Tammy:
Your first trip to Disney will be a memorable one and if everything, including your dining, is already paid you'll be able to enjoy the trip even more.
The
Disney Dining Plan should more than cover your meals and even snacks so that if you're on a tight budget, you could easily forgo spending any more out of pocket on food. But if you're looking for extra snacks, budget $4 to $5 per snack. Again because you're watching what you spend, if you are on the basic dining plan, you can easily eat breakfast in your room if you'll pack snack bars, beef jerky, along with oranges and apples and spend your counter service credits for the better value of counter service lunches and dinners over breakfast at your resort food court.
We've never given our children more than $50 for souvenirs, however I know parents who've spent that and more
per day. We have found the best way to handle this with our children is to give them money upfront with the knowledge that once it's gone, it's gone. This has helped them make thoughtful purchases and hold off impulse buys. For planning, typically a t-shirt is around $30, hats range from $20 to $30 and toys run the gamut. No matter your budget, though, you'll find something in your price range.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney