Luckily, we have WDW Radio podcasts and blog posts to keep us informed of the up-to-date holiday happenings, and of course we have our Disney Christmas decorations from our WDW visits to decorate our homes. But what if you need a little bit more Disney magic at the most wonderful time of the year?

In the UK, we are lucky enough to still have Disney Stores in most major towns and cities. Now these stores might not stock the abundance of merchandise sold in say, Mouse Gear or The Emporium, but it’s still an opportunity to get a Disney fix whilst away from the World.

Last year I had heard from Disney friends that The Disney Store on London’s Oxford Street had been filled with holiday cheer so seeing as I was missing my usual Christmas visit to Walt Disney World, I decided to take a day trip to London to see the magic for myself.

When I arrived I was so glad that I had made the two hour trip to our capital. The staff had really made an effort, and it felt like I was walking into a completely different store. The window displays featured characters, presents and lots of snow! The main feature of the store is the castle and for Christmas this had been covered in twinkling lights and baubles. All the characters around the store had been dressed up in their festive outfits and even the princess area downstairs in the store had been given a very ‘princessy’ pink and silver Christmas tree, nice touch!!

We all know that cast members can really make the magic for us whilst visiting Walt Disney World, and it can be a real pleasure to experience the same enthusiasm from Disney Store cast members. Well, there were certainly plenty of Christmas smiles from cast members that day! Plus the festive music playing in the store made me feel like I was back in the parks.

It was great fun to act like tourists for the day and take lots photos of the decorations in store, soaking up the atmosphere and pretending we were Christmas shopping in WDW. We even picked up some new decorations for our tree.

So the next time you’re missing Walt Disney World during the holiday season take a look around; a little bit of Disney magic may be closer than you think!

Emma Godbold lives in the East of England and has been visiting Walt Disney World since she was a teenager. In between trips, Emma can be found reading about Disney history or researching and planning her next Disney vacation. She also writes her own blog at www.daydreamingdisney.com.

The post Disney Holiday Magic OUTSIDE Walt Disney World appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

by Blake Taylor

Being in Walt Disney World during the holiday season presents itself with many advantages, and of course one of these is being exposed to many great ideas for family gifts.  The Resort is filled to the brim with many unique souvenirs all 12 months of the year, but at Christmastime there is an even expanded abundance of things to bring home for loved ones that would make the perfect gift to unwrap on December 25.  Here we’ll look at some items that might spark the interest of the teens in your life.

What Not to Get

Before we delve into fun ideas, we must first address what to avoid.  It’s easy to purchase the first Selena Gomez CD you find and call your mission accomplished, but don’t!  Not only are there more original items to be found throughout Walt Disney World than a CD or DVD you could locate at any store around the country, but on Disney property you’ll find that media-related items are extremely overpriced.  The same exact music album or movie sold in the Emporium may be found at Walmart or Target for a fraction of the price.  The same goes for books (head to Amazon!).

However, there are a few exceptions.  Some titles are park-exclusive and are not available elsewhere, like the Imagineering the Magic DVD, official park albums, or souvenir coffee table books.  In those cases, prices still may be high, but are a little more justifiable since their availability is so limited.  For Christmas-themed presents specifically, the Candlelight Processional and Holiday Wishes soundtracks (sold separately) come to mind.

Christmastime-Exclusive Ideas

There are quite a few things that you’ll only find when you visit during November or December.  A vast array of plush toys, tree ornaments, and home décor are all rolled out during this time that have Mickey and pals dressed for the season.  But what about for teens?  Often I find myself buying something on a Disney trip that I initially think is really neat, only to come home and find little to no use for it other than to put it on a shelf somewhere.  For the Disney teenager, two practical ideas come to mind, and unsurprisingly they both involve clothing.

The first is a holiday-themed tee shirt.  I know, not so original at first glance, but you’d be surprised at the assortment of styles Disney stocks that are quite fun.  I personally have a liking toward the vintage-looking, worn-out styles.  A particular favorite is of pie-eyed Mickey in a standard pose but with a Santa hat, and the original, 1970s-style Walt Disney World logo emblazoned in front of him.  I always look forward to when it’s time to find it in the depth of my shirt drawer.

