Family Legacy – Amazing Disney Treasures I Inherited
Like many Disney fans, my love of Disney began with my Grandparents. My Grandparents loved Walt Disney World and would go every year
We’d spend 2 weeks getting autographs from characters, strolling through EPCOT with French pastries, and snagging pictures with Mickey.
Of course, they would bring home gifts for all of us, like a t-shirt or an autograph and we would sit around her table hearing stories about their trip.
I have fond memories sitting on their living room floor watching home movies they made walking through the parks. My Grandpa was the O.G. Disney Youtuber that videotaped ride POVs from different seats. He’d also parades and shows at different times of day so you could experience them in different ways.
My sweet Mickey-loving Grandma passed away more than 15 years ago. Now that I’m grown with a family of my own, I love to go to Walt Disney World and relive the experiences that she told me about and make my own memories.
Last Christmas while my Grandfather was on his deathbed, he gave me a box. He said that he gathered all of their Disney trinkets and treasures and wanted me to have them since I was bit by the “Disney Bug” like him. (His saying, not mine.)
After he passed, I went through the box and smiled after seeing all of the different parks merchandise. Check out some of my new vintage Disney World items. Do you have any of these items?
Disney Dollars
Who doesn’t remember good old fashioned Mickey Money?! They were the coolest (and cheapest) souvenir back in the 90s.
Since everything is done on credit cards and cell phones these days, we understand why Disney stopped printing them, but it’s so much fun!
Disney Parks Pins
These pins will never be a part of my trading collection! My favorite is definitely the dangly Mickey pin. I might actually wear this one instead of displaying it on my pin board!
It’s important to know that if you are a serious pin collector that the pin backs were different prior to 2005. The three pins I have are a mix of gold squeeze brads and black rubber, not Mickey backs. This tells me that they are from the late 90s era.
Snow Globes
It takes a brave soul to buy a snow globe on vacation, and an even braver one to take it on an airplane! Somehow these two survived the journey and are now living comfortably on my office shelves.
My favorite snow globe is the Peter Pan one celebrating 50 years since the movie’s release date, making this snow globe from 2003.
It is in excellent shape because Grandma and Grandpa kept it in the original box this whole time! Maybe I’m a heathen, but it’s beautiful and should be displayed!
The other globe was displayed in my Grandparent’s home proudly. This is a celebration snow globe for Walt Disney’s 100th birthday, so the globe must be from 2001.
Home Goods
My grandma was creating themed bathrooms before the world caught on to the trend. She had a legit Mickey bathroom that I remember vividly from my childhood.
She would save all of her hotel soups and use them for decorating, and her iconic Mickey towels hung on a glass shower door handle, but WERE NEVER USED. These babies have been hanging since 1996… (Don’t worry, I washed them.)
Sorry, Grandma, but when I uncovered these amazing OVEN MITTS I was in love and I…ripped off the price tags and actually put them in my kitchen drawer to use.
These cuties still had their Disney parks tags from 1996 and were in pristine condition because I bet she was too afraid to use them. I admit… I won’t use them to pull a lasagna out of the oven!
Watches
Grandma and Grandpa were in Disney to celebrate the 25th Anniversary Celebration with the famous birthday cake castle. To remember the occasion they bought 25th Anniversary Kodak watches.
These watches are really cool and I plan to wear one after I replace the battery. Grandpa said they were never worn because they couldn’t find them when they got home! Been there…
These watches are genuine leather, have a beautiful watch face, and say 25th Anniversary on the band.
Remember those basic Mickey watches that were around in the 1930s? It was Mickey Mouse’s first licensing agreement and literally saved Ingersoll Waterbury Clock Company during the Great Depression from bankruptcy.
The Mickey Watch maintained popularity for decades, and even made a resurgence in the 90s.
This tiny desk clock is an ode to those original Mickey watches that was the beginning of Mickey licensing agreements.
Mugs
Coffee mugs are the perfect souvenir because they are practical, are easy to justify and don’t take up much space. My Grandparents had several Disney mugs over the years, but many broke along the way.
The first mug I pulled out, I laughed at because Grandma didn’t use this mug. It was kept as a display and the sale sticker was still on the bottom! This mug is celebrating the millennium with “2000” being in the center of a group of characters.
The last item in the box is more precious than gold. It’s rarer than the rarest Disney pin and it’s my favorite Disney treasure.
A simple Mickey mug displaying the name Virginia. It’s scratched. It’s worn. It’s stained. It was my Grandma’s daily mug. She would drink tea out of it every single morning and then refill with water all day.
This mug is from their first trip in 1990, and it blows my mind that Grandpa held onto all these years, especially after she was gone.
We want to know! What kind of Disney treasures have you acquired? Share with us in the comments!
Feature Image: Jenn Scranton