Give your kids (and yourself) a daily spending limit
Do whatever is necessary to set a daily spending limit and keep to it. If you have cash or traveler’s checks, separate your daily budget allotment from the rest of your money. If you have a debit card, try to make no more than one ATM withdrawal per day. One of the best ways to stay within your spending limit is to buy all of your souvenirs once a day. Believe me, if you find mouse ears at one shop, you will also find them at the shop three doors down. That way, you will know at the end of the day how much money you can spend on souvenirs.
Of course, your children are not going to be patient enough to wait until the end of the day to get what they want. The best way to deal with this problem is to give your children a souvenir budget. Your older children will quickly learn to prioritize. Even your smaller children will learn that if they buy one thing, they may not be able to buy another. Keep receipts. If your child finds something later in the day that they have to have, you can have them choose between items if both do not fit under the budget. I am not suggesting that you treat every purchase like the end of the world. Disney is fun. However, in my experience, there is no souvenir that can hold a child’s attention the way that a ride or a visit with a beloved character can.
Our family had a wonderful experience at Disney World. Not a day goes by when I do not think fondly about it. My daughter always wants to look at our Disney photos and video. Every time that we reminisce about the trip, I think briefly about how difficult it was to afford. Thankfully, we were able to take advantage of some basic strategies to make our trip financially possible. With a little planning, your family can go to Disney and have a great time without breaking the bank.