Another idea is a Santa Claus hat.  Nowadays Disney sells quite a few different styles of Santa hats so pretty much every member of your family can get a different one if so desired.  This also helps to add a bit of personality to each hat—the red-and-green plaid hat was great for me while my sister preferred a plain red one with a Minnie bow on the front (both of them, of course, have mouse ears attached!).  Others include styles for Eeyore and Tigger if I remember correctly.  At one point Disney also sold a Stitch style, but we were told in 2010 that they had been discontinued (though that might have changed since then!).  Unlike other Disney headgear that gets minimal use outside of the parks, the Santa ears are perfect to wear to holiday parties or family gatherings.

Other Fun Ideas

If you aren’t looking for something with a specific Christmas theme to it, there are plenty of other appropriate gift ideas for teens throughout WDW, as well.  Again, Disney has some great shirts.  (The one with the Finding Nemo “Mine! Mine!” birds on it is hilarious.)   If you know someone who visits WDW often, get them a few pins—but here’s the catch: get them pins you know they won’t like.  This way they’ll be able to bring them on their next trip to trade for ones they do like!  It literally allows them to choose their own Christmas present, while at the same time extending the present’s charm long past Christmas morning.  Remember to purchase these pins from the least-expensive category since they will be traded—and the more obscure, strange, and ridiculous, the better!  For instance, if your teen loves Pirates of the Caribbean or The Avengers, you might want to seek out some cute, lovely, drenched-in-pink princess pins.

Another way to add some originality to a gift: if the teen you’re buying for is traveling with you to WDW, you can have them pick out a present for themselves without even knowing it!  This happened to me a few years ago.  My grandmother was looking at blankets in the Magic Kingdom and told me she wanted to buy one for a relative back home.  She asked me which one I would like best if I was buying one for myself, and that’s the one she purchased—little did I know I would be opening it up for myself on Christmas Day!

Where to Find These Items

This being Disney World, it isn’t difficult to find a gift shop.  Fun shirts can be found everywhere.  You’ll find small displays of practically the same Christmas items in every single resort’s gift shop and in every theme park’s big stores.  However, there are three definite places to go if you’re looking to find a more expansive collection of Disney holiday goodies: Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square, It’s a Wonderful Shop near the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Days of Christmas in Downtown Disney Marketplace.  All are great choices with tons of really neat things inside, with Days of Christmas having the largest assortment of the three.  And best of all, all locations are open year-round, so even if you’re not visiting during the holiday season but still have your Christmas shopping in mind, they’re the places to go.

Blake recently graduated from high school and has been surrounded by Disney literally since birth, having had a Mickey mobile in his crib.  Blake enjoys helping peers plan WDW vacations and writing for his Disney blog, BlakeOnline.com.

The post E.P.C.O.T. – Holiday Gift-Giving for the Disney Teen appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

The most feared parts of a Disney vacation (at least to a Jungle Cruise skipper) are the gift shops. Every gift shop on planet Earth has the same products: t-shirts, mugs, snow globes. But you’re in Walt Disney World, not any plain old gift shop! Of course, Disney has its share of “ordinary” souvenirs, like Vinylmations and pins. But the Disney Company has some souvenirs unique to them and the parks themselves. Here are just few of my favorites.

Light up cups and figurines (Restaurants)
Most restaurants have the option to get a collectible cup and/or a light up figure for more money. A specific case took place at Hollywood Studio’s 50’s Prime Time Cafe. My brother wanted a light up figure (what they offered at the time) and he got one. He had to choose between Buzz Lightyear or Tinkerbell. Of course, being the boy he is, he picked Buzz Lightyear. He still has it sitting in a place of honor in his room.

Everything on the “Create” DisneyQuest floor (DisneyQuest)
I am not a fan of arcades, but this one is different. Basically every single thing in there is unique, and interactive. My favorite floor by far was the “Create”, or second floor. Everything was customizable. Cyberspace Mountain allowed you to create your own roller coaster and the ride it (and if you wanted, purchase a video of your coaster and ride), creating your own toy and buying it, and even customizing your own song and investing in a CD! The options are endless!

The Kitchen Collections (Numerous stores)
I love to bake. When I discovered the numerous things to buy for cooking, I was in love! I own a Mickey Mouse whisk, apron and more. There were two main collections when I made my latest visit-a Mickey Mouse collection and blue-and-white collection. I personally prefer the Mickey Mouse collection because it is more I-love-Disney-and-this-is-proof-see-all-the-Mickey-Mouse-references-in-this-spatula.

