Tips for Disney Parks & Cruise Lines

We have two Walt Disney World trivia books (compliments of our travel agent at Mouse Fan Travel). For about an hour at a time, on the drive to Florida, we play a game. I read the trivia question and the four multiple choice answers. My husband and two sons guess the correct answer. I keep a tally of how many each person gets correct. Then they each get one Disney Dollar for each point earned in the game. They can spend the disney dollars on anything they want in the parks and resort, such as Dole Whips, arcade tokens, and souvenirs. This alleviates the constant requests for Mom and Dad to buy them things and, since it's their "money," they only buy the items and snacks they really want. You might think the older kids and adults would have an advantage in the trivia game, but believe it or not, the questions are such that the answers are mostly guesses anyway. The kids just love it when they can beat Dad! My sons are older now but they still want to play Disney Trivia on the drives to Florida. They know a good thing when they see it! - Martha

We have two Walt Disney World trivia books (compliments of our travel agent at Mouse Fan Travel). For about an hour at a time, on the drive to Florida, we play a game. I read the trivia question and the four multiple choice answers. My husband and two sons guess the correct answer. I keep a tally of how many each person gets correct. Then they each get one Disney Dollar for each point earned in the game. They can spend the disney dollars on anything they want in the parks and resort, such as Dole Whips, arcade tokens, and souvenirs. This alleviates the constant requests for Mom and Dad to buy them things and, since it's their "money," they only buy the items and snacks they really want. You might think the older kids and adults would have an advantage in the trivia game, but believe it or not, the questions are such that the answers are mostly guesses anyway. The kids just love it when they can beat Dad! My sons are older now but they still want to play Disney Trivia on the drives to Florida. They know a good thing when they see it! - Martha

Not being a mom myself but a very dedicated aunt, I have given each niece and nephew a set amount of money to use as their own spending money on our big family trips, usually in disney dollars (until they were discontinued). This is for them to spend on the things they want that their parents say no to. This time, though, I thought it would be fun for me if they all had to "work" for their money. I made up a game for them where they each have to call me every Sunday. If they call up and say "I love you" and "Mickey Mouse," they get $1.00 in their fund. However, if they are creative and make up a story incorporating those two lines, they get $1.50. This is fun for them and fun for me. And I feel like they are "earning" their spending money. - Sue Kohlert

Prior to our big fifth anniversary trip several years ago, my husband and I created a Disney box in anticipation of the trip. We took a large plastic school-supply box such as we had in elementary school and began decorating it. We used metallic markers to put our names and dates on it. Yet we mostly left it blank. While in Disney World, we got a sticker at one of the restaurants. We stuck it to the box. On each trip back since then, we've obtained a special sticker. For example, one of our favorite Cast Members stopped and gave us one while waiting for a parade, and we were given one in the shops for making an extra donation when we made our Animal Kingdom purchases. I date each sticker, and now our Disney box is a reflection of each trip. We're working on decorating the inside of the box now! Throughout the year, as we obtain anything for our next trip, such as disney dollars given to us as gifts, or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party tickets, it all goes in the box. When we're ready to go, the box fits nicely into a suitcase or backpack. This way we never forget where we put something or lose it, and we have this great reminder of all our good times while we plan our next magical memory-making trip! - Cathy Laurice Jones

We've made "sticker charts" for our three children (ages 11, 8, and 5), and for each chore they do, they earn a sticker. Each sticker is worth a dime and once their charts are full, Mom will count the stickers and trade them in for disney dollars. We've posted the charts in the kitchen and they've made it into a competition to see who can earn the most stickers. So now instead of fighting over who HAS to walk the dog, they fight over who GETS to walk the dog and earn a sticker! - Bill and Tina Crane

When we were planning for our WDW family vacation in 2002, we saved disney dollars. We realized the grandchildren would ask us for souvenirs if their Mom and Dad said "No," so we decided we better plan ahead! We wanted to give each grandchild the same amount of Disney spending money, and build anticipation for the trip as well. For a year in advance, each time there was a birthday, a lost tooth, a good report card or special event, we cashed in real dollars for Disney Gift Cards at our local Disney store and put them in a card. By the time we got to WDW, they had more money than we did! They all had a great time spending their disney dollars in the parks on snacks and souvenirs. It was nice to be able to say, "YES, you can spend your Disney Gift Cards," instead of "NO, we can't afford it, it's too expensive!" - GrandmaryB

Before going [to WDW], I purchased several small Disney related items at discount stores and put them in my backpack in the morning. During different times I would bring them out for the kids, such as Monsters candy dispensers while waiting to meet Mike and Sulley. They were a huge hit, and the kids weren't always asking for something. I also made the kids canvas pouches that went around their necks, I painted mouse ears and their names on them. They held their disney dollars, pennies and quarters for pressing, and pen and cards for autographs. Their hands were free and they got a lot of compliments on them. - The Zolman family