If you’re visiting Walt Disney World, you’re probably setting aside some spending money for a few Disney souvenirs – after all, you’ll want to remember this magical vacation that you’ve looked forward to for so long!
Walt Disney World has literally thousands of options when it comes to souvenirs but as someone who has visited the parks hundreds of times, a lot of the time you’re looking at quantity over quality, with countless pieces of cheap (except it’s not cheap!) plastic junk that will either last five minutes when you get home, or your kids will get bored with quickly (bubble wands, I’m looking at you).
Instead, I’d recommend one of these unique Disney souvenirs that will not only allow you to have a plastic free Disney World vacation, but remind you of your amazing Walt Disney World vacation and actually last until your next one!
10 unique Disney souvenirs
1. Disney Art Work
Disney has some beautiful pieces of artwork, ranging from inexpensive Disney prints to collectible pieces of artwork by artists like Thomas Kinkade to Precious Memories figurines and much more.
I think that the best place to browse all of the Disney art work for sale is the Art of Disney store located in the Market Place at Disney Springs; while there are other places on Walt Disney World property to find art work, this store has the largest collection and the Cast Members are knowledgeable about what can be found at other locations so they can point you in the right direction if you’re looking for something they don’t stock.
If you’re a true fan of Disney art work, look out for Disney artists who visit Walt Disney World to talk to guests, offer demonstrations, and sell unique pieces of art. If you visit at the beginning of the year, I would also suggest checking out the Epcot Festival of the Arts for a huge sampling of Disney artists and unique art work not normally found in the parks.
2. Christmas Ornaments
We love to travel, and one of the things we always pick up from the places we visit is a Christmas ornament. We love taking these out to hang on the tree every year and talking about the trip we took and the memories they bring back.
We have countless Disney ornaments from trips to Disney parks across the globe, and they always remind me of that specific trip. The Christmas Store at Disney Springs has the largest collection of Christmas ornaments, but the parks offer Christmas ornaments as well.
You can also have Christmas ornaments personalized; we have them for the boys first Christmases, as well as for things like weddings, anniversaries, etc.
Disney does a really great job of wrapping ornaments carefully in brown paper and boxing them up, so I try to leave them alone once they’ve been wrapped up so they’re safe to transport home.
3. Disney Mugs
Disney mugs are a great unique Disney souvenir because they’re something you’ll use all the time, and each time you’ll think of your Disney vacation!
There are a lot of generic Disney character mugs that I tend to skip over, but there are also some great unique ones. I love Disney mugs that represent a particular event such as the Epcot festivals or the holiday parties like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I also love buying mugs during specific seasons like Easter or Christmas.
We also collect Starbucks mugs from places that we travel, and have all of the Walt Disney World Starbucks mugs from each of the parks. There are different options including the “Been There” series mugs, travel mugs, reusable mugs, and even Christmas ornament mugs – two souvenirs in one!
4. Home Décor
There are so many amazing options for Disney home decor, and these make amazing Disney souvenirs that you can look at every day to remind you of a Disney vacation. We have a few different pieces of Disney home decor including blankets and throws, pillows, lamps, and the previously mentioned Disney art work.
If the thought of trying to fit a Disney pillow into your suitcase to take home isn’t particularly appealing, then don’t worry – Disney can ship these items back home for you!
5. Kitchenware
Other great Disney souvenirs that you will use all the time are items for the kitchen – I think every kitchen should have a little Disney in it!
Disney wine glasses and other glassware are perfect for to add a little Disney touch to your kitchen, and we have lots of things like Mickey shaped cookie cutters, Mickey tea towels, and even a Mickey oven mitt! These are practical things that you’d have anyway, so why not use them as a reminder of your Disney vacation!
If you have a little more space, something like a Mickey waffle iron is a great Disney souvenir – you’ll feel like you’re back at a Disney resort having breakfast! You can also find Mickey popcorn machines. and even Disney themed Le Creuset bake ware sets!
6. Festive décor
I don’t know any Disney fans who don’t have something to represent Disney in their holiday decor, so these make great Disney souvenirs.
If you visit the Christmas Shop at Disney Springs, you’ll find that alongside the ornaments, they have amazing holiday decor with everything from stockings to table settings to Christmas village houses.
We have a super cute Disney cookies and milk plate and mug that we set out for Santa each year, as well as the Disney Parks Christmas train set that we runs around our Christmas tree each year.