Astronaut Ice cream (Mission Space)
In space, ice cream is incapable of staying fresh and cold because of the conditions of “infinity and beyond.” When astronauts want a goody, instead of grabbing for that sweet treat, they reach for something else: dried ice cream. I personally dislike dried ice cream almost as much as I loathe line-cutters at Walt Disney World. I don’t understand the point of ice cream if it looks, tastes and feels like Styrofoam. If I had to choose between any other dessert in the world and Astronaut ice-cream, I would pick the other dessert. But I definitely agree that everybody in the world should try it because even though it’s bad, the experience itself is worth it (just like the Beverly.) In The Mission: SPACE gift shop, you can buy an abundance of “not-so-ice-cream” ice cream, if you will.

Henna Tattoo (Morocco)
These tattoos are as close to permanent you can get without getting the real thing. It is an ancient art in Morocco that uses dye from plants to color your skin a dark brown for 2-8 weeks. I have had this done only once before. I was looking for something that starts on a finger and expands and grows down to my wrist and maybe even farther down my arm. I distinctly remember the one I picked-it was a vine with flowers. When you are choosing a concept, they let you look through a book of designs and under each picture they have what it means in the Moroccan language. Mine meant health. When I go back down, I am considering getting the same exact tattoo because I loved it so much.

Tower of Terror bell (Tower of Terror)
Everybody has seen or heard that classic hotel bell. Every hotel used to have them on the concierge desk. The Hollywood Hotel is no exception. You can buy this bell adorned with the logo of the hotel to remember your “slamming” stay.

Aerosmith drumsticks (Rock N Roller Coaster)
These drumsticks have unique Aerosmith designs on them that you can’t get anywhere else but the gift shop that Rock N Roller Coaster dumps you into.

Balls (Block Party Bash: Hollywood Studios)
Sadly, Block Party Bash is a retired parade that has been replaced by “Countdown to Fun.”  This parade used to contain a little secret. Following the final float there are 2 Cast Members holding a rope that signals the end of the parade. They are there so that people don’t get too close to the back of the parade, trying to get to their next destination. Well, for Block Party Bash, if you followed these Cast Members instead of rushing to your next destination, you got a little bonus show. Once you reached a point that nobody could see the final float, the dancers behind the concluding float turned to face the people who had lingered behind. They continued dancing and, when they finished, they advanced towards the gate and the gate closed. Was that it? As people started to leave, a loud POP! filled the air as foam balls flew from behinds the gate. There had to be at least 100 balls. The colors of red, blue, yellow and green filled the sky. Printed on the balls was the Block Party Bash logo, which made it worth the walk. We are lucky to have been able to collect each color.  Since we retrieved quite a few duplicate colors, we would offer the balls to small children throughout the day.  That was just our little way of sharing the magic!

Glass cubes with images on the inside (ImageWorks: Epcot)
I believe that these are a very unique decor to have around your house. It takes a block of glass and puts you inside of it. Similar to the Carbon-Freeze Me experience today, they take multiple pictures from an abundance of angles and great a 3-D image based off of all these pictures together.  In 2006, my brother and I got one of these done. It was a headshot and it is still in our living room. My parents chose to get the date printed on it along with our names. A base under it lights it up and periodically it changes colors. I even have two additional cubes of characters- Tigger and Mickey – that also light up.  I love these and would never get rid of them.

Build-Your-Own Light saber and Droid (Star Tours)
I haven’t done this yet, but really want to on my next trip!

Wind chimes (Village Traders)
Do wind chimes need an explanation? They are magical enough as it is with the sounds of fairies, but one from Disney adds more pixie dust to them!

Sweaters (Norway)
These are pricey, but if you take care of it and you live in a place that gets VERY cold, this might be worth the $300.

Old attraction posters (The Art of Disney)
These posters are inspired by the ones lining the walls when you walk into the Magic Kingdom. I was very excited when I found out they sold these, but unfortunately they were sold out of the one I wanted (The Haunted Mansion).

