Hi y’all and welcome back to the blog! I hope you all had a great weekend. This week's post is about traditions and souvenirs at Disney Parks! Let's get started!
I want to start off with what I classify as the “traditions” that are in the parks.
Parades
These are a way for the characters and cast members to be seen by people attending the parks in a performative way. The Parades are put on throughout the day. One in the morning, afternoon, and night! The best time to enjoy a parade, in my opinion, is getting a good spot to have a meal/snack and watch the parade go by! The parks that have parades are Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Each parade has a theme corresponding with whatever is going on in the park. For example, right now it is spooky season so the parades going on have a halloween theme to them.
Fireworks
The firework shows goes without saying the most magical thing to experience at the parks. There is something in the atmosphere when the firework show starts that just fills your soul with happiness and love. The music and story they play along with the fireworks and seeing TinkerBell fly over the crowd is phenomenal not matter how old you are. One of the most iconic shows was Happily Ever After. I got to experience this story and I cried.
Now we are moving onto the souvenirs or as Ariel would call them, "thingamabobs"
Minnie Ears
These are one of the most iconic Disney park souvenirs. They come in so many different styles and themes. They can be made to look like the characters from your favorite movies or your favorite Disney snack!
I have three pairs of ears, an original Minnie mouse bow, ones designed based off of the movie Up, and a special pair for the 50th Anniversary of Magic Kingdom! I like to get a different set of ears each time I go because it helps connect the memories I made on that trip.
These can be found in different stores throughout the Disney World parks and Disney Springs.
Popcorn Buckets and Sippers
Popcorn buckets and sippers are normally once a time type designs. These, I think, are a little annoying only because it is something extra to carry around the park with you but they are such fun mementos to have. My mom has a Christmas tree with Mickey and Minnie on it in the front that lights up with Christmas lights and we set it out as a decoration.
I have one from my senior year of high school trip with some of the Pixar characters on it because at the time, there was rarely any Disney merchandise with Remi from Ratatouille on it so I got this bucket. I just use it as it's supposed to be used… for popcorn!
I personally have never gotten a sipper because I only learned about them recently. The concept for these are the same as the popcorn buckets but with these you drink out of them!
Pins
You might be thinking “Pins? Why are pins on your list of fun things?” Well, I will tell you. Disney Pins are not like any other pin. Some of them open, twist, spin, etc. They are like a little piece of magic you can take home with you. One of the more exciting things when it comes to pins is pin trading. Pin trading is when you and other people trade pins… that was pretty self explanatory but oh well! Normally what people do is they keep their pins on a lanyard and when they see someone else with a pin that they want, they will ask to trade.
What makes this so fun is that cast members will do it with you also and some of the stores in the parks have a special board where people can swap out their pins for ones on the board. I do not partake in pin trading but I do have some of my own personal pins that I keep hanging up in my room.
Meet the Characters and Autograph Books
This tradition is marketed more towards younger kids but adults can do it as well and that is meeting the characters. Throughout the parks they have certain areas where the cast members will be dressed up like your favorite Disney characters and you can take pictures with them. I have done this for as long as I can remember. There is something about physically seeing these characters come to life that makes the child in me so happy. And I mean, who doesn't want to talk to princesses and the mouse himself?
One of the best parts of meeting the characters is getting yourself an autograph book for them to sign. Again, these can be found in any of the stores in the parks or even in local grocery stores surrounding the parks! Each signature is unique to that character as you can see below!
Hidden Mickeys
These are not a souvenirs but something fun to do with your family and friends when you’re in the parks. These are called hidden mickeys. Throughout the park, there are images of mickey engraved or painted and you have to find them. This is fun to do just for fun or you can make it a competition to see who can find the most.
I hope you all enjoyed this weeks post as much as I enjoyed writing it! For more of a magical time, follow us on instagram and twitter! Tune in next week to learn about what you should pack for a day at the parks!
Have a magical day!
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