When I’m packing for a trip to Walt Disney World, part of my luggage is saved for things that I’ll be adding to my collections.
From free to not-so-free, my goal is to look at the things that I’ve bought that have evolved from a single purchase into a collection. These may be a single item to remember a specific event or a more general thing that you are able to buy online to add to a rotating item of fashion.
PARK MAPS
If you look around my desk, I’ve always got a couple maps laying around due to research and inspiration. That being said, the most collectable free thing to grab from a vacation to Walt Disney World is a park map because it’s a timestamp from what’s actually in the parks during your visit.
Because the theme parks are constantly evolving and expanding, the idea that you’re able to remember what was available to see and what was closed or just being built…it’s all available in the map! You can get them at the Orlando International Airport, Resort Gift Shops & Check-in desk and basically in every store on property.
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TRANSPORTATION TRADING CARDS
We’ve discussed this before on the Disney’s Monorail System Fun Facts article, but these cards are great fun. All you have to do is ask a driver or other Transportation Cast Members if they have a trading card.
From Monorails to Buses to Boats, there’s a full collection to be had and it’s being updated with every new form of transportation at Walt Disney World!
PUZZLES
We’ve started to buy a single puzzle from each of our vacations, so it saves us from breaking the bank on incredibly expensive items OR running out of room in the luggage. It’s a safe bet and you can discover new designs throughout your travels at shops around property!
DISNEY TRADING PINS
Ok, so this is a given because they are absolutely everywhere at Walt Disney World, but the collections come from finishing specific sets or characters. I’m a huge fan of the Disney attractions, so getting those pins are great fun to come across on a Pin Trading Board.
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POP VINYL
Let’s be honest – Pop Vinyl can be found at every toy store in the world…but that doesn’t mean that special Disney Park exclusives aren’t fun to buy and add to your bookcase:)
STARBUCKS ‘YOU ARE HERE’ MUGS
Although not something that I’ve done personally, there was that time when a friend asked me to bring them a mug from Toronto…and then I ended up bringing down Niagara Falls and Canada to round out the tri-fecta! Sometimes the best things to collect are friendships:)
PAST COLLECTABLES
One of the fun topics to discuss are out-of-date or not readily available items that were highly collectable. It’s definitely on our “to-do” list in the future to write, but let’s just say that my collection of random stuff will help in the research.
Paper fastpasses, paper entrance tickets (media), red cards (for time tracking in lines), vinylmation and just recently – the addition of Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom cards.
Hope this was helpful in taking your Disney collection to a whole new level! Can’t wait to add more to this list over time because I’m always discovering more fun things to collect.