Disleelandia

Jim Henson’s Super Grover from Sesame Street

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Dis-LEE

“Presenting the adventures of everybody’s favorite hero. The man who’s faster than lightning, stronger than steel, smarter than a speeding bullet. It’s… Super Grover!“

With that, we usually hear fanfare as a blue blur bursts through a paper wall bearing a distinctive crest on its chest: It’s our hero! He fruitlessly tries to move his helmet up off his eyes, and adds, “And I am cute, too!” And that he is.

Super Grover appeared in numerous skits starting in the 1970s. They followed a simple formula: Our hero is flying somewhere over Metro City (after changing from his alter ego Grover Kent, the ace doorknob salesman for Acme, Inc.) when he hears the cries of a child in some kind of trouble and immediately sails in to assist. He expertly crash-lands nearby. From this auspicious beginning he shows much enthusiasm but little to no help whatsoever as the child solves the problem on their own.

Refusing any thanks, off our hero flies (usually into something) and seeks his next challenge!

Super Grover just may be my favorite superhero!

Edna Node claims superheroes shouldn’t have capes but I think this hero proves her wrong! Is that little blue monster rockin’ that look, or what?

Super Grover may not have many muscles, or be very smart, or solve many problems… what was my point?

This figurine or statue sold for just $19.98 in the Floral Dept. of some store, somewhere.

What’s cuter than a 17″ plaster statue version of Super Grover?

A 16″ plush version, of course! The main feature of this version is that he talks. Here is a complete list of what he says:

“Super Grover is here!” — “I, Super Grover, am here to help! And how can I help you?” — “It is I, Super Grover! (with fanfare)” — “This looks like a job for: Super Grover!” — “Up, up, and Away!” — “Ahh! Watch out! (scream & crashes) Oh, (pants) how embarrassing.” — “Super Grover to the rescue!: — “Observe as Super Grover uses his Super Muscle.” — “Once again, Super Grover saves the day!” — “This is no time for idle chit chat!”

He will randomly insert “And I am cute, too!” after various phrases. If you don’t respond by moving him in a few seconds, he will shut off by saying “Bye, Bye!”

I was able to snap a photo of our hero in flight just as he hit my bedroom wall. I really can see how that would be embarrassing for a superhero!

Hasbro, Inc. is a shortened version of the name of a company originally started by the Polish Hassenfeld Brothers in 1923. Now Hasbro is centered in America and owns the trademarks and products of Kenner, Parker Brother, and Milton Bradley, Entertainment One, among others.

If a plush version is cuter than a larger plaster version, than an even smaller plush version must be even cuter-er!

Okay, honestly, this version doesn’t do anything other than look Super Cute!

However, he still rocks the cape!

This is the latest version of SG (as his friends refer to him) that I have but I hope does not become the last.

I managed to get all three of the Super Grover Family to take a short break from ‘helping’ the populace of Metro City to pose for a Super Picture. Can you handle this much cuteness in one place?

Which version would you like to save you? While you’re pondering that, check out another post featuring a Sesame Street character here (Hint: he’s small, cute, and red).

Posted in Collectibles, Figurines, Muppets, Plush | Tagged Collectibles, Figurines, Grover, Hasbro, Jim Henson, Muppets, Plush, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop, Super Grover | 4 Comments

Official Guide to the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Dis-LEE

It’s time to go back to the bookshelf for another selection of reading material. In this post we will look at the Official Guide to the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.

You could buy the expensive hardcover edition or this little paperback one. Most people would have bought this smaller version to carry around the Exhibition as it had many maps to direct visitors, as well as a brief synopsis of each Pavilion and… a list of where the bathrooms were!

You may remember that this particular World’s Fair is significant because Walt Disney and his Imagineers had a hand in designing quite a few of the Pavilions. Such as Progressland for General Electric where you could find the Carousel of Progress, the Ford Magic Skyway for the Ford Motor Company, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln for the Illinois Pavillion, and of course “It’s a Small World” for Pepsi.

Many might forget that Rolly Crump also built a colorful kinetic sculpture called The Tower of the Four Winds, which stood right outside the Pepsi Pavilion and the entrance to “It’s a Small World”. Only this tower and the complete Ford Magic Skyway failed to make it back to Disneyland.

As mentioned, this book would have been used as a planner to navigate the Fair. You can see the pen marks of the original owner showing either what they planned to see or what they actually did see. Considering the size of the Fair, I think they did quite well to do and see what they did!

