Babes in Disneyland

Disneyland offers children and adults more shopping opportunities than imaginable. Often, shopping experiences are virtually impossible to avoid. From stores embedded into the attraction exits to balloon vendors tantalizing your child while you are waiting for a parade, shopping experiences abound. Here are a few tips for keeping your little shopper at bay.

Pressed Pennies
One of the best ideas I've heard of is one I must credit a dear friend with. She only allows her son to get a pressed penny while out. Whether at the local zoo, Disneyland, or a museum, the pressed penny is the take-home-treat of choice. The great thing about the pressed penny, is that it is a shiny beautiful treasure that your child gets to "make" and costs less than a dollar.

You can make the pressed penny even more exciting for your child by creating a "pressed penny treasure box" prior to your visit. Get a small box or coffee can and decorate it with Disney wrapping paper, photos, or pictures printed off of the internet. Add glitter and other decorations to make it even more beautiful. Explain to your child that he or she will use the box to home his/her collection of pressed pennies. Your child will be excited to begin his/her collection and you will have started a new family tradition.

Pressed pennies can be made at a variety of locations throughout the park, including the Penny Arcade on Main Street, Pooh's Corner in Critter Country, World of Disney outside of Disneyland in Downtown Disney, and so many other places. We recently got some really cool pennies at the exit of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

The Disney Dollar Budget
If you plan on allowing your child to spend more than a dollar while at Disneyland, consider giving your child a Disney Dollar Budget. I have done this with toddlers and older children with great success.

Disney Dollars are paper bills that can be "purchased" at Disneyland. They are exchanged dollar for dollar and come in ones, fives, and tens. The bills are the same size as regular money and are adorned with Disney characters and images. Disney dollars can be spent anywhere at Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure just like cash. Disney dollars can be purchased at the ticket booths or at Disneyland's City Hall located on the west side of Main Street U.S.A. They can be purchased using cash or credit cards. Unused Disney Dollar can be kept as souvenirs or traded back in at City Hall for regular cash.

Before arriving at Disneyland, discuss your Disney Dollar Budget with your child. Tell him or her how many Disney Dollars he or she will be receiving and that they will not get anymore once they run out. The budget allows your children to learn math and budgeting skills and will teach your child the importance of spending money wisely.

The Old Faithful Bribe
If all else fails, use the promise of buying a souvenir for the end of the day. The stores on Main Street stay open at least half an hour after park closing, so there's no need to waste time during you play time looking through stores. I sometimes bribe my son with a cookie from the Blue Ribbon Bakery. It's the last place I stop on my way out when I'm grabbing a coffee for the long drive home. If I'm low on cash, I opt for the CHEAPEST item for sale at Disneyland--a small red Mickey lollipop as we pass by the Newsstand (the shop halfway inside/outside Disneyland's main entrance). It can be purchased at the gift stand right outside Tour Guide Gardens (on the west side of Main Street) as well. It’s a very satisfying 48 cents.