Walt Disney World Boeing 747 Diecast Model Airplane

Posted on May 4, 2024 by Dis-LEE

I believe it was way back in 2006 that my wife and I first visited Walt Disney World as a couple. We wanted to enjoy as much of our time as possible so we chose to fly from Canada to Orlando International Airport. It was a great decision that I don’t regret! It gave us almost two extra days of vacationing in saved driving time.

We flew in a real plane, of course, but it’s replicated by this Walt Disney World Boeing 747 Diecast model airplane:

Our plane was a boring old white thing. Not at all like this colorfully wrapped Disney version! Ours wasn’t branded, dated, or festooned with Disney characters. More’s the pity.

I’m focusing my Disney collecting on smaller items now so as to save my ever-dwindling space. At under 3″ long this diecast model fits the parameters.

When we started visiting Walt Disney World year after year starting in 2006, I went a little bit overboard with the souvenir acquisitions! I was one of those people who really needed to buy another suitcase just to get all of the new swag home. No exaggeration. Small stuff. Lots of big stuff. Too much stuff.

If I was to give any advice to souvenir seekers now, I’d say to buy little things like this plane. It’s fun. It has the date on it to commemorate the trip. And it has Disney characters on it. What more could any rabid Disney fan need?

Well: Popcorn Buckets; Mickey Ears; Plushies; (I’m hopeless!); Souvenir Cups; Theme Park Music; and how about Food; (My wife is rolling her eyes!); T-Shirts; Oh, and let’s not forget….

Posted in Collectibles, Die Cast, Disney Parks, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Toys, Travel, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Foodie Friday: Glico Mickey & Minnie Chocolate Lollipops

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Dis-LEE

It’s been quite awhile since we did a Foodie Friday post on the site. So my sweet tooth complained and now we have this:

The Glico Mickey and Minnie Chocolate Lollipops from China

There is a lot of Chinese writing all over the packaging for this candy. I have no idea what it says. It does appear that there is some attempt to provide codes or ‘secret’ messages, as a silhouette of Minnie and a full figure of Goofy is revealed when you remove the lollipops.

At the bottom of the backside of the packaging we find more characters. Scrooge McDuck, Minnie Mouse (again), Daisy Duck, and Pluto. We also find the name ‘Mickey Mouse’ and the tag ‘Enthusiastic – Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!’ Each character is numbered, with Minnie assigned the number 2 on both the front and back of the packaging. Again, perhaps this has some significance to someone who would buy this and other variations of the product.

Ezaki Glico started his company in 1922 out of a strong desire to “improve the position of the people through food.” Air raids during WWII wiped out his company but he started to rebuild in 1946 by manufacturing biscuits on a contract basis. The Glico name was still marketable!

As people’s lives became richer, the need for desserts increased, and so in the 1970s Glico added sweet stuff to the menu. But as the world became more health conscious, “low calorie,” and “sugar-free” became the order of business from the 1990s onward.

You can learn more about this man and his company, along with the current product lines, by clicking the link below:

www.glico.com

These chocolate Disney-themed lollipops had an expiration date of November, 2022. Needless to say, I didn’t eat them after opening them for use in this post.

Although Glico as a company is more interested in health conscious options today, obviously a treat or two still makes it off the production floor. Are these lollipops good? We’ll never know!

Posted in Animation, Candy, Characters, Food, Foodie Friday | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boblo Island Amusement Park Ceramic Bell

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Dis-LEE

Wikipedia records that ‘Boblo Island Amusement Park is an abandoned amusement park which operated from 1898 until its closure on September 30, 1993. The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, Ontario, just above the mouth of the Detroit River.’ 

Although this venue has been closed for over 30 years, many people in the area of Amherstburg still have fond memories of visiting and enjoying the attractions. From being ferried across the Detroit river on themed boats to working their first summer jobs in its concessions, there really is no end to the stories about this much-missed Park!

And what remains? This Boblo Island Amusement Park Ceramic Bell for one thing:

Since I moved to the Windsor area I’ve come across many examples of the merchandise from this Park. I even recently bought a retro t-shirt designed to emulate this merchandise. Even after all these years the Park can still support a retail market!

Unlike some other more mainstream companies, this bell is rather generic with no manufacturers mark. It only states that it was Made in Korea.

The imagery on the surface is a wraparound panorama of the landscape and attractions that were to be found on the island back in the day. It looks awesome!

