In just a few days, the iconic Mickey Mouse will turn 90. To celebrate this historic milestone, the Laughing Place staff have searched through their extensive Disney collections to highlight nine of their favorite Mickey-centric items. Throughout the week, we’ll be unveiling our 90 for 90 series in five parts, with each installment featuring two LP contributors.
Today. we have Chief Central Florida Contributor Jeremiah Good and Newsdesk Writer Michael Mack sharing their top Mickey items and what they mean to them.
Jeremiah’s 9 Favorite Mickeys
2013 runDisney Vinylmation and D23 Medal Mickeys
As part of the 2013 D23 Expo, the Disney Parks Blog teamed with runDisney and did a 2.3 mile run starting at the Anaheim Convention Center and running through Disney California Adventure. It was my first runDisney event and also a great way to kick off the Expo that year. These two things remind me every day of how much fun those events are even when you have to get up FAR TOO EARLY for some things.
Mouse Ears From Around The World Mickeys
In my Disney Life, I have been very lucky to make it from where it all started in Anaheim in 1955 to the newest of the Disney Parks, Shanghai Disneyland, in 2016. Along the way, I’ve collected the most classic of souvenirs Mouse Ears. I know in my storage I have more Mouse Ears than I care to count, but these ears represent specific Disney locations I have had the chance to visit and each remind me of adventures I never thought I would have.
Hong Kong Disneyland MTR Keychain Mickey
When the announcement of Shanghai Disneyland opening occurred, my friend Scott talked me into finally getting out of the United States and visit some international parks. We started our trip by staying in Hong Kong, which meant we had to take the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) from the city out to Sunny Bay Station and, from there, take the Disneyland Line right to the resort entrance. Boarding the Disneyland Line MTR car, you notice right away this is Disney from the statues on display and the Mickey shaped windows to the hand holds Mickeys, which inspired my favorite keychain.
D23 Expo Duncan Yo-Yo Mickey
The Disney D23 Expo has always been one of the things I look forward to — almost more than San Diego Comic-Con. Besides a great chance to celebrate all things Disney, learn what is coming to the Parks and theaters in the future, and have fun with people who obviously have a HUGE love of Disney, you also get cool swag. In 2013, Duncan was one of the showcased partners on the show floor at the Expo and I have been a lifelong Yo-Yo fan so this was just the perfect thing for me.
Pal Mickey
In 2003, long before MagicBands interacting with queues, Walt Disney World debuted Pal Mickey. This fun interactive plush doll was pure fun, you would walk the parks and he would randomly shake which means he wanted attention. Pal Mickey would tell jokes and games but his key purpose was to advertise attractions as you walked past them and even add a bit of a warning. Two things I remember him saying to this day is while walking towards Tower of Terror he would say “I don’t think I am tall enough for that” and, while walking past Italy in Epcot, one of his jokes was “how do you make a Forum? You add a twoum and twoum…get it? Forum.” I really enjoyed Pal Mickey and was very sad when he was discontinued in 2008, but still to this day have mine on display.
Disney Pin Trading Pins Mickeys
In 1985, for Disneyland’s 30th Anniversary, the Gift Giver Extraordinaire gave prizes to “every 30th guest.” While people were excited about the GM car they gave to the 30.000th guest. I was more excited about the cloisonné land pins, which is where my love of these little pieces of metal started. Fast forward to 1999 and the start of the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration when pin trading became a thing — from then on, each of the Disney Parks would incorporate this great way for guests to interact with Cast Members and other guests in trading. The logo for Pin Trading was, of course, the Main Mouse with pins in hand and each park at that time when they launched had special logo pins, most Cast only. Over the past almost 20 years, I have collected, via trade or purchase, a complete set of these early days pins and, while I don’t actively pin trade that often, this collection will always remind me of some great visits to the parks.
Shanghai Disneyland Tomorrowland Tron Figure Mickey
As I said with my Ear collection, I have not only been very lucky to visit as many Disney Parks as I have but also been able to be at Shanghai Disneyland for its opening day, and this figure is a great reminder of that day. When SDL was announced, I never thought I would visit but, when TRON Lightcycle Power Run attraction was announced, that was the biggest selling point for any park ever. I have been a lifelong TRON so as soon as I heard there was going to be a coaster themed around the Grid I was in!
