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). |
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| 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… |
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| …and colorful Disney-themed cotton swabs! |
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| 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) |
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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 "utopian" society is hiding big 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 young woman travels to Los Angeles searching for a reason to live. 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.** |
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Find more reviews of Jen's adventures in Japan here. |
