Favorite "non-traditional" souvenir

[kjs1976]

We all know that t-shirts and pens are great traditional souvenirs, but I was wondering what all of you Disney-Nuts, like myself, have picked up at the parks that have been more in the non-traditional catagory.

For example, I found this great wallet on Main Street last May where the cinema used to be. It has this colorful retro print on it that says Magic Kingdom with a picture of the castle. I can use it everyday and it doesn't scream cheesy obvious WDW souvenir . One of my friends just noticed it when I got it out of my purse the other night to pay for dinner...she really liked it and thought it was a cool souvenir...and she's never been to WDW.

So....what are yours??!!!

 

[princess lovers mom]

we love to get the paper cut silohettes of our girls each trip...really inexpensive and really only we know it is a Disney souveneir!

 

[tommygirl79]

In February my family went to wdw and we have so much "junk" around our house that I determined I would buy none of the usual souvenirs and promised myself to get one thing that I could really use and enjoy. All week long I kept noticing their purses/totes with the vintage Mickey/Minnie, Cinderella, etc. pictures on them accented in beading and sequins. I loved them!! The last day I bought the Mickey and Minnie Hawaiian looking one in tan and I love it!!! I have gotten many compliments on it and is not cheesy looking like some of the other things are once you bring them home.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I have a little CZ Mickey Mouse initial ring that I wear every day. You can't tell it has a Mickey Mouse face on it unless you look really closely.

Another one I have is a Mickey Mouse italian charm. Same story as the ring...it's very subtle.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Pearls from the dept. store in Japan
Antenna Toppers (I switch mine every few days)

 

[meandtheguys2]

Carved animals from Africa. My son found some marked down ($2.99 for a Lion) and they are his favorite souveniers.

 

[Leota]

My favorite non-traditional WDW souvies are Laila perfume from Norway, woven backpack, fannypack & hoodie from Mexico & Lucky Cats from Japan. I love shopping in World Showcase.

 

[ktglads]

I get one of the nicer polo shirts from disneyworld. They aren't obviously Disney - they just have Mickey where the normal symbol is on the shirt and are nice enough to be able to wear to work. I also have a nice cheaper necklace in 2 different colors that have tiny Mickey heads that you would not know unless you looked closely.

Also, at Epcot each of the countries have ladies shirts with nice designs on the front. They look like ones that you would see in a normal store, except they are of each of the countries. My friend is working her way around the WS buying one a trip. There are usually 2 different designs to choose from at each country

 

[BeckWhy]

I guess the best I can do with "untraditional" is everytime I go to the Animal Kingdom (well actually WDW) I have to buy a stuffed animal from AK. I buy a different one each time I go, pretty soon I'll have a whole zoo.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

Pearls from the dept. store in Japan
Antenna Toppers (I switch mine every few days)

YES! Another antenna topper freak!

We were at DTD in early February and I saw the holiday pack of toppers...dh made fun of me for liking them and I wasn't amused. A few hours later he asked me if I wanted them for Valentine's day. He felt bad for laughing at me so it worked out in the end! Now I have 6 for the different holidays! Dh has and has had for some time the "Sorcerer Mickey" one on his SUV.

 

[pamlet]

When my oldest DS was little I would call him "Rabbit" because his first name is Peter. (Ok I admit it - he's 21 and I STILL call him that sometimes.. laugh)

The first time we took him to DisneyWorld (he was 3 or 4) I saw the cutest little "Bunnykin" by Royal Daulton at a store in England in WS.. it was a little boy rabbit in blue striped PJs on his knees saying a prayer... it was the first of my "bunny collection"..

 

[SnackyStacky]

I know this is about NON-Traditional souvenirs, but I have to say - I think a T-Shirt is a perfect souvenir! It gets a lot of use, is relatively inexpensive, and serves it's purpose to remind me of my trip.

