What’s the Best Way to Bring Home Disney Scents?
With the parks closed, you’re missing your favorite Disney scents, aren’t you? Fortunately, several different companies manufacture fragrances that will remind you of the places you love at Disney theme parks and resorts.
These packages come in three primary forms. I’ve used all of them often and have strong opinions on each one. Candles, room sprays, wax melts, and the Scent HD system try to do the same thing. Here’s how I would rank the Disney home scents.
4) Wax Melts
Over the years, I’ve tried dozens of Disney scents across the four types of aromatic delivery. I had the highest hopes for wax melts because they’re the easiest to find in stock.
One company I used – whose name I won’t mention – sold a Polynesian electric wax burner. That sounded perfect for my needs. So, I rushed out to get it.
Alas, I should have read the fine print. The system didn’t come with any wax, which irritated me to no end. I had to wait another few days for wax melts to arrive before I could use it.
I say this as a word of caution. Make sure you know what you’re getting when you get one of these. Otherwise, you’re paying for someone to troll you.
Photo” Disney/Scentsy
In most wax melt packages, you’ll receive a set of six blocks. You’ll stick an individual block in your wax burner unless you prefer to melt it differently.
Wax melts have several cons but only one pro. The positive is that when a wax melt works well, it’s an inexpensive means of bringing Disney to your home. It smells perfect and forcibly reminds you of the parks.
You guys are loving our new Scentsy Disney range! https://t.co/ITStVURil8#waxmelts #scentsyaddict#scentsy pic.twitter.com/ZnmXUulHRp
— Its Perfect Scents (@1tsperfectscent) September 23, 2018
The negatives are all irritating. The blocks take a while to start melting. Once they do, the scents vary in strength and quality. Some undeniably smell like Disney memories, but others are too mild to notice.
Then, there are broader concerns. Cleaning the burner involves a lot of sticky goo that doesn’t want to leave the pot and looks gross in the trash. Also, you may worry about wax spills on your floor.
Photo: NovellyYoursCandles.com
I don’t recommend wax melts/burners, even though I’m sitting six feet away from one right now.
3) Room Sprays
Look, you’ve used products like Febreze or Glade at some point in your life. You know the deal here. Some companies have introduced variations of this concept for the parks.
Photo: Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Dominique Astorino
They’re not always aerosol cans, but the idea is the same. Diffusers, essential oils, and room sprays all distribute a fragrance in a small area. That’s a pro and a con.
Room sprays are simple to use and, unlike wax melts, work almost immediately. However, they don’t last long, and they can’t cover the stench of something bad right behind them.
Photo: Kingdom Candle Shop
One of the funniest Consumer Reports write-ups I ever read came from test subjects who couldn’t believe how awful something smelled once a room spray ended. They had many regrets over agreeing to participate in the test.
That’s the thing about room spray. They’re temporary fixes that don’t solve the problem. Disney fans can and should do better.
Photo: Main Street Melts
2) Scent Air Essence
Now we’re up to the most expensive solution on the list. Buying a Scent Air Essence means that you’re going all-in on bringing Disney into your home.
I own one of these systems and adore it. Still, I want to stress that it’s not for everyone. For starters, the system costs $150, and it doesn’t come with a cartridge.
Photo: ScentAir.com
The cartridges cost around $40 on average, although they list for $49.99 on the website. Deals are almost always available by signing up for the mailing list.
In fact, closeout specials sometimes bring the cost down to $24.99. However, you’ll need one of these cartridges at least every six weeks, possibly sooner. When I’m using my device frequently, I make monthly purchases.
Photo: ScentAir.com
Obviously, that gets expensive quickly. Not everyone wants to spend $40 a month to bring the park smells home. Also, out of everything I list here, the Scent Air machine is the worst at delivering an identical aroma to the relevant park experience.
I’m not bothered by this. I’ve never had a Scent Air cartridge smell anything other than delightful. Still, for Disney fans, this aspect alone might be a deal-breaker.
You will find some Disney sites that indicate which Scent Air cartridges mimic Disney resorts. It’s not entirely true, though. Disney employs an industrial-strength version of the model that pumps up much stronger aromas.
So, I recommend the Scent Air more as a way of improving the smell of your home. If you find a cartridge that matches your favorite Disney scent, it’s undoubtedly the best solution. It’s still pricey, though.
1) Candles
I know that some people are candle devotees. Meanwhile, others live in fear of fires and won’t use them. I’m somewhere in the middle.
I love candles, but I’ve also had to move because of a fire. So, when I light a candle, I feel a bit of stress until I finally blow it out hours later.
Photo: awittyandwhimsicallife.com/
Even acknowledging that, I still haven’t found anything better at bringing the smell of Disney parks and resorts to my home. Several companies, including my favorite, Spireside, sell dozens of candles, each of which recreates a distinctive Disney aroma.
You can find candles that smell like Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, or Dole Whip. The one I like the best is the Rome Burning variation, which mimics the smell during Spaceship Earth’s memorable scene.
Most Disney-related candles last for several days and possess potent scents. You’ll know when you’ve got one lit. Also, it will remind you of whatever Disney thing you miss.
For this reason, when I want to bring the aroma of the parks into my home, I prefer candles. I actually bought the Scent Air Essence for this purpose. However, over the years, I’ve used it more as a source of lovely but generic fragrances.
Next time, I’ll discuss the specific aromas I recommend for the true Disney lover.
