a move less than a month after we returned home. So, my parents had us 'clean out' the things we no longer wanted and then had a huge yard sale. All the money we made on our stuff became our spending money for the trip. It sure was a great incentive to get rid of things!

Hope this helps!

LisaJ · 05-13-2006, 04:20 PM

If your child is old enough to understand how much a dollar will buy, then I say let them have a set amount to spend each day or at the end of the vacation.

Now, here's the perk for the kid - they get to buy ANYTHING they want with the money. That's right, if you let them choose what they want, no matter how trivial, you will have a happy kid. And they will learn how much to spend or not spend, depending on how badly they want a certain toy or souveneir.

forever_amber · 05-13-2006, 06:06 PM

I think my kids are probably more spoiled on vacation than at home but I am too... If I see something on vacation that I REALLY think I want its not like I can think about it and go back next week on the last trips we let them earn items over the year before it fill this row on teh sticket chart for a Mickey Ice Cream Bar fill this row for a T shirt or Hat another row for a toy less than $?? stuff like that they don;t get an allowance yet they have a chart to earn fun things so over the summer pre trip those were the fun things they were earning

**DrDolphin** · 05-13-2006, 07:47 PM

I do't give my niece whatever she wants. She has her money and she is allowed to spend it - but we talk about waht she really wants and tend to save the $$ until her last day to buy the things that are really needed. That helps cut down on the whiney "I wants"

KrisLuvsDisney · 05-13-2006, 10:12 PM

I give DD Disney dollars throughout the year before we go. I gave her some in her Valentine's card, some for making honor roll, at Easter, etc. Plus any money she gets throughout the year she can take a portion of that as well. She knows when it runs out then she is out!

CarolinesMom · 05-14-2006, 08:45 AM

We usually take some time one day to go to Characters Wearhouse (the Disney Outlet) and buy some fun stuff there. We don't buy tons in the parks, but a few little things (for example, I always buy a new Disney ornament for each yr we go)