One of the hardest things about traveling with small children is the arguing. We usually travel by car, but when we have travelled by plane, the fighting remains. “He hit me.” “She hurt me.” “He stuck his tongue out at me.” I swear, my kids are always fighting on vacation. Disney vacationing is no exception. In fact, I think my children behave worse when they are at Disney. They get overstimulated and the fights with words turn into fights with hitting and crying.
Another problem we have with our Disney vacations is the constant “I wants”. I want this stuffed animal, I want this trading pin (for more about trading pins, see my post Pin Trading at Disney), I want that ice cream. When you are trying to vacation on a budget, this is tough. You feel bad for saying no, but if you say yes, you know that they are going to want the next thing five minutes later.
The best way I have found to mitigate the fighting and the “I wants” is through Tinker Bell Gifts.
What are Tinker Bell Gifts?
Tinker Bell gifts are Disney themed small toys and candies/treats that Tinker Bell leaves on a daily basis during your Disney vacation if your children behave well. These are toys and candies that have a Disney theme and that you can easily get from Five Below, Target, Dollar Tree, Walmart, etc. before your trip at a decent price.
Here is a picture of some of the things that are going into our Tinkerbell gifts this upcoming trip.
In our family, Tinker Bell comes every morning we are at Disney and leaves some small Disney themed toys/candy in a cute Disney gift bag. I usually get these in the months before our trip, so I can get the best price. When I’m doing my regular shopping, I look for anything Disney that is relatively cheap and buy it. I have also heard of Tinker Bell leaving things at the end of the day. You can choose whatever is best for your family.
Tinker Bell leaves a note with these gifts, telling my kids about what to expect during their day. This includes which Disney park they are going to (see my blog post explaining the different Disney Parks here) and what rides and shows Tinker Bell wants to make sure they see. I have an example of one of my Tinker Bell notes below from Magic Kingdom on our last trip. There is also a template. You can print the template below and hand-write your message, or you can click here to go to my Etsy page where you can have the postcards printed.
What should I put in my Tinker Bell Gifts?
Anything that is Disney themed that you can find. I usually include the following items because they are inexpensive and easy to find. I’ve also included the location where I usually find them:
- Disney Pez- Five Below
- Disney Pop-Ups Lollipops- Five Below
- Disney Socks- Target/ Five Below
- Disney Underwear- Target
- Disney Chapstick- Five Below
- Disney Stickers- Five Below
- Small Disney Figures- Dollar Tree
- Disney Coloring Books- Dollar Tree
- Disney books- Dollar Tree and Target
- Disney Color Wonder Books- Target
- Minnie Purse- Amazon
- Mickey Hat- Amazon
- Autograph Books- Amazon (see my post on Disney Extras that You’ Should Bring’ll be Happy You Brought)
- Disney Lanyards for Pin Trading- eBay (see my post on What is Disney Pin Trading?)
- Magic Bands- eBay (see my post on What are Magic Bands and Do You Need them?)
If you want to wait until you get to Orlando, or if you are running short on small gifts/candy, there are great Walmarts, Targets, drugstores, etc. around Disney that have loads of little toys for much cheaper than the parks. You can leave your kids with a family member for a short time while you go and grab some of these goodies. I have done this on many occasions. I love the Walmart on Vineland Rd. It is *chef’s kiss”. They have tons of Disney items at super low prices.
Here are some items we have gotten from the Walmart on Vineland
- Disney T-shirts
- Disney Trading Pins
- Disney Pens and Pencils
- Minnie Ear Headbands
Extra Special Tinker Bell Gifts
If you want to go a little above and beyond when making your Tinker Bell gifts, the small toys and candies can be themed to the park you are going to. If you are going to Animal Kingdom, everything can have an animal theme. If you are going to Hollywood Studio, they can have a Star Wars theme and/or a Toy Story theme as these are the two main lands in Hollywood Studios. The other day when I was shopping, I picked up a Minnie Pez from Five Below for $2.50. The Minnie at the top of the pez is the exact Minnie from Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Hollywood Studios (see my post on rides at Disney Hollywood Studios). This will go in their Tinker Bell gift bag for our Hollywood Studios Day.
You can also make the Tinker Bell gifts extra special by getting items they have asked for at the park. On occasion, when my child says they want something from the park and they do not have enough of their own savings, I have my spouse distract my child and buy the thing they want for their Tinker Bell gift the following day. Sometimes, I tell my children before hand, “We’ll see if Tinker Bell brings that.” They are so excited the next day when they get that gift.
Why do Tinker Bell Gifts if you’ve already spent so much money on a Disney Vacation?
It mitigates the constant fighting on vacation. Tinker Bell only brings gifts to children who have been good. This means no fighting. The concept is similar to Santa Claus at Christmas, but Tinker Bell during Disney Vacationing. When my children are fighting at Christmas, we alway tell them “Santa is watching you” and they immediately stop. Same thing during our Disney vacations. When my children start to quarrel, I say “Tinker Bell only brings gifts to children who don’t fight” and they immediately stop. The lack of quarreling helps me to maintain my sanity, which in turn helps my husband maintain his. I hate being the mom who goes around yelling “Stop fighting!” and “No, we can’t afford that!” It is awful. This way, I can enjoy my vacation as much as my kids do.
This also mitigates the “I wants”. Disney is a money making machine. They have shops with toys and treats everywhere with sky high prices. They are geared towards your children. But, if your children have already gotten stuff from Tinker Bell, there is no need for them to constantly say “I want this” or “I want that”. They have already gotten something Tinker Bell that she has hand-picked them!
Please, do not think I am against parents buying their children souvenirs on their Disney Vacation. Souvenirs are great! My kids buy souvenirs at each park. But, many of the items they sell at the Disney Parks I know that I can get from Walmart, Target, Aldi, Dollar Tree, etc. for half the price. These items go in their Tinker Bell gifts. When my children buy souvenirs, they pick unique gifts that they can only get from the park. My children also use savings and gift cards to buy those gifts for themselves rather than me shelling out the cash for them (see my post on Saving for Disney).
My last reason why I love Tinker Bell gifts is because it adds magic to our trip. My children are so excited in the morning when they get their gifts, and they are so proud of themselves for being good the previous day. Disney is already the most magical place on earth, but Tinker Bell gifts add to the magic.
Final Thoughts
I hope you try out giving Tinker Bell gifts to your children on your next vacation! It is a family tradition in my house and has been very successful at mitigating the fighting and the constant “I wants”. Plus, it bring some extra magic! Please let me know if it works for you! And, let me know if you find anything else that makes a good Tinker Bell gift!