Disney Holiday Gift Guide 3.0
Okay, you’re not at the point in the holiday season where you’re totally freaked out yet. You still have a week or so to buy a bunch of gifts online. They should still arrive in time for Christmas. But in the back of your mind, you’re secretly stressed out that you’re going to wind up at a shopping mall on Christmas Eve, fighting the other last-minute shoppers for the last Star Wars toy. Well, MickeyBlog is here to save the day. Here’s another holiday gift guide for those among us who still need some help.
Smellitizer
Today, we’re going to add a couple of more expensive items to the shopping list for those of you who prefer to get one big gift in lieu of several small ones. And you’re probably intrigued by the name of this one. For those of you who don’t know, Disney pipes in smells at various rides, resorts, and attractions to stimulate the senses. The device that they use is the Smellitizer.
What you likely don’t know about the Smellitizer is that you can buy one for yourself. Why would you do that? Well, you can purchase your favorite Disney smells to use on the device, causing your home to smell like your favorite parts of the Happiest Place on Earth. All you need is the Scent HD machine, which isn’t technically a Smellitizer since Disney owns that proprietary patent. Scent HD is a $149 appliance that does the same thing. In fact, a former Disney cast member founded the company.
Once you’ve purchased the device, you’ll need a cartridge to add a scent. The cost of each one is $60, which means you’re looking at an initial investment of $210. Each cartridge lasts about two months. If you want ones with specific Disney scents, Green Clover and Aloe mimics Disney’s Beach Club Resort while Green Bamboo imitates Disney’s Polynesian Resort. I’ve previously mentioned Spireside Candles, as Tropical Bungalow does the same thing. Your choice comes down to whether you prefer candles or a more permanent solution. My family does both.
Star Wars Elite Series
We were foolish enough to enter a Disney Store on Black Friday. The frenzied workers there weren’t crazy about the sheer volume of questions we asked about the best Disney gifts this season. They had an angry mob to placate, after all. They were still kind enough to give me a couple of suggestions, though.
The most important one is the Star Wars Elite Series. The various die cast figurines of your favorite Star Wars characters represent the height of merchandising right now. They’re incredibly detailed, which explains the high cost to own one. Even the cheapest action figures are $26.95, and demand is so extreme that you’ll face sellouts if you wait too long to buy. Disney Store employees call it the It Toy of the holiday season, so buy now before it’s too late!
Ariel Princess Costume
Whether you’re visiting a Disney theme park this year or not, your daughter will want to dress up like a princess no matter what. You’re not going to hold them to a single Halloween outing, either. If your daughter makes that sad face, you know that you’ll give in and let her wear a princess dress whenever she wants.
The cutest one right now is undoubtedly the Ariel costume. The master designers at Disney have constructed a princess dress that’s remarkably thematic. When you look at the picture, you’ll note that it even looks like a mermaid fin at the bottom. And the color would seem right at home under the sea! At a modest price of $45, it’s not that much more than regular children’s wear. Plus, you can add accessories to it from the Ariel line!
Fantasyland T-Shirt
Sometimes, basic shirts are the best ones. For example, this “Fantasyland” shirt is a study in minimalism. It features only two words and one graphic image yet a simple look at it will make people wistful. That’s because the words are “Vacation Mode,” and the picture is of the Disney castle. Yes, it’s similar to a prior recommendation, the Home line of t-shirts. The difference is that this is an official Disney product with the usual fabric quality. Plus, annual pass holders and Disney Vacation Club members get a merchandise discount on it, making the Fantasyland Tee cheap by Disney standards.
Up – Our Adventure Book
The story of Pixar’s Up resonates with movie lovers of all ages. The joy of a couple falling in love at a young age and promising to explore the world together is a romantic ideal that no Nicholas Sparks book could ever match. Up cements the relationship of Carl and Ellie through the girl’s My Adventure Book, and now Disney is cleverly marketing that premise.
