by Alyssa Wiseman

My name is Alyssa Wiseman (most of you might also know me as ajwiseman09 in The Box and on Twitter), and I reside in central Indiana.  I owe my love of Disney to my husband, Brandon, as the research, podcast listening, and constant traveling began when he proposed to me in 2008!  We honeymooned in the World and since then, have been lucky to travel there about 3 times a year.

Our touring is quite easy for now, being just the two of us, we are able to get around the parks quickly (we don’t have to worry about strollers or potty breaks), but also focus on a slower approach to being in the parks.  We usually begin our park days in a rush to get the headliners down, then we just walk around and take in the atmosphere (and eat!).

Through WDW Radio I have been fortunate enough to meet several amazing friends and this past fall was excited to physically meet and hug some of them.  We were on the WDW Radio 2.0 cruise and had quite an amazing time.  I am sad that we will not be cruising with everyone in November, but am really looking forward to traveling to California and Disneyland for the first time.  We are taking the week before the D23 Expo to tour Disneyland, surrounding Disney-related locations, and then attend the Expo.

I am thrilled to be joining the WDW Radio blogging team and add some perspective into Disney merchandising and products, as the Disney Shopper.  I am constantly shopping at Disney (and online) for any new merchandise that I might be able to add to my collection or even wardrobe.

I think my favorite product to buy at WDW would be the antenna toppers that they sell throughout property!  I admit that I have an entire bag full of them and regularly change the current one to be related to the season or my mood!  And don’t worry, I will be sure to include them in a future blog post.

My posts will focus on Disney merchandise sold in the parks, in Disney stores, and in other retail markets.  I will provide reviews of products, if they are affordable, and to whom they are marketed.  My posts will conclude with different rating scales following each description of the item.

Please let me know of any products that you would like reviewed to for me to discuss.  I will do my best and research the information that is available and, if possible, locate the product in the store to physically be able to get a good idea of what it offers.  I am also planning on doing reviews of new products I am able to find while traveling to WDW (and DL when there in August).  And, like my first post, if there is a press release about merchandising, I will be doing Breaking News articles as well.

The post Do You Like Disney Merchandise? Do We Have News for You! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Instead of moving on to Day 3 of my Trip Report for my last trip, let’s stay on Day 2 and look at the snacks you can get at Big Top Souvenirs in the Storybook Circus section of the New Fantasyland Expansion in the Magic Kingdom theme park!

I’d like to focus on the snacks you can eat at Big Top Souvenirs if you are following a vegan diet. (Note: Some people that follow a vegan diet don’t consume refined sugar, because the process in which is made isn’t always vegan. In this blog post, and in my future blog posts, I will not rule out foods containing refined sugar, so if you are following a vegan diet and don’t eat refined sugars, then make sure you check the packaging yourself!)

Big Top Souvenirs:

Upon entering the main entrance of the massive circus tent gift shop, we had to make a decision of which way to circle around. To our left was edibles, and to our right, cute plushes (so cute, I always want them all), Mickey ears (many keeping with the circus theme), and clothing (a girl’s best friend). We chose to go to the right, so preceded through the tent in a counter-clockwise fashion. But, if you chose to turn left instead, you’d see a colorful wall of packaged candy and sweets. Let me walk you through it.

Cotton Candy

The cotton candy is right there begging for you to buy it. It is away from the wall, about half way between the wall and the counter that circles around the center of the room. You can’t miss it. There were two choices of cotton candy flavors here, pink (strawberry) or blue (raspberry)! I really wanted one while in the store, and most likely would have tried the strawberry, but they are about $4 or a snack point on the Dining Plan. I decided to save my money for popcorn on Main Street later on. The ingredients are Sugar, Artificial Flavors, and Artificial Color. (If you are more strict about your vegan diet, then in addition to refined sugar you may want to stay away from or at least research food dyes.)

Popcorn- Kettle Corn

Make your way further clockwise and eventually you come to a wall lined with popcorn! This was the option I was most excited for! There are a few flavor varieties of popcorn to choose from, but only the Kettle Corn variety is vegan, the others contain milk products. The Kettle Corn only includes: Popcorn, Sugar, Soy Oil, Salt. It comes in a 3oz bag for $4.95, and looked like it was about the size of the popcorn you’d buy on Main st.

