Hi Eileen! I'm glad you understood the reference to that commercial -- I worried that some readers of the Moms Panel who aren't as old as me may not remember it!
A souvenir strategy is a great idea if you're trying to keep your vacation spending within a certain amount. I've found that my children want every souvenir they see if I'm paying for it, but it they're spending their own money, they're much more selective about what they'll purchase. For this reason, I often let them earn spending money before our trip by doing chores and odd jobs around the house. If you don't want your kids carrying cash around the parks, the
Disney Gift Card is a convenient way to give each child a set amount of spending money. (My kids have seen me using credit cards so often that they love they idea of having their "credit card" for their vacation purchases.)
One of my fellow Moms on the Panel, Kay, plays a fun game with her kids and grandchildren. She buys Disney Dollars at Guest Services, which can be used at the parks just like real dollars but they have Disney characters on them. She gives each child or grandchild an envelope, which she decorates with Disney stickers, and each envelope has a different denomination of Disney Dollars inside: $1, $5 or $10. (She also plays this game when all the Moms Panelists get together, and it's so fun to see who gets the lucky envelope with $10!) You could make a tradition of handing out these envelopes of Disney Dollars each morning at breakfast to give your children a set amount of spending money for the day.
Wishing you a magical vacation Eileen! Please don't hesitate to visit me again at the Moms Panel if you have more questions! I'm happy to help!