Every year, the span of time between Halloween and Christmas seems to grow shorter and shorter… And if you’re anything like us, it isn’t until the gift-giving season really arrives that you notice that you’ve got less prepared for the Disney Parks aficianado in your life than Disney had prepared for Walt Disney World’s 50th.
In other words, if you’re looking for some surefire, can’t-miss ideas for what to get for your friend, family member, or loved one who adores Disney Parks, we’ve got some small, medium, and big-ticket ideas that might jumpstart your creativity and earn you major kudos for what ends up under the tree…
1. The Imagineering Story book
COST: $25
One of the most talked-about launch titles on Disney+ in November 2019, The Imagineering Story was a surprisingly-candid look into the past, present, and then-future of Imagineering. Produced by Leslie Iwerks (granddaughter of Mickey Mouse co-creator and cinematographer extraordinaire Ub Iwerks), the series provided unprecedented glimpses into the archives of Imagineering and even addressed some of the firm’s darker eras, flubs, and failures.
Now from Leslie Iwerks comes the companion book The Imagineering Story: The Official Biography of Walt Disney Imagineering. When this title became available for pre-order, most fans seemed to expect it would be a coffee table book of concept art and illustrations. But when pre-ordered books began arriving in November 2022, Parks fans on Twitter raced to share their excitement and surprise that The Imagineering Story is actually a massive, 4 pound, 752-page book filled with even more depth and detail than the visual companion on Disney+.
Whether you’ve got a longtime Disney Parks fan who loves the stories behind the rides or you know someone who wants to become a writer, YouTuber, or podcaster who knows it all about theme parks, this is a must-have book for their collection.
2. A Year of D23 or Disney+
COST: $100 – $125
If you’ve looking to spend about $100 (which, we should remind you, is a lot of money!) on a family member, close friend, or loved one who loves Disney for more than just its theme parks, a great idea to contribute a year of Disney+ or a D23 Membership.
D23 is the official fan club of Disney. Your loved one may already be a Member, in which case a gift Membership will merely apply to their next renewal. Membership is $99 for an individual, or $130 for a “Duo.” (The only difference with the latter is that you receive two collectable Member cards and two people can get into D23 Member-exclusive events, which tend to be concentrated around L.A. and do often require separate admission fees.) Otherwise, Membership comes with four issues of the quarterly D23 Magazine and – the big ticket item – an annual Gold Member Collector Set. (Hurry if you want 2022’s – a “Disney Parks Around the World” pin set and Passport book.)
Disney+ is pretty self-explanatory. As you probably know, it’s much, much more than just an archival collection of old Disney animated films. Disney’s streaming service (home to “Disney + Pixar + Marvel + Star Wars + National Geographic”) is probably already a staple in your home, and certainly in the home of a Disney fan. Unfortunately, that makes it tricky to gift a year. Disney gift cards do not work as payment methods for Disney+. Note than Disney does have a Disney+ Gift Membership option, but it only applies to new customers. So gifting a year of Disney+ might actually look like a check and a switch to an annual plan.
3. Fan-made gifts & memberships
Even the most ardent Disney supporters can sometimes recognize that feeding into the company’s coffers can feel… weird. As prices rise, perks are slashed, and Disney Parks get better and better at shaking the loose change from our pockets, it can get a little gross to funnel money into disposable souvenirs, Lightning Lanes that cost more than lunch, MagicBands that’ll become outdated, and trinkets that gather dust in basement boxes. Luckily, there’s a solution!
The Disney Parks fandom is lucky to have some of the coolest creators out there, who channel their enthusiasm for immersive entertainment and themed spaces into incredibly cool products and projects. The amount you might spend on a single Lightning Lane can be an incredible and enduring investment in a really-for-real human being whose work you enjoy. You can buy incredible luminaries just like the ones at Animal Kingdom; help Kickstart a Dinoland fun map by the incredible Rob Yeo; gift access to vacation-planning software from Touring Plans; order canvas prints of your favorite theme park’s almost-abstract pathways (above)…
In addition to linking to countless YouTube creators, podcasts, and writers across Theme Park Tourist that have hopefully found a new fan in you, I’ve shared Theme Park Creator Round-Ups, highlighting some of weirdest, coolest, and most wonderful theme park products and projects out there… the kind where, when you buy one, an actual artist cries tears of joy and feels actual gratitude while they hand-craft something for you, or feel that their art is seen and appreciated and invested in.