Disneyland Tomorrowland 1997 Construction Ears Mickey
In 1997, amidst the maze of construction walls throughout Disneyland’s Tomorrowland the Premier Shop before it became The American Space Exhibit sponsored by NASA, there was a small display of these unique construction hats. I can remember seeing them a few times and always thinking what a great piece of merchandise to commemorate what we all thought was going to be the coolest thing since The Indiana Jones Adventure. Well, the walls and New Tomorrowland came and went and, for roughly the past ten years, I’ve been actively looking on eBay for a pair. A few weeks ago, as I happened to be in California, a Disneyana Show & Sale caught my eye and I decided to stop by. After walking up and down the rows looking past pin, maps, and old guidebooks, as I reach the end of the last row, low and behold I find my Disney holy grail!
Disney America on Parade Bicentennial Music Box Mickey
Even though I didn’t make my first visit to Disneyland till 1978, this is one of my most prized positions. This simple music box was given to me by my grandmother and even now years after she has passed and it still makes me think of her. Now, to be perfectly honest, this is not the one my grandmother gave me; that one is in storage with Goofy’s head missing and chips and pieces missing. This one was purchased this past year and is intact but I still feel the connection.
Mack’s 9 Favorite Mickeys
Walt Disney World MagicBand Mickey
Don’t worry, I had been to Walt Disney World several times long before the inception of MagicBands. Still, my first MagicBand holds a special place in my heart. I got it on a 2014 family vacation and would later wear it on a trip the following year, during which I proposed to my now wife. I apologize for the sentimental stuff in advance, but that’s going to be a theme with a lot of these items.
Pocket Watch Mickey
I’ve always loved old-school Mickey, so finding any vintage Disney items is very exciting. My wife and I are naturally known as the Disney freaks in our family so, of course, when my mother-in-law found she had a few classic Mickey items stashed away, she immediately thought of us.
Lenox Bowl Mickey
This was another one of the great items my mother-in-law gifted to us. Now, this and the pocket watch are always on display in our living room.
Funko Dorbz Mickey
Speaking of things on display in our living room, my wife and I are total nerds. So naturally, along with our collections of assorted Marvel, Star Wars and other Disney items, we have a few Mickey collectibles on display as well. This Funko Dorbz Mickey is one of my favorite pieces of our collection.
Needlepoint Minnie and Mickey
Ok, sorry but it’s time to get sappy again. This was a wedding gift from our friend Melanie. I mentioned our family knows us as Disney freaks. Well, so do our friends. This one means a lot to us so it’s hung on the wall in our living room.
Steamboat Willie Christmas Ornament Mickey
As I’ve said, I love old-school Mickey. And it doesn’t get any more old-school than Steamboat Willie. This was a relatively recent impulse buy, and we don’t even use it as a Christmas ornament. He stands on a shelf with the rest of our Disney collection.
Christmas Snowglobe Minnie and Mickey
By the way, we love the holidays. We have enough Mickey Christmas decorations to have filled up this whole list, but I figured I would just choose one. This was another recent addition to our collection but one we really love. It’s something we look forward to putting out every year.It plays “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and swirls the snow around when you wind it up.
Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Magnet Mickey
Ok, obviously this one is not about the magnet itself, but rather what it represents. We’re from New Jersey originally and would vacation to Orlando whenever we would get the chance. After we got married, we figured it was the perfect time to take our favorite place in the world and make it home, so that’s exactly what we did. We moved to Orlando in 2017 and have loved every second of it. My wife got her annual pass a few months after moving down here. I took a slightly different route…
Ear Hat Mickey
Shortly after moving to Orlando, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a Walt Disney World Cast Member. I’ll never forget being given my first pair of ears and wearing them proudly during my training (at least for a little while, Florida is hot). I’ll keep these on display as a constant reminder of what Mickey has done for me.
Come back tomorrow for the last installment of our 90 for 90 series celebrating Mickey’s 90th birthday.