Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Yellow. Enjoy the ride as we share the things we cannot leave Disney without.
It’s no secret the Disney Parks are stocked with stuff Guests simply can’t resist. Nearly all attractions exit through a gift shop, and those that don’t have themed kiosks nearby. If you manage to bypass those, don’t worry. You’ll have countless more shopping opportunities on your way out, at Downtown Disney, or even at your Resort. I gotta be honest, that bugged me on my first trip to the World, because my young children wanted every toy and t-shirt in sight. But you know what bugs me now? It’s that I have to leave so much behind!
My family’s love of Disney grows with each Park visit. We would live in Cinderella Castle if we could, and our home and our wardrobes are a telltale giveaway of that. On any given day, at least one of my family members is wearing Disney. Today, my husband’s keeping time by his Skagen Disney watch, I’m toting my Disney Dooney, my teen’s sporting a Grumpy cap, my daughter’s ears twinkle Tinker Bell bling, and my youngest slips and slides in Mickey socks. We didn’t plan this! It just IS who we’ve become.
Our souvenir collections just sprouted themselves. When Vinylmations came out, I had no intention of buying even one. We now have six. I have not yet traded a single pin. We’re now up to about 20. But there are certain things we simply cannot leave the Parks without.
My younger two kids have to have the current year’s Mickey or Minnie Mouse plush figures. My teen finds something unique. He plays JV baseball, and this past year, he brought home a personalized wood bat from ESPN Zone. My husband always needs a new cap. And I have become the zippered hoodie princess. I have one from each trip except our first visit, plus a Disney DREAM Inaugural Cruise hoodie and a Disneyland one (even though I haven’t been there yet!). To quote Ariel, “Look at this stuff. Isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?” Not even close! In fact, I think it’s time to go back and get more Disney stuff!
Today’s Takeaway:
It is human nature to collect, sort and categorize things. We group animals into genus, species, and sub-species. We designate galaxies spiral, elliptical or irregular. We even order cloud types. Collections can calm chaos, or they can simply amass cool knick-knacks. Whether your collections are functional or fun, you can learn from what you have.
Begin a coin collection (or add to an existing one) and see what knowledge you can glean by doing these activities:
- Study the history of coin minting, from ancient times to present day.
- Go on a field trip to the U.S. Mint (or your country’s facilities if not in the United States, and if that is allowed). See a virtual tour at www.usmint.gov.
- Study how coins are “graded” by their condition and value.
- Study development of specific coins, i.e., the buffalo nickel, the wheat penny, or the silver dollar. Research the artists and engravers who designed them.
- Learn the business of buying and selling coins.
Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is RETURN TO DISNEY.
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Magical Mouse Schoolhouse (You are HERE!)
2nd Stop ~ Return to Disney
3rd Stop ~ The Disney Chick
4th Stop ~ DISTherapy
Final Stop ~ Delightfully Disney
Add MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE to your home library!
