We
can start thinking about Christmas shopping now, right?
Once
upon a time, strange as it may seem, Disneyland was considered a
prime shopping destination.
The park was chock-a-block with unique shops selling lines of
merchandise that could be found literally nowhere else. There was a
candle shop on Main Street, an antique shop in New Orleans Square,
and the Guatemalan Weavers operated out of the Adventureland Bazaar.
This all changed in the Nineties, when Archdemon Pressler decided it
would be more efficient
to just stuff the park with the same stuff being sold in every large
mall in the country via the Disney Store. But even the machinations
of a suit-wearing hellfiend couldn't completely eliminate the park's
uniqueness, and to this day, there are quite a few distinctive,
customizable, and surprisingly affordable items available at
Disneyland's specialty shops and kiosks.
Here
are just five that would make awesome holiday gifts for the special
people in your life.
Mickey
Ear Hat
Where
to Get It: Anywhere
in the resort that hats are sold
How
Much You'll Spend:
$17.99+, depending on specific design and options
There
has never been, nor will ever likely be, a more iconic Disney
merchandise item than the humble Mickey ear beanie. The basic black
introduced on The
Mickey Mouse Club
ruled the roost for decades, occasionally joined by red or bold blue,
but then gold ears were introduced for the 50th
Anniversary, and suddenly the floodgates opened. Nowadays, ear hats
come in a variety...well just take a look:
Any
Disney fan can find something to suit them in the form of a felt dome
with plastic ears. And customizable? You can have your actual name—or
I suppose, in the case of a gift, the recipient's name—sewn on it
in brilliant gold* thread. For wearers who lean more Minnie than
Mickey, a bow can be added to the top. Then, too, the simple felt
construction makes it dead easy for crafty types to further customize
the hat on their own. It is perhaps the most Disneyland-ish possible
gift.
Painted
Parasol
Where
to Get It:
The Parasol Cart, New Orleans Square
How
Much You'll Spend:
$16.95 (or $10.95 for a mini), plus $5 per additional image
If
there is anyone of a frilly or delicate disposition on your gift
list, perhaps they might enjoy a personalized parasol! This lovely
item comes in an assortment of elegant colors, to which an artist
adds, in lines of puff paint, the recipient's name, plus either
simple heart or flower designs (free) or character portraits (five
dollars apiece)—choose from an array of Princesses, heroines,
Villainesses, and more!
Illuminated
Name Art
Where
to Get It:
Fairytale Arts, Fantasyland (near the Matterhorn)
How
Much You'll Spend:
It really depends on the number of letters...$40 is a good
middle-of-the-road benchmark
This
one is on my personal wishlist. It may not be quite as sumptuous as
the work of medieval monks, but there's a lovely airiness to the art
style, the colors used are vivid without being lurid, and the roster
of available images for dressing up the letters is always growing. If
your budget is tight, you can just have the initial embellished and
have the rest of the name in plain script. If you can afford to
splurge, maybe you could get one for a couple, with both names fully
illuminated in grand romantic fashion. Either way, get it framed,**
both to protect it and for presentation purposes.
Silhouette
Where
to Get It:
Silhouette Studio, Main Street
How
Much You'll Spend:
As little as $9.99
On
the other hand, if you're looking for a gift for someone whose tastes
run more sentimental—perhaps an older relative you don't get to see
very often—you could do worse than to sit for a silhouette
portrait. This is another one that's on my to-do list; it's been
about 38 years since the last time I did it. A lot has changed about
the service in the meatime—you can put multiple faces in the frame
(obviously it costs extra), including a character, if you want. But
on the whole, the process and the product are as simple and as
classic as they've been since the Fifties.
Leather
Goods
Where
to Get It:
Outside the Pioneer Mercantile, Frontierland
How
Much You'll Spend:
Probably about $15
The
rest of the gift ideas in this post can be categorized as frilly,
purely frivolous or both. Maybe you have someone a bit more rugged
and/or practical-minded on your gift list, in which case it's hard to
go wrong with a hard-wearing leather bracelet, key fob, or other
small accessory. You have a variety of basic designs to choose from,
running the gamut from Western chic to Disney hip, and then the Cast
Member will engrave a name or other short word/phrase into the item
on the spot, for no extra charge. More customization options, such as
decorative rivets and beads, become available if you don't mind
throwing in a few extra bucks.
Also
unlike the other four things, one of these is small enough to be a
stocking-stuffer!
And
there you have it—five unique and personal gifts for almost anyone
on your list...or at least, anyone who won't be weirded out by just
how much of a Disneyland nut you are!
*
Or another color, if gold wouldn't show up well.
**
But not at Disneyland; they'll overcharge you like whoa. Take it to
Aaron Brothers or someplace afterward.
You can also get the illuminated letters in Downtown Disney!
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