Now let’s have a look at some of the Disney-created attractions, along with a few other interesting offerings:

**Ford Motor Company** **Magic Skyway by Disney**

This afforded a journey through time aboard the new Ford Mustang narrated by Walt Disney himself. You would see dinosaurs which would later be placed in the Primeval World diorama in the Disneyland Railroad. The mammoth in the caveman scene was redesigned and placed into the elephant area in the Jungle Cruise attraction in Anaheim.

I include this Pavilion attraction because it’s sponsored by Sinclair fuels which you may recognize as the inspiration for Dinoco found in the Pixar movie CARS.

**Feeding time at the Sinclair Pavilion**

Why dinosaurs were such a popular draw back in the early 60s we may never know, but as you can see in the image above, the little ones sure herded to meet them!

FUN FACT: The Sinclair family in the Disney/Henson 1991-94 television series Dinosaurs is named after this company, because of its dinosaur logo.

**General Electric Progressland by Disney**

Back to Disney-built attractions, we have the “delightful Carousel of Progress – where the audience moves and electronic figures enact a warm, whimsical play in the wonderful Walt Disney style.” The Carousel was moved to Disneyland (1967-73) and then on to Walt Disney World in 1975, where it still resides. This page also shows the other features of the Pavilion. Most don’t realize that all of the Pavilions that hired Disney to supply content also had other, perhaps equally interesting, things as well.

**Cinerama at The Transportation & Travel Pavilion**

Using 360 degree wrap-around movie screens to show panoramic pictures wasn’t new for the 64-65 World’s Fair. Walt Disney had dabbled with a similar process with the film ‘America the Beautiful’ in 1955. He would modify the system and name it Circle-Vision in 1967. This iteration had 9 projectors using 35mm film. It is used for a few attractions at Disney theme parks, such as Epcot’s ‘O Canada!’ film, ‘Reflections of China’ in the same Park, and at Disneyland’s defunct ‘America the Beautiful’ from 1967.

It’s surprising that Walt didn’t decide to use this technology for any of the attractions he developed for the World’s Fair.

**Pepsi Presents “It’s a Small World” by Disney**

Once again, back to the Disney attractions. Above, you can see some stills from the ‘It’s a Small World’ boat ride in the Pepsi Pavilion. This ride was also moved to Disneyland after the Fair closed and has since been replicated in almost every other Disney Park worldwide. And note the Tower of the Four Winds standing to the right in the bottom right picture above.

**Florida State Pavilion Porpoise Show**

Being as Disney has a large presence in Florida now, if not so much in 1964-65, I thought I’d include what this State was offering for the World’s Fair. A Porpoise show. Orange juice. And a beverage known as a Snow Crop? To understand the real magic of that drink, I guess you’ll have to go to Florida!

Now let’s have a look at the only mention in the book about the last attraction designed by Walt Disney – Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln:

When you’re proud of your Native Son, you’re proud, and that’s that! No picture of the attraction was shown in the book, perhaps to preserve the wonder of seeing him ‘come to life’ before your eyes. The prairie President ended up in Disneyland where he continues to recite ‘for the people’ in the Opera House on Main Street U.S.A. The previous hydraulic-based audio-animatronic figure was replaced by an electronic one, which Disney Imagineers say greatly extends Lincoln’s emotive capabilities. So you both can and can’t see the original show.

Want to take more of the memories home with you? For only $2.50 you could own a hardcover copy of the Official Souvenir Book by Time-Life Books Inc.

In a side note, when I was visiting The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI, I found the display pictured below:

‘**Featured at the Fair’ Exhibit at The Henry Ford**

Souvenir cups, Martin Luther King Jr. enjoying Ford’s Magic Skyway, and more informative booklets – there certainly was a lot going on at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair!

There was also an interesting story about another attraction that traveled ‘down the road’ after the Fair was over:

**U.S. Royal Ferris Wheel** **at The Transportation & Travel Pavilion**

You can get a sense of the size of this Ferris Wheel from the picture above. Constructed by US Rubber Products it was eventually installed, minus seats, along I-94 near The Henry Ford in 1966. Where is it now? Rolled off into history, I expect!

So while not an exhaustive flip through the pages of this little keepsake, I think we have looked at enough to know that we younger folk missed a great show! But at least we can still see and enjoy some of its main attractions in Disneyland and Walt Disney World today.

Other guide books can be found on this site: Disney’s Adventure Guide to Florida and some assorted Disneyland Guide Books are good reading!