Pucker Powder

I don’t much like candies like this, but, hey, it’s still okay to eat if I did! The display for these are set up away from the wall in a cylinder-of-sugar-sour-powder-dispensers. Just grab the tube size you want, they have 6”, 12”, 18”, and a WHOLE 30” (all to fill with sugar, essentially) and fill ’er up with your favorite flavors! You can start and stop the powder at any time, so that you can put as many flavors as you’d like in one tube! I’m assuming the 30” tube can probably hold all of the flavors if you only held the valve open for 1 second on each flavor and circled around it 30 times. I’m sure there’s a way to do the math on that, or maybe an experiment! The prices for the tubes range from $3.45-$6.45.

Lollypops

There is a lollypop “tree” or “tower,” if I may, on the floor towards the back of the store. All of the lollypops are fine. They are just sugar, corn syrup, citric/malic acid, natural/artificial flavoring, and different food dyes (depending on the flavor). The prices ranged from $2.45-$5.45.

The packaged candy and snack food choices at Big Top Souvenirs can be found at most gift shops around WDW that sell candy. If I didn’t mention a certain treat in Big Top Souvenirs as being vegan, it either isn’t, or the display wasn’t intriguing enough! Really, though, if it is one of those candy products that just seems to contain sugar, it is most likely just fine. Though, most of the cookies and baked goods contained milk and eggs, so they are okay for a vegetarian diet, but not a vegan diet.

Is there any packaged candy product around WDW that you’d like to try, but aren’t sure if it’s ok? Just read the ingredients and usually in bold at the bottom of the list it will say “Contains: MILK, EGGS” if it isn’t vegan!

Angie has been a WDW addict since her first visit at age 8, and since then her life has never been the same! She lives in upstate NY with her boyfriend, Kevin (fellow Disney lover), and their 3 dogs, Flip, Josie, and Hildy, where she works at Farm Sanctuary as an animal caregiver. Please join Angie every week in “Fish Are Friends, Not Food: Eating Vegan in WDW!” Angie believes that WDW is the most magical place for people with special diets, so, should you have any special diet questions (especially about vegan and gluten-free dining) she’d be happy to help!

The post Fish Are Friends, Not Food: New Fantasyland’s Big Top Souvenirs appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

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.

Growing older doesn’t mean growing up. Everybody looks forward to Christmas morning! But it’s not all about presents-family is what we really celebrate. Then again, a little gift never hurt anybody! Not just the ones placed secretly under the tree but the little ones hiding in your stocking are just as exciting. Here are some ideas for smaller gifts that could fit in a stocking.

Toothpick holders from Arriba’s
In classic Disney fashion, they do not like to promote alcoholic drinks in kid friendly areas. But due to popular demand, Disney HAD to sell shot glasses. Disney, being the creative company that they are, chooses to call them “toothpick holders” or “mini glasses” instead of shot glasses. These “toothpick holders” are the perfect size for a stocking! You can even customize them with your name and pick the character that stares at you as you drink from it (non-alcoholic beverages of course) or gazes at you when you decide which toothpick to stick into your sandwich. I used to only be able to find these in the parks, but I just discovered that they are on the Disney Store website now. Have fun picking out your character!

OPI Nail Polishes
I am a girl that loves to have my nails painted. Of course, every time I get my nails done (or I do them myself) I have Disney in mind, whether picking colors that match a certain character or requesting a specific design that reminds me of the scenery from something Disney related (once I had light blue toes and the big toe had the outline of fire, which made it look like a wisp from Brave!) With all of this in mind, imagine my reaction when I found out that OPI worked together with Disney to release nail polishes! Some themes include Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (colors include a teal color called “Mermaid Tears” and a purple color called “Planks A Lot” ),   Minnie Mouse (a selection of pink and green) and the Muppets (including a red “Wocka Wocka!” and a gold “Warm and Fozzie.” I personally don’t own any of these nail polishes yet, but hopefully I will soon!

Fuzzy Dice
These dice are famous for hanging from the mirror on the inside of cars. Disney takes these iconic accessories and puts their own spin on them by turning the ordinary circles into 3-ring Mickey heads. They used to come in a variety of colors, but the only color I can seem to find now is black dice with white Mickey head dots. These don’t need to be hanging in your car-I have a pair hanging above my bed!

Earbuds
These days, everybody has an iPod or other device that allows you to download music and take it with you anywhere. Ear buds are a necessity so that nobody else is disturbed by your music (whether Disney or not). They come in many varieties, from a pick pair with a picture of your favorite princess printed on them or a red pair the expresses your love for Pirates of the Caribbean. That being said, the best pair of earbuds I saw was at my local Disney store and was Stitch-inspired. One earbud had the front half of Stitch, and the other earbud had the other half. It reminded me of the end of Philharmagic when Donald gets stuck in the wall. What makes these earbuds even better is that you can find Scrump (the doll from Lilo and Stitch) on the part that plugs into your device! They had the same style with the characters Perry the Platypus and Slinky Dog for sale. If they have any more designs the same way, leave a comment below!

