Destination Disney: Favorite Souvenir

First off, hurray for Heidi and her family, first day of their Disney vacay!!  I know you all will have a super time. :)  Second, please forgive me, Heidi, I don’t have your cute little button for this week’s meme, as my hard drive crashed and I lost all my buttons and photos. :(  Now this week we are to share our favorite Disney souvenir.  ACK!  I am one of those people who can never, ever pick a favorite.  People ask, “Oh, what’s your fave movie?”  Well, I like just about all of them the same lol!  Same for books, songs, etc.  So be prepared, I am going to share a lot of “favorite” souvenirs. :P

The best, most personal souvenir you can bring home is pics! 

Here you see the wall above our couch and our front entrance.  Both are covered with those pics taken by professional Disney photographers, camped out in strategic places all around “the world” and pics from the big rides.  Seeing as how we’ve taken over 25 trips to Disney, we have a lot of these lol.  A couple of years ago I had them all framed and presented them to dh for Christmas and they now help us relive fond memories every day. :)

This baby hangs over my fireplace.  It really needs to be updated lol.  We posed for this at Downtown Disney, and had them develop it in a poster sized print.  We had it professionally framed at a crafts store and it’s a beauty. 

This is my favorite non-professional pic from Disney, of my oldest two boys and dh in the pool at the Polynesian resort.  They tore this pool down a few years ago, but it was the neatest one as it played music underwater.

I like to buy souvenirs that are useful.  I guess I would say that I really do have a favorite after all…

the refillable cups you get at resorts and on property.  I have tons of these and use them every day.  I even have a commemorative cup from when the Animal Kingdom Lodge first opened…the #1 cup of the series!

I also like to get notepaper and get all the pens they leave in your resort room. :)  As you can see, I’m running low.  Looks like another trip is in store lol.

My ds2’s favorite souvenirs are the pins from pin trading…he is an expert pin trader!  He seeks out the “executive” type cast members, those in suits and ties who really have no clue about pin trading…they often have the best pins.  Dh bought me a case to keep all our pins in.

Isn’t it a beauty?  Probably the most we’ve ever spent on any souvenir, but worth it for keeping our treasures safe.

Here are various pins ds has collected from the Magic Kingdom.  5 dwarves down, 2 to go!

Here is a special pin they sold during Epcot’s Flower and Garden show one year.  Cool, huh?

I lied before.  We have spent more on souvenirs, most especially on this one, dh’s favorite by far…

It’s a crystal block with our images engraved inside.  The base it sits on lights up.  This baby was expensive, but dh had always admired them (they do this in the Imagination exhibit at Epcot) and he saved up so we could get one.  It is now outdated, and missing our latest family member. :)

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Disney souvenirs, but a good representation of our “favorites.”  My advice for souvenir hunters…buy while on property if you want true Disney souvenirs.  Skip the toys and clothes, you can get those anywhere (except for those sold at the resort hotels and have hotel logos on them.)  Try and go for things that are unique to Disney World.  Hope you had fun and it won’t be long before your next Destination Disney!