J.W. LYNNE
AUTHOR OF UNIQUE STORIES WITH TWISTS, TURNS, AND SURPRISES
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Tokyo Disney Resort Merchandise: The Popular and the Wacky!

When I traveled to Japan to visit Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, I was interested to see how the experience would be different from visiting the Disney theme parks in California and Florida. One surprisingly fascinating difference was the merchandise that I encountered.

The hottest accessories at the Tokyo Disney theme parks

Stepping into the Disney Resort Line monorail for the first time, I noticed a group of girls wearing plush hats that were somewhat reminiscent of the famous Mickey Mouse ears. The hats bore the face of a Disney character on the front, and, on the back of the hat, the character’s tiny plush body comically dangled from the rim. That was not the last that I would see of these unusual hats. At Tokyo Disney Resort, they were everywhere!
 

Mickey Mouse ears
 
Other popular accessories at the Tokyo theme parks were hooded towels with Mickey, Minnie, and Donald themes. They looked like a summertime item, great for keeping the rays off of one’s head and shoulders, but people also used them as rainy day wear, either alone or in combination with umbrellas.
 

Hooded Mickey and Donald-themed towels
 
Possibly the most popular items were FASTPASS holders. The FASTPASS holders were offered in a large selection of Disney-themed styles. The fronts were purely decorative, but the back featured a slot into which FASTPASSES could be slipped until it was time for them to be used.
 

FASTPASS holders
 
To say that Mickey’s bear, Duffy, is extremely popular in Japan is almost an understatement. A number of people, from children through young adults, carried Duffy bears in their arms or their backpacks. Duffy purses were also popular among people of all ages.
 

Little boy with his Duffy bag
 
In the gift shops

Browsing the Tokyo Disney Resort gift shops was an entertaining experience. I spent over an hour in the resort’s huge Bon Voyage store. The shop had a large assortment of the charms that I’d seen hanging from people’s bags, backpacks, and cell phones.
 

An assortment of Disney charms
 
There was a tremendous selection of small Disney towels, because people in Japan often carry a hand towel with them.
 

Disney hand towels
 
There were car accessories, including replicas of the Mickey-themed handles seen in the Tokyo Disney Resort Cruisers (shuttle buses).
 
 
Of course, there were Disney chopsticks.
 

Disney chopsticks
 
Really?

There were also some unexpected items in the gift shops. My favorites were Disney-character-tail lint rollers…
 
 
…and colorful Disney-themed cotton swabs!
 
 
What I took home

I couldn’t resist picking up a few souvenirs, among them: postcards, magnets, a ceramic cup, and a Tokyo Disney Resort water bottle holder. If I’d had a bigger budget, I would have come home with so much more.

~ Jen (California, USA)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jen is also known as J.W. Lynne, a best selling author of eleven novels. Click on any of the titles below to see the book on Amazon!

THE UNKNOWN: Eight kids learn the shocking reason why they were kidnapped.

ABOVE THE SKY: A strict society is hiding shocking secrets.

THE DARKNESS OUTSIDE
: Ten families are locked in a bunker to take a simulated trip to the moon.

KID DOCS: An experimental program teaches kids to be doctors.

WILD ANIMAL SCHOOL: A girl falls in love at an exotic animal ranch.

WHAT HE DIDN'T TELL ME: A traumatized girl meets a boy with a horrible secret.

IF I TELL: A teen wonders if her father is a serial killer.

Besides reading books and dreaming up stories to write, Jen's favorite activities are singing along to musical theater soundtracks and hiking in California's beautiful parks.

**Jen's books are available on Kindle Unlimited.**
 
 

Find more reviews of Jen's adventures in Japan here.