To drop my own self-promo for a minute, in addition to writing for Theme Park Tourist, I maintain my own portfolio of writing and art – Park Lore – filled with unusual art projects, in-depth industry reflections, and ways to see the parks we love differently. It’s ad-free and supported 100% by Memberships that start at $2 / month! Think about that… $2 / month. That’s $24 / year (less than a single day of Genie+ at Disneyland!) that makes an actual, real difference to me as a creator and supports in-depth theme park storytelling. (Most membership levels also include a Member Card sent to you!) So if you’ve gotten lost in my Legend Library on Theme Park Tourist, consider joining Park Lore or buying a gift membership for someone else! It’s a wonderful holiday gift to us both.
4. Souvenirs from Walt Disney World’s 50th or the Disney100 Celebration
COST: $15+
The 2022 holiday season happens to exist at the unique overlap of two very important celebrations. The first – Walt Disney World’s “Most Magical Celebration” – is the commemoration of the Florida resort’s 50th Anniversary. Frankly, on the ground, the celebration has been a bit of a misfire. Sure there were new nighttime shows, and no less than three significant attractions will have opened during the 18 month celebration (Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and TRON Light Cycle Run)… But for the most part, Disney World’s anniversary celebration kind of forget to mention Disney World, instead emphasizing merchandise over experiences and animated franchises over resort nostalgia.
Still, there’s no doubt that the 50th Anniversary celebration is also an important landmark, and a turning point (for better or worse) for the resort. So if your loved one is a Walt Disney World loyalist, we’d recommend picking up some swag as the promotion nears its end.
On the other hand, just beginning is the Disney100 or 100 Years of Wonder campaign – a company-wide celebration highlighting a century since the Disney Bros. Cartoon Studio was founded in 1923. Disney100 is meant to be big. We’re talking Sleeping Beauty Castle overlays, a new studio animatic, a refreshed logo, and of course, lots of collectable tie-ins across the company. (Particularly odd are the Disney100 Mouse Ears, encased in a ganache-like shell of “dripping” platinum that has become a uniquely coveted mockery.)
The Platinum Celebration launches its merchandising component on December 12 at 10 AM Eastern / 7 AM Pacific. As you can imagine, slow web traffic and sell-outs are likely, especially as scalpers max out their merchandise counts and re-post their winnings to Ebay for double, triple, or quadruple what they paid. Though you may be tempted to turn to resellers to get Disney100 merchandise in time for Christmas, we advise against it. A nice Disney100 gift card and instructions to use it only once online merchandise is inevitably restocked will go a whole lot further. Or there’s a more physical embodiment…
5. A trip to Disney100: The Exhibition
If we’re talking about a parent, child, or partner with a real admiration for the Walt Disney Company’s history, films, theme parks, and founder, you just may think of going really, really big for the holidays by arranging a visit to Disney100: The Exhibition. This 15,000 square foot exhibit is set to contain 250+ priceless artifacts from the Walt Disney Archives, plus “behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creation of the company’s most popular characters, films, shows, and attractions.”
Tickets are currently on sale for the exhibit’s first stop, at the renowned Franklin Institute in Philadephia, Pennsylvania (where it’s set to run from February 18 through August). While exact dates have not yet been announced, D23 does promise that the exhibit’s next U.S. stops will be in two cities with connections to Walt’s life: Chicago, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri. (A concurrent international version will begin in Munich, then travel to London.)
If you’re lucky enough to be within a day’s drive to Philadelphia or live close enough to the exhibit’s next two cities to even playfully plan a trip, “gifting” the promise of this experience to a loved one would be a huge treat… Even if it’s in the form of a hand-written “Christmas IOU Coupon” with promises of nailing down the specifics later.