If you don’t celebrate Christmas, they also have decor for other holidays including Halloween, Easter, Hanukkah, and Diwali; we have a Mickey shaped pumpkin collectible figurine as well as an Easter plate with Thumper on! Much like the ornaments, these items always remind us of fun Disney trips when we take them out each year.
7. Pressed Pennies
These are just about the cheapest possible Disney souvenirs you can bring home with you! Each pressed penny costs just 51 cents and not only do they make great souvenirs, but they’re so much fun for kids to collect as they go throughout the parks.
Most machines will take two quarters and a penny, although these days there are a few machines that will only take a credit card (which I kind of think takes the fun out of it!)
Before our trip I collect up quarters and bright shiny pennies (if your pennies aren’t as shiny as you’d like, try cleaning them in a little baking soda and white vinegar beforehand) and keep them in a separate money pouch to the rest of my coins – that way they’re easily accessible when we find a machine.
Keeping your pressed pennies safe is easy with a pressed penny book; you can buy them from a Disney store on property or look online for one before your trip.
There are some other really fun ways to display all of those pressed pennies when you return; Pinterest has some great ideas, including displaying the pennies in a frame in the shape of a Mickey head!
Of all the Disney souvenirs that my kids have brought back from their trips, these are probably the ones they talk about the most, and they cost me the least amount of money!
8. Photographs
Capturing priceless memories is one of the best things about a Disney vacation; did you know that Cinderella’s Castle is one of the most photographed places in the world?!
Everyone takes so many photos on their Disney vacations and they make for one of the best souvenirs from a trip. I have a few tips to help make these souvenirs as special as possible.
First, I would definitely suggest enrolling in Memory Maker before your trip. Memory Maker is a one time payment that then allows you to download all of your photos taken at the parks (either by Photopass Photographers or on rides) and if you purchase it in advance, there is a discount.
I know that I am almost never in photos when I travel with my kids because I’m the one taking the photos, so having someone else take photos for me (especially when I know I’ve already paid for it!) makes all the difference on a Disney vacation – it’s nice to have pictures of myself with my kids to remember our trips!
If you want to book something really special, considering booking a Disney family portrait session, where a professional photographer spends time with your family at a set location to capture some once in a life time shots.
We’ve done this at resorts like the Yacht Club and Animal Kingdom Lodge, but you can also book a photo session at the Magic Kingdom before everyone enters for the day!
Something else you can do to remember your Disney vacation with a photograph is to buy a Disney photo frame to put a special photo in. You can find Disney photo frames all over Disney property, and I especially love the ones with the year on so you can remember exactly when a special trip took place.
9. Disney Jewelry
If you really want a special Disney souvenir from a vacation that will last a long time, then a piece of Disney jewelry is a great idea.
This doesn’t have to be super expensive; there are very affordable – and still very cute – pieces of jewelry in many of the Disney stores at Walt Disney World, with everything from Mickey shaped earrings to charm bracelets you can customize with your favorite Disney characters.
If you do want to invest a little bit more in a special piece of Disney jewelry then there are places to find pieces of a higher quality. The deluxe resorts often carry a larger selection of Disney jewelry, and brands like Pandora and Alex and Ani have some really cute Disney themed pieces that make a great investment as well as a really special Disney souvenir.
Another really unique Disney souvenir comes from the Pick a Pearl experience in the Japan Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase.
In this experience – which is made into an elaborate production by the Cast Members – you get to pick your own pearl by choosing an oyster from a tank, and then keeping the pearl found inside (and yes, I’ve seen people get super lucky with two pearls in their oyster!)
This pearl is then cleaned up and you can either take it with you, or have it made into a piece of jewelry. This is a great experience and the perfect unique Disney souvenir.
10. Autographs
Character autographs are another cheap Disney souvenir, and while a regular autograph book is a fine way to collect them, there are plenty of other things you can have autographed to make unique Disney souvenirs!
We once took a plain white photo mat to be signed by the characters, and then used it in a frame with our favorite photo from that trip. I’ve also had a set of Mickey ears signed, as well as t-shirts (not while we were wearing them!), baseball caps – I’ve even seen a really cool Disney Starbucks travel mug autographed by the Disney princesses!
These make for some of the best unique Disney souvenirs – just make sure you set the autographs before anything gets washed off!