BUT - to keep it on topic, one of my FAVORITE non traditional souvenirs is a soft-sided cell phone case. When I bought it, I was desperate to find SOMETHING that would fit my phone. (I had been looking for ANYTHING - not just Disney!!!) I found it at the World of Disney. It has worked perfectly through about 4 different phone models.

I also like to look through the little trinkety stuff. My wife bought me a really cool antenna topper. It's not the traditional decorated mickey head. It says Haunted Mansion on it, and has bat wings instead of ears. It looks PERFECT on my black car!!!

 

[calena]

I bought a cake server from Norway at Epcot. It has vikings all over it. We use it all the time and that is our Disney souvenir from last year. This year I bought a blanket with Cinderella riding away in a carriage with her prince and Happily Ever After on it. I have that in our family room and was using it last night as I watched TV!

 

[Buzz2001]

I like to get a watch when I go. Not one with a character on it but one with a hidden mickey in the watch face. The last one I got has the hour in the big part of mickey's head, day in one ear and date in the other ear. All that is behind the hands of the watch.

 

[ReninDetroit]

The World Showcase probably has the best souvenirs. The toy exhibit in Japan has a cute little gift area with tin toys, etc. Morocco has a pretty big kiosk right by the lagoon with nice blankets, scarves, etc. - cloth items.

I've yet to find any "ethnic" souvenirs from WS with a hidden Mickey on them, though. Does anyone know of any good ones?

OH, and the girls always like the Guerlain store in France. lol

Also, the AKL has a really cool gift shop.

But probably my favorite souvenirs are prints from the Art of Disney store. I get a print almost every time I go.

 

[bigmerle1966]

I actually get fridge magnets wherever I go on trips. When we spent the night last November my DSis and I went to DTD and I got a little stuffed Mickey magnet. Then my DS and her family went in January for a weekend and she brought me a monorail magnet that you push a button and it talks. It has three sayings, including one in Spanish.

 

[erinch]

My favorite souvenir--in fact household item-- I ever bought anywhere I bought in the Wales shop in Epcot. It is a handcast full-size pitcher, with the Welsh Lady Godiva on it (woman on horse with long hair and not much else);
it was well over $100 in the late 80's, and had a serving platter with a lion carved on it as the other piece. (Didn't get that one, and kick myself ever since, since that shop now has stock-produced stuff you can get on the web, but not the one-of-a-kind pieces.)

I keep it on a credenza out of reach of kids, dog and life, and feel happy whenever I look at it. -- And will always regret the lion platter.

My hubby has 2 ancient plainsong manuscripts he bought at the "one-of-a-kind" antiques place they used to have at DL, long, long ago, and he treasures them similarly.

MY DD spends her souvenir dollars on the park-only beanies; she has an adorable collection of Haunted Mansion Mickeys, and Tower of Terror Goofys, and Safari minnies.

 

[bleeps]

I have to hold myself back to just buy ONE on each trip, but I always come home with one coffee mug (the black ones with the vintage/retro-looking graphics are my favorites). These are things I can (and do) use every day, and it always starts my day right to have my coffee in a mug from WDW.

 

[nicki dahling]

I am on a mission to buy one special item from Disney on each trip. In December I brought a blanket from Mexico. I saw a porcelain doll in China I am interested in. A kimono in Japan, a Morroccon outfit in Morrocco, and an African stick in Africa at AK. I agree the World Showcase has the best selection of non-traditional items.


Cyndi

 

[Lori of the Lodge]

Laila perfume from Norway. I use it everyday and it always makes me think of Disney!

I also like to buy inexpensive pens to use at work. This also works with the ball point pens from my Disney resort room that say “WALT DISNEY RESORTS”. I use them everyday at work and they bring back great memories.

As a side note… I will no longer drive to the outlets in search of "bargain souvenirs". A few years ago I bought a nice silver Mickey keychain at the Belz Character Carnival Outlet. I love the keychain, but it makes me think of the outlet mall, not Disney. Kind of defeats the purpose for me.