In 2012 Karen and I embarked on an epic Disney Store Road Trip where we visited no less than seven different locations (including stores in Ontario, MI, OH, and the super-store in Times Square, NY). This year we scaled things down a bit and visited just three locations in ON.

These included stores in Scarborough, Vaughan, and Barrie.

Friday 12:22 pm. It all started at 300 Borough Drive in Scarborough. We noticed that Planes merchandise was being dumped at deep discounts (40% off) and Vinylmation was completely absent from this location. Frozen merchandise was also gone. Unfortunately, this location also had very few items in the clearance section.

But we did find:

The Swedish Chef from the Muppets was on sale for just $14.00 and the Incredibles mug was reduced to $8.99 in the clearance area. We were after the Rolf plush but this location was out of them. The Cast Member phoned a near-by Disney Store for us and they did have stock, and so it was off to Vaughan!

Friday 1:37 pm. The Disney Store in Vaughan is in a huge outlet Mall and is one of the few Canadian locations to stock Disneyland and Walt Disney World clearance items. Here is what we bought at this location:

We paid full price for Dug and Mater, but got the Rolf plush for the sale price of $14.00 and the Disneyland T for just $9.99! We also picked up this beautiful Snow White bell at a Hallmark store in the same Mall:

2005 Release: Snow White’s Wish

This was the eighth issue in the Disney’s Dresses and Dreams Heirloom Porcelain Bell Collection. Say that three times fast!

But we weren’t done yet! It was on to our last Disney Store on the Road Trip in Barrie:

Friday 4:50 pm. This was the only location to have Vinylmation, proving that perhaps the craze is coming to an end, or at least slowing down. The vultures are from the Jungle Book series and the only figures from the set that we wanted. I found two ways to tell which blind box had the vultures: One – the regular and thus heavier figures would rattle against the box when you shook it, and: Two – the vultures were significantly lighter.

Yes. I cheated.

Saturday 10:30 am. So although our Disney Store Road Trip was over, our search for new pieces of Disneyana to add to our collection was not. Barrie has a huge Antique Mall which had some very nice stuff. Stuff like:

10″ Rocketeer Action Figure

To finish up our mini-vacation, we stopped over in Peterborough to visit with family before returning home late Saturday night.

Travel. Disneyana. and family. A successful road trip indeed!