Posted in Attractions, Books, Promotions, Theme Parks | Tagged Attractions, Books, Carousel of Progress, Dinoco, Ford's Magic Skyway, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, It's a Small World, New York World's Fair, Official Guide, Pavilions, Promotions, Sinclair, Theme Parks, Tower of the Four Winds | Leave a comment

Found Disney: Donald Duck on Disney’s Castaway Cay

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Dis-LEE

In January of 2015 we embarked on our first Disney Cruise to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. You can read all about our cruise adventure here. As part of the package, we made our one and only visit to Disney’s Castaway Cay.

It was a bit of a rainy day but we made the best of it and went ashore to explore the island.

Looking down as we docked you can see the shore staff preparing to secure the vessel.

It was fun to take pictures of the Disney Wonder from different angles. This was the closest to the outside of the ship we could get at any time during the voyage.

Now that we were on the island, what would we do? Where would we go? And who would we see?

Well, once we chose a direction, we saw Donald Duck! I guess he got a little shore leave while the ship was moored at the dock and decided to take a stroll among the passengers.

**Is that Sailor uniform *regulation*?**

Attractions, food and beverage, merchandise, and this and that. We didn’t get to do too much on Castaway Cay as we got rained out quite soon after disembarking. But at least we got to see Donald, right?

So it was back on board for the final leg of our journey. But just before we headed to the dining room for our evening meal, look who else we met:

Now I think that uniform was regulation! Ahoy there! It be time to end the post.

FUN FACT: The Disney Wonder underwent extensive renovations from September 9 to October 23, 2016, in Cadiz, Spain.

Posted in Characters, Disney Cruise Line, Excursions, Found Disney, Travel | Tagged Captain Mickey, Castaway Cay, Characters, Disney Cruise Line, Donald Duck, Excursions, Found Disney, Mickey Mouse, Travel | Leave a comment

Lands of Walt Disney World Tin Tray

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Dis-LEE

At first glance this tin tray, or metal platter, probably looks much older than it is. Although it likely dates from the 70s it has been antiqued with fake patina to make it appear rusted and damaged. I do like the look!

Are you ready to take a nostalgic trip around the Lands of vintage Walt Disney World?

Unlike the more common ‘flat’ tin trays this version has recessed discs or cups, like a muffin tin. Each circular disc displays an image from the Lands of the Magic Kingdom. Let’s have a look at each in turn:

**Liberty Square / Liberty Belle Riverboat**

Liberty Square is the smallest Land but still holds some cherished things, perhaps foremost among them is the Liberty Belle riverboat. But you can also satisfy your hunger at the Liberty Tree Tavern, augment your personal style with some apparel from the Liberty Square Parasol Cart, or brush up on your American history in The Hall of Presidents.

**Frontierland / Country Bear Jamboree**

Yes sir, Grizzly Hall is the place to go to clap your hands and stomp your feet so you can keep right with ’em! The Country Bear Jamboree is still playing daily in Frontierland. If that’s not your jam, there are many places to eat and shop, too numerous to mention here. Before you leave for other Lands, though, be sure to visit Tom Sawyer Island (shown in the previous image as viewed from Liberty Square) for some hiking and exploring!

If you’re not a fan of this attraction then you are just in de Nile! Sailing on a soon-to-be-lost expedition not your thing? Then why not head for higher ground in the Swiss Family Treehouse! You can also visit pirates along the Spanish Main, sing like the birdies sing in a Tiki Room, or eat and shop your way around this Land until you drop.

**Main Street U.S.A. / Main Street Vehicles**

Perhaps even more iconic than the Main Street Vehicles is the Walt Disney World Railroad leaving from the elevated station as you first enter the Park. You can meet the Citizens of Main Street and be drawn into some shenanigans, eat at The Plaza or Crystal Palace Restaurants, or shop, shop, shop. So much shopping!

Cinderella Castle is the jewel of and gateway to Fantasyland. This Land is where you will most likely meet any or all of your favorite Princesses and Disney characters. Check out the Dark Rides, Dumbo in flight, or learn that catchy earworm of a song in It’s a Small World. It will keep you and your little ones busy and singing for hours! That’s right, your children will never stop singing that song.

Tomorrowland Speedway. The PeopleMover. Astro Orbiter. Space Mountain. Space Ranger Spin. Funned out yet? Then take a break and meet Sunny Eclipse, the alien lounge singer, in Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.