I really regret that I never got to visit this historic theme park. While most praise it, there are some who say that it was overrated. But isn’t that true of most modern parks as well?

Today you can stand on the Canadian shore and look over at the island. But you won’t see any remnants of the park peaking out over the trees. It has been removed and replaced with housing and other mundane things. If only one could still hear the hubbub and merriment!

Posted in Attractions, Ceramics, Collectibles, Souvenirs, Theme Parks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

APPLAUSE Goofy ‘Hey, Get Well Quick!’ Mug

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Dis-LEE

Who would know any better than Goofy what it is to recover from an injury?

The fine people at Applause created this Goofy ‘Hey, Get Well Quick!’ mug to share the pain. So let’s visit the ‘Guru of Gawrsh’ as he recovers from yet another visit to the Emergency Ward:

I was very happy to find this mug still in its original box at a local charity shop. It had never been used. Maybe the person recovered before their friend could get it too them?

Goofy is still smiling even while sitting in a wheelchair with a broken arm and leg!

The box repeats the images from the mug but adds the ice pack, complete with extra (red?) ice cubes.

Made in Korea in 1987 and then distributed to clumsy people the world over!

Posted in Ceramics, Characters, Health, Kitchen, Mugs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Found Disney: Mickey as Spidermouse before Buy Out

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Dis-LEE

Disney bought out or acquired the Marvel Comics group in 2009. But this wasn’t the first time the most famous mouse in the world ever met Marvel superheroes!

On October 31st of 1968, The Amazing Spiderman King Size Special number 5 had this tongue-in-cheek splash page:

Yes, that’s Mickey Mouse as Spiderman, or Spidermouse! He adopted the iconic costume but retained his signature white gloves.

Who knew that 41 years after this mashup was produced Mickey and Spiderman would be family for real?

Posted in Artwork, Cartoons, Characters, Comic Books, Found Disney, Humor, Marvel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Welcome to Neverland’ Small Collectors Plate

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Dis-LEE

I’m addicted to collector plates. I know they have been in decline in recent decades, with the Bradford Exchange taking a financial hit as collectors look elsewhere for things to hang on their walls. But I just can’t leave these pieces of ceramic goodness in the past!

This seven inch ‘Welcome to Neverland’ Small Collectors Plate deserves to be loved and displayed:

Although this plate is clearly based on Disney’s 1953 animated classic Peter Pan, he doesn’t appear anywhere in the imagery. What we have instead is an artists rendering of Neverland itself. Captain Hook’s pirate ship is prominent. The crocodile is waiting for a tasty hand-out in the river. And three fishy beauties are frolicking in the Mermaid Lagoon. No other major landmarks or locations are prevalent.

The parchment banner declaring ‘Welcome to Neverland’ is a nice touch. But who would be making such a proclamation if Peter Pan and Tinker Belle are absent?

On the back of the plate we are exhorted to ‘Think Happy Thoughts’ which we know is the best way to learn how to fly. With a touch of Pixie Dust, of course! No really, don’t forget the Pixie Dust.

I couldn’t find any conclusive date for the production of this plate. The image has been reused on many other pieces of merchandise, as is common with Disney. It was made in Thailand and carries the generic ‘Disney’ trademark.

Posted in Animation, Ceramics, Characters, Collectibles, Disney Parks, Merchandise, Plates, Souvenirs, Theme Parks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pixar’s Toy Story 4 Surprise Treasure Chest

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Dis-LEE

I enjoyed the first two Toy Story movies, the third had some charm, but I could have done without Toy Story 4. And I hope the rumors of a Toy Story 5 are false! But whether you like the franchise or not, you have to admit that it has produced some very fun pieces of merchandise.

These Toy Story 4 Surprise Treasure Chests are a good example:

I picked these up at a “dollar store” for just $1.50 CAN each. They contain a packet of truly ghastly candies, a sticker, and a rubber-like keychain or pendant.

Below is the list of twelve stickers that you can collect:

Below is the list of ten toys that you can collect:

I picked a blue treasure chest as well as a red one so that I could show both here. Both had the same candy, which I imagine is standard in every unit. My toy was the same in each, just my luck. But I did get different stickers.

Below is the contents of each of my Treasure Chests:

Seriously. DON’T eat the candy. I tastes so bad that I can’t even liken it to something horrible enough without you asking how I would know what that horrible thing tastes like! Yes, it’s that bad.

