When it comes to shopping at the Disneyland Resort, there’s something for everyone: rose-gold jerseys for the trendy at heart, classic Mickey ear hats for the nostalgic fan, Chewbacca hoodies for the Star Wars fanatic, bubble wands for the restless child, freshly-cracked peanut brittle for the foodie, the list goes on.
Over the years, one souvenir has become a regular staple at the parks: custom art pieces. They’re usually among the more inconspicuous offerings at Disneyland; many guests often pass by Silhouette Studio and the caricature stands without a second glance. If you have a few seconds or minutes (or, in some cases, hours) to kill, however, you can create a one-of-a-kind memento that will serve as a reminder of your trip for years to come.
1. Hand-cut silhouettes
Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)
One of the most unique souvenirs Disneyland has to offer is the hand-cut silhouette, which can be purchased at the Silhouette Studio on Main Street, U.S.A. The Silhouette Studio has been around nearly as long as Disneyland has been open, supplanting a short-lived clothing store called Grandma’s Baby Shop in the winter of 1956.
Here, you’re invited to sit still for just around 30 seconds while a Disney artist cuts your likeness from paper and pastes it onto a white background. There’s incredible precision in each profile, from the shape of the glasses a guest is wearing to the messy ponytail they might be sporting after free falling down Splash Mountain. They’re also highly customizable: guests can request a layered portrait featuring siblings, spouses, or Mickey Mouse himself. One silhouette artist, Sylvia Fellows, explained that guests don’t even need to be seated and present for the portrait — they can bring in a photo of a loved one, a pet, or even a coffee maker!
Portraits are fairly inexpensive, even by Disney standards. One silhouette will run you $10, and you can add a smart oval frame for just $20 more.
2. Caricature paintings
Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)
The way Disney University founder Van Arsdale France tells it, Disney Studio artist-turned-executive Jack Olsen was the first one to suggest bringing portrait artists into Disneyland. The idea caught fire, but Van France soon faced a perplexing problem: despite the artists’ clear talent, they were too slow to keep up with customer demand. In other words, they needed to be trained in the Disney way, which in this case meant perfecting the art of the seven-minute portrait. Any longer, and guests might begin to get restless — or worse, pass by the portrait stands without feeling inclined to purchase one.
France eventually replaced Disneyland’s original portrait artists with an artificial flower cart, but Disney portraits came back in vogue with the development of New Orleans Square. Today, the artists who populate Royal Street and Front Street offer a variety of portraits and landscapes, from picturesque tableaus of New Orleans Square and the Haunted Mansion to pastel portraits and carnival-like caricatures. Not only does the art make for a creative souvenir, but some guests have gone the extra mile — getting their service dogs to pose for a portrait or even using a couples caricature to propose!
Unlike the quick, cheap silhouettes of Main Street, these art pieces are a bit pricier. A full-color portrait costs $20 per person for a profile and $40 for a front view. Caricatures are $20 per person for a profile and $36 for a front view, while scenic art runs $36 per landscape. No matter the style you select, framing the art will cost an additional $17 per piece.
3. Disney character name signs
Image: Ashley Varela
Should you prefer a bit more Disney magic with your art, swing by the letter brush kiosk across from the Matterhorn Bobsleds, where Disney artists will customize your name with select Disney characters of your choice. The customization options are nearly limitless, from favorite princesses to fairies, pirates, animals, castles and flowers, though artists are only allowed to offer seasonal characters — for instance, you won’t be able to request a villains character name sign in May or June, as the likes of Maleficent, Captain Hook, and the Queen of Hearts are only available during the fall.
Aside from the more conventional name signs, the artists can also render a full-size initial or create a one-of-a-kind family name sign, with the first letter of each name representing the family’s favorite Disney characters. Depending on the length of the name and the add-ons you choose, letter brush art can often take several hours to complete. It’s highly advisable to place your order early in the day and return to pick it up before you leave the park, as the 10×19 and 10×29 framed signs are too unwieldy to carry around the park and too large to be stuffed in a backpack or locker.
Prices vary by length of name and choice of matting and framing. Each letter starts at $12.50, bringing a five-letter name to $62.50 and a seven-letter name to $87.50. A standard mat costs an additional $12, or you can opt for a mat and frame combo for $52.
4. Character sketches
Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)
In the fall of 1955, guests could wander through Tomorrowland to a little Parisian-themed store called the Art Corner. Merchandise varied between the practical (exclusive postcard sets, animation kits) to the whimsical and absurd (flip books, thaumatropes and gag gifts). One of the most invaluable products for sale were original celluloid drawings from Disney films, which could often be purchased for the bargain price of a dollar each. (With inflation, that would be just under $10 today — still a total steal!)
The Art Corner was officially relocated in 1966 to make way for a lengthy remodel of Tomorrowland, and the price of animation cels that rare have since skyrocketed, but today’s guests can still find some original work from Disney artists at Disneyana in Disneyland or Off the Page in Disney California Adventure. Here, artists sketch beloved Disney characters – from the obscure to the über-popular – as guests watch. Unlike letter brush artists and street caricaturists, you won’t find them at their desks 24/7, but you can ask a Cast Member for the day’s schedule or choose from a selection of pre-drawn and matted sketches. If, on the other hand, you’re confident in your own sketch abilities and want some free artwork, you can pop over to the Animation Academy in Disney California Adventure and sketch your own Disney character during a complimentary half-hour animation session.
Like the letter brush name signs, character sketches are among the pricier art pieces at the parks. You can request a sketch with as many as seven characters; a one-character sketch starts at $40 and a seven-character sketch tops out around $140. Limited personalization is available for each drawing, and discounts don’t apply to original artwork.
These are just a few of the gorgeous art pieces you can take home from the Disneyland Resort. If customizing your own art isn’t quite your style, there’s a beautiful gallery of professional paintings and mixed-media art for sale at Disneyana, painted parasols in New Orleans Square, sculpted Star Wars figures at Star Wars Launch Bay and a rotating showcase of Disney-inspired art at the WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney. Which Disney art has made your vacation the most memorable?