**OBVIOUS JOKE: He’s out of this world!**

But I digress. Back to the tray:

**Walt Disney World / Cinderella Castle** **Logo**

I mentioned earlier that this tin tray had been antiqued with fake patina to make it appear rusted and damaged. You can really see this when you look at the name and logo. Notice how they are unaffected by the ‘damage’? And if you go back to the first image in this post, you’ll see there is a perfect ‘rust’ ring linking the images together. That’s a little too much for age and corrosion to achieve on its own!

I hope you enjoyed this brief tour around the Lands of Walt Disney World with the use of this ‘old’ tin tray souvenir! Okay, being over 40 years old is still ‘old’ per se, but not “Look what I excavated from this tomb” old!

Posted in Collectibles, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World | Tagged Collectibles, Country Bear Jamboree, It's a Small World, Jungle Cruise, Lands, Main Street Vehicles, Theme Parks, Tin Tray, Trays, Vintage, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Monorail Models from Walt Disney World

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Dis-LEE

Highway in the Sky. Transportation of Tomorrow. Just Plain Cool! However you choose to describe the modern monorail system, it’s just impressive.

Years ago, I became hooked on this mode of transportation after riding it at Walt Disney World. Soon after, I bought a monorail set so I could run my own line at home (Monorail Red shown in this post). But you can’t have too much monorail so I soon added a die-cast version (Monorail Yellow in this post).

Although I don’t have the room to fully display my entire monorail layout it is on partial display with its little buddy:

Having so much Disney merchandise and memorabilia, I can’t really display things according to types or characters, so I like to mix and match in ways that give some visual variety. So I have monorails with a robot, a potato, and some assorted Beatles.

The version above is from the original merchandise line, released before the change to a set that included figures that you could place inside the cars. I prefer my earlier version as it is better made. Monorail Red is about 24″ long and lights up and gives the ride spiel. “Please stand clear of the doors!”

All of the lighting, sounds, and the drive system are contained in the front car.

FUN FACT: Each of the real monorails has six cars and the total train is 203 feet long with an overall height of 10 feet, 5 ½ inches. When first introduced, the monorails had less cars but had more added as passenger capacity needed to increase.

This diecast version is 12″ long and has only four cars instead of five, as with the Monorail Red version.

Both the motorized sets and this diecast model come in a variety of colors. My favorite is red, but you have to take what you get when you go to the Parks as they don’t stock the full range of colors at any one time.

FUN FACT: Each of the 12 monorails is identified by a colored stripe: Peach, Teal, Red, Coral, Orange, Gold, Yellow, Lime, Green, Blue, Silver, and Black.

The molds used for these two examples are quite similar. The diecast is missing the old WDW logo (seen in red on Monorail Red above) as it was produced long after that emblem was dropped by Disney’s marketing department.

My goal is to have all of the colors produced in both of these models, but I don’t think I have enough lifetime left to make that happen!

FINAL FUN FACT: Walt Disney World Resort has a 14.7-mile system of elevated beamway that services seven stations between Epcot, Magic Kingdom, The Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), and three resorts – Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

Is the monorail one of the must-dos on your list when you visit Walt Disney World? As you can see, there are so many places to go! You can also check out some awesome glass gift trays printed with images of our favorite mode of transportation.

Posted in Toys, Transportation, Walt Disney World | Tagged Diecast, Highway in the Sky, Monorail, Monorail Red, Monorail Yellow, Toys, Transportation, Walt Disney World | Leave a comment

Snow White Teapot with Dopey Dwarf Topper

Posted on June 27, 2020 by Dis-LEE

This Snow White teapot is called a Small Betty. Why, you ask? Well, a Small Betty is a two-cup teapot that’s usually round in shape with a standard spout and a large, simple handle. And now you know!

This particular version is special for the Disney fan who just loves Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It features some iconic images inspired by the film.

On one side of the teapot we find the Dwarfs arriving home after a long day in the mine. Snow White is happy to see them.

On the other side, Doc found a diamond! Dopey is having fun being dopey. And Sleepy is about to take a nap. Happy is just smiling. Sneezy is on a walk-about. No wonder Grumpy is grumpy — hardly anyone’s working!

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ unless your name is Snow White! I think she should stick to a nice cupper and a biscuit.

Dopey sits atop the Small Betty waiting for his kiss from Snow White.

There is a lot going on at the bottom of the teapot! This is where I learned that the piece was actually a Small Betty. It’s also a part of The Disney Character Teapot Collection. And the Disney Showcase Collection. Although it was designed in England it was actually manufactured in China.

Of note is the firing notation: Production LIMITED through Dec’03. Many Limited Edition products will list an exact amount produced and tell you which of the run you have, such as 47/100 as an example. But when it says the product was fired for an amount of days or through to a time, it won’t mention an exact number of units produced. So there is no way of knowing if there are hundreds or thousands of this Small Betty!

