by Makena W.
Growing older doesn’t mean growing up. Everybody looks forward to Christmas morning! But it’s not all about presents-family is what we really celebrate. Then again, a little gift never hurt anybody! Not just the ones placed secretly under the tree but the little ones hiding in your stocking are just as exciting. Here are some ideas for smaller gifts that could fit in a stocking.
Toothpick holders from Arriba’s
In classic Disney fashion, they do not like to promote alcoholic drinks in kid friendly areas. But due to popular demand, Disney HAD to sell shot glasses. Disney, being the creative company that they are, chooses to call them “toothpick holders” or “mini glasses” instead of shot glasses. These “toothpick holders” are the perfect size for a stocking! You can even customize them with your name and pick the character that stares at you as you drink from it (non-alcoholic beverages of course) or gazes at you when you decide which toothpick to stick into your sandwich. I used to only be able to find these in the parks, but I just discovered that they are on the Disney Store website now. Have fun picking out your character!
OPI Nail Polishes
I am a girl that loves to have my nails painted. Of course, every time I get my nails done (or I do them myself) I have Disney in mind, whether picking colors that match a certain character or requesting a specific design that reminds me of the scenery from something Disney related (once I had light blue toes and the big toe had the outline of fire, which made it look like a wisp from Brave!) With all of this in mind, imagine my reaction when I found out that OPI worked together with Disney to release nail polishes! Some themes include Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides (colors include a teal color called “Mermaid Tears” and a purple color called “Planks A Lot” ), Minnie Mouse (a selection of pink and green) and the Muppets (including a red “Wocka Wocka!” and a gold “Warm and Fozzie.” I personally don’t own any of these nail polishes yet, but hopefully I will soon!
Fuzzy Dice
These dice are famous for hanging from the mirror on the inside of cars. Disney takes these iconic accessories and puts their own spin on them by turning the ordinary circles into 3-ring Mickey heads. They used to come in a variety of colors, but the only color I can seem to find now is black dice with white Mickey head dots. These don’t need to be hanging in your car-I have a pair hanging above my bed!
Earbuds
These days, everybody has an iPod or other device that allows you to download music and take it with you anywhere. Ear buds are a necessity so that nobody else is disturbed by your music (whether Disney or not). They come in many varieties, from a pick pair with a picture of your favorite princess printed on them or a red pair the expresses your love for Pirates of the Caribbean. That being said, the best pair of earbuds I saw was at my local Disney store and was Stitch-inspired. One earbud had the front half of Stitch, and the other earbud had the other half. It reminded me of the end of Philharmagic when Donald gets stuck in the wall. What makes these earbuds even better is that you can find Scrump (the doll from Lilo and Stitch) on the part that plugs into your device! They had the same style with the characters Perry the Platypus and Slinky Dog for sale. If they have any more designs the same way, leave a comment below!
Wallet
If we people can walk around in style, shouldn’t our money be able to also? Disney Wallets are easy to find for younger girls and boys: they are small with velcro keeping them shut. As you get older, it becomes harder to find a wallet that fits your taste and is not too childish. Luckily, I found a few including one with Mickey and Minnie surrounded by a heart and another “Nerds Rock” one that I got from the parks. It is also a plus if you get a Disney Wallet that matches a Disney purse, or just a purse in general. Have fun mixing and matching!
Keychain Vinylmations
3” vinylmations are cute, but hard to carry around with you (and the 9” are even harder to carry with you). Sometimes the world just needs to see your amazing Vinylmations. Now they can! With the release of the keychain-sized Vinylmations, you can attach your house keys, bike lock key or car key if you are old enough. You can even just hook them up to a zipper and make them a zipper pull! Some collections include a “good luck-bad luck” series and a Snow White and The Seven Dwarves series. These are not the kind that you can see through the box- you pick a random box and hope you get the one you want! No matter how the mystery unfolds when you open the box, you are sure to love whichever one you get.
Scarves
Scarves are most popular in the fall and winter, so holidays are the perfect time to receive one. They can be formed into almost every shape, which makes them one of the easiest things to put in a stocking. Disney has released some couture ones on their website for women in black and purple. They have little Mickey accents on them in silver which is what makes them Disney-like. I don’t own one of these scarves yet, but hopefully I will find one in my stocking this holiday season (wink, wink parents)!
Hidden Mickey pins
Pins are fun to collect and easy to carry around to trade. Some are inspired by attractions, characters, special events, or are created 
just for the fun of it. My favorite type of pin is a hidden Mickey pin. They are called this for a reason. Most Cast members wear a lanyard with pins that can be yours if you trade. When you trade with a Cast Member, you might see some pins that you hadn’t seen in stores. These are the pins I am referring too. They are given to Cast Members to trade with guests and these pins are not sold in stores. They only way you can get them is by trading with a Cast Member. You can tell that a pin is a Hidden Mickey pin by looking at it. If it has a small silver 3-circle Mickey on it, congratulations, you found a Hidden Mickey pin! Get it? The Mickey isn’t necessarily hidden, but it’s there! They come out with a few new Hidden Mickey pin collections a year, so always keep your eyes out for new ones!
Pen that clicks to make feet appear
These pens are cute and come in a variety of characters. At the top of each pen is the head of a well-known character smiling back at you. When you push the button on the side down, the front half of the head flips up to let the rest of the body (much smaller than the head) come out from its hiding spot before the head flicks back down. At the end of your pen is now a character with a big head and tiny body. I know that is very hard to follow, but it will make much more sense if you see it in person. They are really cute! I own one of the three Aliens from Toy Story and my brother has a pen featuring the mouse himself-Mickey Mouse. I have also seen Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Chip and Dale. They might have released new ones since my last visit to my local Disney store, but these are the ones that I saw and remember.
WDW Radio Audio Guide
What could be better than one of Lou Mongello’s world (Walt Disney World, that is!) famous audio guides peeking out from the top of your stocking? When I get hit by Disney fever 1,057 miles away, these audio guides cure me almost instantly. The themes available right now are Liberty Square, Toontown Fair, Fantasyland, Main Street, Adventureland, and Frontierland. Combine these with Mickey Ear buds and your favorite drink from Disney (Some recipes are online: Google is always a friend) and you can even make a Disney Planning Trip out of it! (Shoutout to Emma Godbold and her great blog about hosting a Disney planning day.) WARNING: Do not listen to these while driving a car or riding a bike-Lou really brings you there and you might lose your concentration!
Maybe some of these ideas are new to you and you would like to put them on your wish list (as I mentioned a few blogs ago.) If you have heard of all of these ideas, I hope I refreshed your memory and made you smile.
Do you have ideas for Disney-inspired a stocking stuffer? Leave a comment below and share your idea! I’m looking forward to adding some of your ideas to my wish list!
See ya REAL soon!
~Makena W.
Quote of the Week: “Christmas isn’t about candy canes, or lights all aglow, it’s the hearts that we touch, and the care that we show.” – Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas
The post A Little Bit of Disney in Your Stocking! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.