Up – Our Adventure Book is a glorified scrapbook, with colors and parchment that mirror Ellie’s book in the movie. You can combine your love of Up with your desire to share your favorite memories and pictures in a single location. It even contains glitter and a pen to remain authentic to the story but useful to the gift recipient. If someone on your shopping list wants a scrapbook, don’t get a basic one! Get one that reminds you of Ellie and the broken-armed boy that she likes (and eventually marries), Carl!
Lego – The Disney Castle
Okay, this is the blue blood purchase from today’s gift guide. You’ll pay $350 to buy it, which is possibly outside of your budget. When you’re looking for the perfect gift for a Disney fanatic, however, you’ll be hard-pressed to find something better than Lego’s Disney Castle.
This structure is one of the most complicated Lego assemblies available. It has 4,080 pieces, and even Disney master builders need at least six hours to put everything together. You should view it as a multi-day assembly, maybe even a multi-weekend family project. Once you have it built, however, you can make it the centerpiece for an entire room.
My family happens to own this, but we haven’t found the courage to get it out of the box yet. It’s like climbing Mount Everest. Everyone wants to do it, at least in theory, but the actual process seems overwhelming. Given the smile on my wife’s face when she got it for Christmas last year, however, I can warmly endorse it as a tremendous gift for Disney obsessives.
Kiehl’s Disney Holiday Skin Care Products
Kiehl’s isn’t merely one of the most recognized cosmetics retailers in North America. It’s also one of the oldest, with roots that trace back to John Kiehl’s East Village store in New York City. The year was 1851, meaning that the company is 166 years old. The history of this business is so interesting that it’s worthy of a movie, but all that matters to you as a customer is that it’s a division of L’Oréal today.
Each holiday season, Kiehl’s unveils a special line of Disney products. They’re available for a limited time, making them perfect gift. You purchase the cosmetics today, and your loved one gets to use them when they’re not even available in stores. I know at least a couple of women who try to stretch them out until the following holiday season.
This year, you can buy hydration essentials, hand creams, lip balms, and skin glow products. You can also buy stocking stuffer sizes if the prices of their Disney line are too steep. Most of their goods cost $30 or more, which is understandable since Kiehl’s and Disney are both known for their markups/high profit margins. If you have someone who always brings home the lotion and shampoo from a Disney resort, they will absolutely adore the Kiehl’s line!
A Trip to Aulani
Look, the holiday season is great, but it’s also winter in North America. Your family may not say it, but they want to get away from the nasty weather. When you want to win the holiday season in a big way, you should book your loved ones a trip to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa.
What’s the difference between Aulani and a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World? Well, it’s style and tone. When you go to the parks, you’re going to have an amazing time, but you’ll also walk around a lot and be quite active. Many people joke that when they get home from Disney, they need another vacation.
Aulani is basically all the best elements of a Disney vacation without the effort. You’re going to enjoy a much more relaxed vacation set against an island backdrop. You’re not sprinting from FastPass to FastPass or waiting in line queues. Instead, you’re sitting on the beach, sipping a fruity drink with an umbrella in it, and thinking about what you’ll eat for dinner.
Meanwhile, your kids are in heaven because there’s water EVERYWHERE. Aulani resides on 21 acres of oceanfront property that only Disney guests can use. And the hotel pools are among the finest of any Disney resort. There’s even an infinity pool section with a panoramic view of the beach, the ocean, and other parts of the resort. Your kids can play in the water until they’re exhausted. Then, they can interact with Disney characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, and Stitch.
Since Aulani is only 17 miles away from Honolulu, you can head into the city whenever you want a “true” Hawaiian vacation. But you should know that the resort has a 4 ½ star (out of 5) rating on Trip Advisor after more than 5,000 reviews. So, you don’t have to leave the resort unless you’re so inclined. Disney has countless activities available to keep everyone in your family entertained. Visiting Aulani is like going to a Disney park, only with a much more laid back island vibe. If you’re interested in giving your family the ultimate gift this holiday season, speak with an agent from Mickey Travels about booking a trip!
Happy Shopping!