Caricatures (everywhere)
Caricatures are drawings made by talented artists that include a person’s head abnormally large while the rest of the person’s body in small. These are fun to look at, but even more fun when you get one done of yourself. Unfortunately, I never have gotten a caricature done before because last trip I had to decide between a henna tattoo and this. My brother opted for this. He loves Chip and Dale, so he chose for his body to be a chipmunk. It turned out really cute and looked just like him (except for the animal part.)

Flags from every country in World Showcase (World Showcase)
During my third time visiting World Showcase, I wanted to get something from every country to show that I have been there. Pins? No. Attire? No.  Flags? Perfect! For every single country in World Showcase that I visited, I got a mini flag. I still have these in a vase of display in my room!

Create-Your-Own Mickey Ears (everywhere)
I decided not to do this my last trip to Disney World, which was a huge mistake! Well, there is always next time… (*wink-wink Mom and Dad.)

Animation Academy Drawing (The Magic of Disney Animation)
I have done this class once before and it is worth waiting for. You get to sit at those fancy animation tables that glow so you can see through the paper. An animator teaches you how to draw a specific character (we got Piglet) and she/he draws one too. Usually, the animator gives away her drawing to somebody and signs the bottom right corner. It is already amazing that you can keep your own drawing, but it’s even better if you get the professional’s also!

Charm Bracelet (Every gift shop)
When I went to Disney for the first time in 2002, I was attracted to shiny things. But hey, being three it was normal. I saw a “big girl bracelet” and using the smolder (or the puppy eyes) I got my wish. Every single visit since I have purchased a new charm either symbolizing something we did (In 2008 I got a Santa hat with ears) or somewhere we stayed (in 2006 I invested in an Animal Kingdom Lodge charm.) Whenever we sail away on a Disney Cruise, I get a Disney Cruise charm. Right now I only have two (the logo and Mickey and Minnie on an anchor) and a third is on the way!

Crystal and glass characters (Crystal Arts of Main Street)
These characters are cute-but not so cuddly. They are very fragile because they are made out of hand blown glass and some are even adorned with crystals. Most of these are Disney characters like Pooh and Mickey, but some aren’t specific to Disney, like unicorns and turtles. Even if you don’t buy one of these magnificent creations, they are always fun to look at and even more fun when you can see them being created.

African masks and vases (Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House )
These masks and vases are beautiful and look stunning. They really echo the feel of the Animal Kingdom Lodge and I love it. We own a few masks that focus around a dark brown but include a few other colors, like green and red. We also have a vase that also is mostly dark brown and the giraffe that is carved is a lighter brown. These might be one of my favorite souvenirs we have ever gotten as a family.

African Instruments (Booth in Africa, Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge)
These unique instruments are very fun to make noise with! I currently own one that has these open shells attached to strings that you shake around to make a maraca-sounding noise.

Transportation vehicles (some gift shops)
These little buses are fun to collect and we have numerous on display, including a Magical Express model, a classic Disney motor coach and a cruise ship bus. They are relatively small, and we collect them to display on a shelf.

Gallery of Lights (The Art of Disney)
These are made by Olszewski and are expensive, but totally worth it. The little characters and attractions inside remind me of “home” and favorite Disney movies. I currently own one with Fantasia Mickey on top of a rock pointing and I am planning on buying a Disney Dream one on the WDW Dream Cruise in November.

Next time you visit Walt Disney World, purchase some different souvenirs rather than the standard t-shirt and mug. Always stay on the lookout for other things that are unique in the world of souvenirs. Leave a comment below if you have one of these uncommon souvenirs or if you can think of another one. Thanks for reading!

Last weekend was my 8th grade dinner dance. Right now you might be thinking “what does that have to do with Disney?” Well, I was getting my hair done and somehow the topic of Disney came up. It ends up that the complete stranger doing my hair was a former Disney florist. She even remembers when they announced that Disney World was being built when she was graduating high school. She focused on mostly Christmas flower decor, especially in the Grand Floridian. I guess it is a small world after all! And another Disney reference occurred-my hair was inspired by Cinderella, but more modern. I can now say that I was a princess!

I am VERY sorry but I forgot to crown our winner of “Where in the World?” last week! I apologize to Tony E. for the late acknowledgement. This week’s “Where in the World?” is a small detail in a mural that I love.

See ya REAL soon!
~Makena W.

The post WDW Radio Kids & Teens Day: It could lead to anything…danger, treasure, a dead end or, even worse, a Disney Gift Shop! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.