All in all, these would make an inexpensive treat for your little ones to stop them from wanting something more substantial later. Practical Parenting 101, Page 38, paragraph 12.

Posted in Animation, Candy, Characters, Food, Movies, Pixar, Toys | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vintage Walt Disney World Character License Plate

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Dis-LEE

In Canada we have regular and vanity license plates. We also have to have them on both the front and back of our vehicles. I know that in the United States they only need them on the back. Why am I mentioning this?

Because it means that this vintage Walt Disney World character license plate isn’t usable in my country, even for decoration on a vehicle. So for me, I have to find another way to display it. Maybe I’ll nail it to my wall?

More likely I’ll just keep it on a shelf. For more vintage WDW license plates, check out our earlier post with the link.

Now I did have a reason for buying this item. I enjoy the animated characters from Disney’s Song of the South movie which were overlaid into the Splash Mountain attraction. This attraction is now being removed from the North American parks. But the love for the Br’er family will live on!

When I saw this plate with Br’er Bear on it, I just had to have it:

Positioned next to another hapless character, Goofy, he is the only non-traditional character on the plate. Why the designers chose to leave out Pluto, thus failing to complete the Fab Five, we’ll never know. And why Br’er Bear as his replacement? It is to ponder!

The front of the plate is colorful but the when looked at from the back it is very interesting! The embossed nature of the plate makes for a fun pattern.

This piece of merchandise would have been sold at Walt Disney World between 1971 (opening year) and 1987 as per the trademark of Walt Disney Productions on the bottom, front.

EDITOR’S UPDATE: Feb. 29th, 2024 – It was questioned earlier in the post why Pluto wasn’t used instead of Br’er Bear. With the canceling of Song of the South and the more recent removal of Splash Mountain, we know Disney wouldn’t use this character today. And I’ve recently found a image of a recent piece of merchandise which proves this:

Still has the vintage look, so it is a reproduction image, but no Br’er Bear. And yes, Pluto is one chosen to replace him!

Posted in Characters, Collectibles, Disney Parks, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Transportation, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walt Disney World Large Stemmed Glass

Posted on February 17, 2024 by Dis-LEE

If there is one ever-present souvenir at the Disney theme parks worldwide, it has to be the mug. Or the glass. Or at least some form of glassware. And it will always have a name, picture, character, or logo emblazoned across its surface.

One could almost say that it’s obligatory to buy one! And so, I did. I give you a Walt Disney World large stemmed glass:

As a collector I don’t always get my merchandise at a theme park or official Disney outlet. I live in Canada and those are non-existent here. So I rely on selling sites and thrift stores. I picked this example up for just a few dollars while thrifting.

Along with the standard ‘Walt Disney World’ name the glass showcases the so-called Fab Five: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and of course:

PLUTO

I wouldn’t buy this particular item at a theme park for its full price. I find it a bit generic. But the size and the fact that it is a stemmed glass does add to the uniqueness a tad.

What would you pour into this oversized vessel?

Posted in Characters, Glassware, Merchandise, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vintage Walt Disney World Castle Cork Coasters

Posted on February 10, 2024 by Dis-LEE

Some souvenirs just aren’t meant to become collectibles. But they do! These coasters have seen better days despite being kept in their original packaging since they were purchased.

Let’s have a look at these vintage Walt Disney World Castle cork backed Coasters:

It’s always nice to find inexpensive souvenirs at a Theme Park. Especially Disney! Sometime between 1971 and 1987 these poorly made coasters fit that bill. Cheap and cheerful. Not very practical.

You can see in the picture above how the ‘tough layer of moisture resistant plastic’ is failing, even though a drink has never been set upon it. We learn in the picture below that ‘under normal use’ we should have gotten ‘months of carefree service’. If that is true, I think it’s reasonable to assume that this plastic layer should have lasted for much longer, if not forever, if kept in the original packaging and was unused.

I love finding old pieces of merchandise still in the original packaging. This box has a nice message and picture of Mickey inside, printed on the bottom. You wouldn’t know this was there when purchasing the item, as the coasters covered it, which is a shame. It might have been nice to know these were only meant to last a few months before the price was paid.

However, at only $2.00 US, the outlay wasn’t really a loss if you chose to use them and throw them away later.

Posted in Attractions, Collectibles, Souvenirs, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment