One of the cheapest souvenirs at Disney World just happens to be one of the most fun since it’s a do-it-yourself item. For just one penny (+ 50 cents), you can make a squished penny!
And you can do this over and over and over again as there are tons of these machines throughout Disney World. Back when my boys were little, there was always a fight over who got to turn the handle. But with so many machines, they took turns and we mostly avoided having meltdowns over it.
Check out this video of Andrew getting his turn. For smaller kids, you may need to help a bit as the crank gets harder to turn as it does the actual squishing part. (And please notice how adorable Luke is with his little backwards hat…)
You can buy souvenir books to keep your pennies, or I’m sure on etsy, you’ll find all kinds of ways to show them off. We tend to put things in plastic baggies fully intending to put them in something cooler later but rarely get to that! :)
So grab those pennies and get to squishing - you’ve got A LOT of options! Each machine has several different options. Currently there are 147 pennies to be squished at Magic Kingdom, 77 at the Animal Kingdom, 132 at Hollywood Studios and 140 at Epcot. There are even a few machines that will squish quarters. You can find these machines listed on the MyDisneyExperience app if you don’t happen to see one near you.
If you find yourself with a few extra minutes and a few extra coins, make yourself a souvenir!! I’d love to help you plan your next Disney or Universal trip - FOR FREE! Give me a call!!