Wallet
If we people can walk around in style, shouldn’t our money be able to also? Disney Wallets are easy to find for younger girls and boys: they are small with velcro keeping them shut. As you get older, it becomes harder to find a wallet that fits your taste and is not too childish. Luckily, I found a few including one with Mickey and Minnie surrounded by a heart and another “Nerds Rock” one that I got from the parks. It is also a plus if you get a Disney Wallet that matches a Disney purse, or just a purse in general. Have fun mixing and matching!

Keychain Vinylmations
3” vinylmations are cute, but hard to carry around with you (and the 9” are even harder to carry with you). Sometimes the world just needs to see your amazing Vinylmations. Now they can! With the release of the keychain-sized Vinylmations, you can attach your house keys, bike lock key or car key if you are old enough. You can even just hook them up to a zipper and make them a zipper pull! Some collections include a “good luck-bad luck” series and a Snow White and The Seven Dwarves series. These are not the kind that you can see through the box- you pick a random box and hope you get the one you want! No matter how the mystery unfolds when you open the box, you are sure to love whichever one you get.

Scarves
Scarves are most popular in the fall and winter, so holidays are the perfect time to receive one. They can be formed into almost every shape, which makes them one of the easiest things to put in a stocking. Disney has released some couture ones on their website for women in black and purple. They have little Mickey accents on them in silver which is what makes them Disney-like. I don’t own one of these scarves yet, but hopefully I will find one in my stocking this holiday season (wink, wink parents)!

Hidden Mickey pins
Pins are fun to collect and easy to carry around to trade. Some are inspired by attractions, characters, special events, or are created just for the fun of it. My favorite type of pin is a hidden Mickey pin. They are called this for a reason. Most Cast members wear a lanyard with pins that can be yours if you trade. When you trade with a Cast Member, you might see some pins that you hadn’t seen in stores. These are the pins I am referring too. They are given to Cast Members to trade with guests and these pins are not sold in stores. They only way you can get them is by trading with a Cast Member. You can tell that a pin is a Hidden Mickey pin by looking at it. If it has a small silver 3-circle Mickey on it, congratulations, you found a Hidden Mickey pin! Get it? The Mickey isn’t necessarily hidden, but it’s there! They come out with a few new Hidden Mickey pin collections a year, so always keep your eyes out for new ones!

Pen that clicks to make feet appear
These pens are cute and come in a variety of characters. At the top of each pen is the head of a well-known character smiling back at you. When you push the button on the side down, the front half of the head flips up to let the rest of the body (much smaller than the head) come out from its hiding spot before the head flicks back down. At the end of your pen is now a character with a big head and tiny body. I know that is very hard to follow, but it will make much more sense if you see it in person. They are really cute! I own one of the three Aliens from Toy Story and my brother has a pen featuring the mouse himself-Mickey Mouse. I have also seen Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Chip and Dale. They might have released new ones since my last visit to my local Disney store, but these are the ones that I saw and remember.

WDW Radio Audio Guide
What could be better than one of Lou Mongello’s world (Walt Disney World, that is!) famous audio guides peeking out from the top of your stocking? When I get hit by Disney fever 1,057 miles away, these audio guides cure me almost instantly. The themes available right now are Liberty Square, Toontown Fair, Fantasyland, Main Street, Adventureland, and Frontierland. Combine these with Mickey Ear buds and your favorite drink from Disney (Some recipes are online: Google is always a friend) and you can even make a Disney Planning Trip out of it! (Shoutout to Emma Godbold and her great blog about hosting a Disney planning day.) WARNING: Do not listen to these while driving a car or riding a bike-Lou really brings you there and you might lose your concentration!

Maybe some of these ideas are new to you and you would like to put them on your wish list (as I mentioned a few blogs ago.) If you have heard of all of these ideas, I hope I refreshed your memory and made you smile.

Do you have ideas for Disney-inspired a stocking stuffer? Leave a comment below and share your idea!  I’m looking forward to adding some of your ideas to my wish list!

See ya REAL soon!
~Makena W.

Quote of the Week: “Christmas isn’t about candy canes, or lights all aglow, it’s the hearts that we touch, and the care that we show.” – Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas

The post A Little Bit of Disney in Your Stocking! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.