The Disney World Souvenirs That Become Part of Your Family Story

Walk through Disney World and you'll find plenty of things you could bring home.

Shirts. Mugs. Pins. Plush characters. Artwork. Mickey Ears. Christmas ornaments. Popcorn buckets. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying something simply because you like it.

Sometimes, however, a souvenir becomes something more.

Years later, you see it sitting on a shelf or pull it out of a box. You suddenly remember exactly where you were when you bought it. That's when a souvenir stops being merchandise.

It becomes a bookmark in your family's story and a living memory of a vacation of the past.

The Best Souvenir Isn't Necessarily the Most Expensive

Some of my favorite vacation keepsakes aren't particularly valuable in a monetary sense.

For example, I have a shadow box on the wall in the living room that holds DIsney resort and event pins collected over the years. It not only helps me remember vacations, but lets me feel the memories from those vacations. It is not an expensive tradition. Many Disney World pins cost between $10 and $15 and I may add two or three every year.

As another example, my refridgerator has magnets from the Disney resorts I have stayed at. Each time I open the door for a snack, I see the magnets and am instantly placed back into those trip. Hotel magnets usually cost between $8 and $17. They are not financially valuable, but emotionally valuable.

Souvenirs don't need to be expensive. What gives them value is the memory attached to them.

Maybe your child chose a stuffed animal and carried it everywhere for the rest of the vacation. Maybe it was a very sunny day at Magic Kingdom and your child picked out a hat that is now a new favorite. Maybe everyone picked an ornament together.

Maybe you bought something after experiencing an attraction for the first time. On the other hand, maybe a Disney World ride is retiring and you want to buy something as a collectible memento.

The object isn't really the important part. The story is.

Consider Starting a Collection

Disney World makes it very easy to collect things. In fact, Disney World encourages it.

The most obvious example is the pins, which have been Disney World staples for a long time. When you walk the Disney World theme parks, you will not only see dedicated pin stands, but you can trade pins with Disney castmembers. You'll see park guests with hats, bags, lanyards, and even shirts with pins on them. There are even pin collector conventions that occur at some of the Disney World resorts.

But if pins are not your thing, there are magnets, ornaments, pressed pennies, themed mugs, the recent phenomena of the Lorcana trading cards, and, perhaps most iconic of all, the Mickey ears. Each of these have variations commemorating attractions, events, and anniversaries.

A collection can become a wonderful family tradition because each trip adds another chapter. My shadow box grows each year with exploring new Disney resorts and events. My family also enjoys coffee and tea, so collecting mugs and teacups has become an unplanned tradition.

The unplanned part is important, too. Don't feel like you need to manufacture a tradition because other families have one. Sometimes traditions reveal themselves. In fact, those are the most powerful ones.

You notice you've bought an ornament three vacations in a row. Apparently, you're an ornament family now. That's part of the fun.

Give Everyone a Little Choice

If you're traveling with children, consider giving them a souvenir budget rather than buying something every time they ask. Aside from the practical financial benefit, the choosing becomes part of the experience. The selection takes more consideration and becomes more meaningful.

They may spend three days thinking about what they really want. And the thing they eventually choose may tell you something about what mattered to them on that particular trip. Whatever they picked, they will love -- because they chose that one above all the others.

Write Down the Story

When you get home, consider adding one tiny detail somewhere.

“Bought after our first ride on…”

“Everyone picked this together on our last night.”

“She carried this around EPCOT for the rest of the day.”

It doesn't need to be displayed. It could simply be a note tucked into the box where you store the item. Or, it could be a note in a journal if you keep one. Someday, that sentence may be worth more than the souvenir itself.

Bring home things you love. But whenever you can, bring home the story too.

Plan Your Trip. Make Lifelong Memories.