Subtle Disney Goods

Image: aloha75, Flickr (license)

Sometimes, sure, you want everyone to know that you just got back from the Vacation Kingdom. Other times, you want to sport something a bit more low key. Disney is still lacking in this regard, choosing to emphasize more of the brash and garish designs than the more subtle ones. 

Whether it’s Haunted Mansion themed button downs, Polynesian Village Resort sweatshirts, or Flight of Passage messenger bags, the best Disney souvenirs are often the ones you get to explain to other people. Again, Twenty-Eight and Main has done a great job with this, offering backpacks and coasters and tumblers, but Disney should expand the concept into its broader product line.

Look at those Orange Bird homegoods in the photo above. If you know who Orange Bird is, they're charming odes to a great character of Walt Disney World history. If you don't know who Orange Bird is, they're still wonderful 70s-themed designs that look at home anywhere.

 Extinct Attraction Merch and Reproductions

Image: Ilkka Jukarainen, Flickr (license)

One of the great truths of humanity is that while we may not always appreciate something while it’s here, we’ll honor the heck out of it once it’s gone. While that’s true of many things, it’s especially true of Disney attractions.

Horizons, for example, was essentially a walk-on attraction toward the end of its life. And yet, after it closed down, it became an iconic symbol of Epcot’s golden age. 

People love to remember things from their youth, and moreover, people love to honor things that no longer exist. Disney, for some reason, tends to be pretty cagey about selling merch for extinct attractions. But they needn’t be, because a proper investment in these kinds of souvenirs would pay back dividends. Who wouldn’t want a Journey into Imagination hoodie? Or a Delta DreamFlight t-shirt? Or a Catastrophe Canyon backpack?

But beyond simply making souvenirs that reference Disney attractions of yore, the company could also reproduce merchandise that no longer is sold in the Parks. Maybe reissuing retro Epcot t-shirts, or having a limited edition run of old-style pouches. 

Ultimately, Disney’s souvenirs are an insane profit center for the company, built on vacationer’s love of both memory and whimsy. There’s room to experiment a bit. And, because they have a built in network of collectors, the potential benefits are quite high. 

Plus, wouldn’t you want a sweet modern Horizons t-shirt?