Let us conclude with song: “Just tea for two, and two for tea. Just me for you, and you for me a-looooone!” And if you google the complete lyrics to this classic vocal number you’ll find that someone bakes a sugar cake. The perfect complement to a cup of tea, and our Snow White teapot!

Posted in Ceramics, Characters, Kitchen, Limited Edition | Tagged Ceramics, Characters, Disney Showcase Collection, Kitchen, Limited Edition, Small Betty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Teapots, The Disney Character Teapot Collection | Leave a comment

Fantasia 2000 Press Kit with EPCOT Flamingo

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Dis-LEE

This Fantasia 2000 Press Kit is a special find! It contained everything a reporter would need to promote the film.

Walt Disney was always looking for ways to push the boundaries of animation but in 1940 he may have pushed them a little too far. Although the movie Fantasia is considered a classic today, it wasn’t very well received upon its original release. Critics did praise its artistic merit whereas classical music lovers panned the handling of the movie’s iconic pieces of music.

Audiences went ‘Meh’ and took their box-office money elsewhere. What a shame! However, thanks to the dedication of Roy E. Disney it did spawn a sequel. He felt that Walt Disney’s original idea of adding new segments to the show should be done, in some way, at least once. And so we have Fantasia 2000:

I picked up this Press Kit for Fantasia 2000 on eBay years ago and just recently found it again in my collection of ephemera.

Finding exclusive material like this is a real treat for me! Let’s have a closer look at the contents of this folder and its press information:

As with any Press Kit, you need a booklet sharing all of the pertinent facts about the project. The above example contains 54 pages containing production notes, breakdowns of each musical segment, biographies of the filmmakers, and more biographies of the Hosts who introduced each segment.

It is obviously impossible to share each page of the booklet with you but the above picture should show just how involved the project was!

What I can show you is the Promotion Cards. Each has the name of the musical piece featured, images from the segment, a picture of the Segment Director, and a brief synopsis. At first I wondered why the images weren’t in color until I realized that they were intended for reproduction in black and white newspapers.

So, enjoy a nice scroll through these beautiful cards:

I have to interrupt you here to mention that Carnival of the Animals is my favorite segment from Fantasia 2000. Is there anything funnier than a flamingo with a yo-yo? I think not!

We visited the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival in 2010 (?) and I believe that’s when the awesome Big Fig you see below was released:

Mr. Flamingo has never been outside so he still looks as fresh and clean as the day he ventured out of his box. He enjoys wading in the ‘weeds’ of our indoor planter!

Now back to the Promotional Cards:

That concludes the cards that explain the individual segments.

Next we have two final cards that introduce the Producers, Directors, and the Conductor for the movie:

Permission is granted on these cards for the Press to reproduce them for the express reason of promoting the movie. However, copyright for ‘Disney Enterprises’ and ‘All rights reserved’ was to accompany all such reproductions. And so I have now complied!

Each Promotional Card is printed on high gloss card stock and thusly is very durable.

Are you a Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 fan? Do you enjoy seeing such hidden treasures as these promotional packages?

Posted in Ephemera, Movies, Press Release, Promotions | Tagged Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Ephemera, Fantasia 2000, Flamingo, Mickey Ears, Movies, Press Kit, Press Release, Promotions | Leave a comment

Disneyland 40th Anniversary Castle Cookie Jar

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Dis-LEE

This ceramic ornament will bring back bad memories if you are one of the many who hated the Birthday Cake makeover of Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World. On October 1, 1996, it was the 25th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, so naturally the Imagineers decided to transform the Magic Kingdom’s iconic centerpiece into a massive 18-story birthday cake. Wouldn’t you? It featured red and pink icing, giant candy canes and 26 glowing candles. The castle served as the centerpiece for a 15-month-long celebration.

Now here’s my conspiracy theory: This defacing of the classic and beloved castle was the fault of none other than that well-known food conglomerate Nestlé! And I can prove it.

Point No.1: This ugly ceramic version of the equally iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle was also given a cake-like makeover for this promotional piece which celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the opening day of Disneyland. One year before the cake overlay of Cinderella Castle. Coincidence? I think not!

Point No. 2: Just look at those cake-like decorations! Dripping icing from the eaves. Pink frosting on the roof and turrets. And are those windows made to resemble chocolate?

Continuing the cake-like decorations theme, notice the overuse of chocolaty windows and doors. Gray gumdrops adorn the window ledge just under the center dormer. And are those candy cane columns in those entrance arches?

FUN FACTS: I didn’t notice the $5.00 price sticker until I uploaded this picture. I’ve had this piece on display for over a year and never noticed it! Now I know that the seller I purchased it from, who was asking $50.00 but to whom I paid only $25.00, still made a profit.

Now back to the conspiracy:

Point No. 3: Would anyone design a decorative piece to be sold in stores that looked this ugly? I say not! Obviously, it was a dastardly plan to introduce the idea of a cake-like castle in advance of what was feared could become a controversial real-life makeover of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World.

No one else on the Net would dare to bring you the truth! But I think the truth should be known, I think… wait, someone’s at the door. Excuse me for a moment…

Okay. It was just my neighbor returning the rake he borrowed. As I was saying, the truth is now out there and it can’t be taken back!

FUN FACTS: Do you remember the story of how the top of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is on backwards? At least if you refer to the original castle design. While designing the castle, I believe it was Rolly Crump who was playing with the model and accidentally rotated the top. Walt came in before it could be changed back and liked it, so the top stayed as it was.

You can now recreate this fun story yourself with the Disneyland 40th Anniversary cookie jar!

Ever wanted to explore every nook and cranny of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland? Well don’t bother, it’s empty.

With 100,000 made, it isn’t exactly what I would call a true Limited Edition.

As mentioned earlier, it was The Nestlé Food Co. that manufactured this oddity. The company’s history begins in 1866, with the foundation of the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. Henri Nestlé develops a breakthrough infant food in 1867, and in 1905 the company he founded merges with Anglo-Swiss, to form what is now known as the Nestlé Group.

Nestlé also has ties to Coca-Cola and Starbucks as well as distribution rights throughout the Disney Parks. So plenty of ties to Disney beyond the wonderfulness that is, was, and forever will be, the Disneyland 40th Anniversary (Cake) cookie jar.

Posted in Anniversaries, Ceramics, Collectibles, Disneyland | Tagged 40th Anniversary, Anniversaries, Ceramics, Collectibles, Disneyland, Nestlé | 2 Comments

Mickey & Minnie Hallmark Mugs and Decorative Plate

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Dis-LEE

The Disney Store undeniably has some amazing merchandise. But I contend that Hallmark stores also have a great selection of Disney merchandise that sometimes rivals even The Disney Store! You may be thinking of the fan favorite Hallmark Ornaments, but I’d like to share with you some other cases in point:

I bought these two ceramic mugs and plate for my wife for our last wedding anniversary. I know, I’m the perfect husband!

I purchased them in a local Pharmacy even though they are Hallmark products. And I do realize that the place of purchase does take off a few brownie points!

You may have noticed the hearts in the scrollwork of the ears, but did you also spot the little heart shape that Mickey and Minnie are making with their hands? How precious is that?!?

It’s hard to miss the Hidden Mickey shape of the plate.

The mugs were sold as a set because of the sayings on the mugs that are meant to be read together. Mickey says “You and Me”.

“Meant to Be”, answers Minnie.

None of these items can be placed in the microwave because they are detailed with solid gold! GOLD! About 2 cents worth, but it’s GOLD!

So what do you think ladies? Did I do good?

Posted in Ceramics, Characters, Kitchen | Tagged Ceramics, Characters, Hallmark, Hidden Mickey, Kitchen, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Mugs | 1 Comment

Podcast: Lee was ‘On the Road With Mickey’

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Dis-LEE

Mike Ellis and I have been friends and partners in Blogging (instead of crime) for many years now and have recently connected in a new way, via a podcast! I was On the Road with Mickey!

I have guest-starred (as it were) on podcasts before but have never hosted one of my own. It’s a lot of work and a big commitment which Mike and his daughter, Sophie, are handling very well indeed. If you haven’t listened to their unique father/daughter interactions about travel and Disney, you’ve missed out on a real treat!

As you can see from the screen capture below, being a part of On the Road with Mickey – the Podcast is a lot of fun:

Please click the link and see for yourself! On Episode 25 we discussed vacationing on a tight budget. You can follow Mike on social media such as Facebook, follow the Podcast here, or watch it on YouTube. Enjoy!

Another podcaster I follow is Lou Mongello. He wrote a book called 102 Ways to Save Money at Walt Disney World and you can read my review here.

Posted in Tips, Travel | Tagged On the Road With Mickey, Podcast, Tips, Travel, Vacation Planning | Leave a comment