The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! January 2015 Photo Report of the Disney Outlet Store

It’s January and that means we are in a whole new year. It’s going to be hard to top 2014. We had Disney Imagineers with 9 foot shovels in Animal Kingdom.  We had a commercial with featured both the Seven Dwarfs and rap music (which, by the way, wasn’t even the weirdest commercial Disney did last year). It was a year we discovered that the Pop Century Resort offered a sandwich that used Pop Tarts as the bread.  It was a year that we lost Push the talking trashcan, the Giggle Gang, and Camp Minnie Mickey, but gained a whole lot of Anna and Elsa. What will 2015 bring? Well, looks like just more Anna and Elsa, but here’s hoping for another 12 months of unforgettable moments, magical memories, and merchandise people don’t want to buy, speaking of which….

Enough jibber jabber! Who is ready to hit the Outlets? Remember that clicking on any picture will open a full size version of it (don’t say we didn’t warn you).

Now, some readers of this column may remember last month that I vowed to “hang it up” if Disney released a Steamboat Duffy Bear. Well, Disney called my bluff.

However, I have consulted with my attorneys at Belichick & Brady LLC and they tell me that I have the wiggle room to get out of this oral contract. This is not technically “Steamboat Duffy,” as that doll would be completely in black and white (like the Steamboat Minnie plush). This is “Duffy as Steamboat Willie.” Completely different.

With that legalese out of the way, let’s head to our next item. This Disney rain poncho accessory for Duffy is actually a pretty good idea.

I’m not as sold on this Sully costume for Duffy.

Let’s take a quick step outside the store. This advertisement for discount WDW tickets for Floridians was the first time I had ever seen the Tower of Terror used as the DHS park icon instead of The Sorcerer’s Hat (which is somehow coming down slower than the Berlin Wall). I was informed afterwards by Morgan Crutchfield of DVCCentral that this photo had been used years ago by Disney in a series of wallpapers for your computer.

Here is one of the neat props outside the store, Donald Duck’s desk.

–

Okay, time to head back into the store. I really liked these Mickey and Minnie Mouse shirts. Originally $21.95 each, these were reduced down to $9.99. So, I picked up one of the Mickey ones to put in my shopping basket…

AND THEN I SAW THE BACK! Who’s idea is this?! Whoever it is, Donald Trump is ready to see you in the boardroom. I seriously need someone to explain this shirt to me. Are Mickey and Minnie pushing themselves through you to come out the other side? Like a chestburster from the movie Alien?

–

Here’s a shirt for the runDisney Expedition Everest Challenge back in May of last year. Guests had to run 5K last year to get one at the original price of $21.95 during the race. I gingerly walked about 10 feet to get mine at the reduced price of $9.99. I was carefully balancing a lemonade and camera at the time, but please, don’t call me a hero.

Here’s the back of the shirt. I would have gone with “They said it couldn’t be done, but YETI did it!” That’s right, what Mr. Deeds is to Hallmark cards I am to runDisney catchphrases. After all, I am a two time runDisney medal winner.

While Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster won the 2014 award for Most Bad Shirts for a WDW Attraction, Expedition Everest is staking its claim on the 2015 throne. However, if this shirt is cleverly mocking the fact that the Yeti doesn’t move, then it actually becomes of the greatest shirts I have ever seen. Originally $24.95, now $12.99.

–

Our boy Gaston had a big month, especially with his push-up challenge video going viral, but you can get his t-shirt for $9.99 (originally $21.95).

–

pil·lage verb

1. rob (a place) using violence, especially in wartime.

plun·der verb

1. steal goods from (a place or person), typically using force and in a time of war or civil disorder.

–

Looks like someone may have found a box from the 1980s that had a bunch of merchandise from when they tried to make Mickey “cool” and “hip” back then. Originally $24.95, now $12.99.

–

A lot of Disney “nerd” merchandise hit the Outlets, including this shirt. Originally $32.95, now $14.99.

And these pants… Originally $36.95, now $14.99.

And these boxer shorts. Originally $19.95, now $9.99. Clearly the only thing that makes a person a nerd is that they where glasses. I actually had a meta-moment when I questioned why Pluto, a dog, would need to wear glasses, somehow forgetting THEY ARE ALL ANIMALS.

These “Hipster” pieces have made their way from the Marketplace Co-Op at Downtown Disney to here.

–

I am not a fan of all of this soccer shirt, except for the fact that it uses Spaceship Earth as the soccer ball. I would imagine these would have had to come out around the time the World Cup was going on. I’m not exactly sure, because the last full soccer game I watched was in The Big Green. Originally $21.95, now $10.99.

Same logo on a drawstring bag. Originally $19.95, now $9.99.

–

More 2014 Disney Cruise Line merchandise appearing, including this tank top. Originally $21.95, now $7.99.

And this great photo album. I picked this one up. When I went on my first Disney Cruise last year, I took a big gamble on not getting many 2014 branded items, hoping they show up at the Outlets. Almost every single one that I wanted has made it to shore, but I would always recommend that if you see something in the parks, at your resort, or on a Disney Cruise that you really want, buy it.

–

With Christmas now in the rear view mirror, new ornaments have hit the Outlets. On small items like this, the discount price tag covers up the original tag, so all I can tell you is that they have been reduced to $8.99.

These Minnie and Mickey ornaments were originally $14.95, now $4.99.

The 2014 branded ornaments were also $4.99 each.

–

I wanted to get these Animal Kingdom-inspired stockings for my boys The Disney Hipsters, but figured they would be a little too tacky for their good taste and aesthetics. So I got them for Safari Mike of JamboEveryone, as I already know he has a Duffy bear in his house. $14.99 each.

–

This Boo to You thing (what would you call it?) is interesting. It’s made in layers, so it has a bit of depth you don’t see in many Disney pieces. I like that it has the Haunted Mansion sign on the front gates, but that looks more like Hogwarts Castle in the back. Originally $34.95, now $9.99.

Here’s a picture from the back to see the “3-D” effect.

–

I bought this set of DHS postcards and promptly mailed one with the hat to Matt Hotchberg of Studios Central. All I wrote on it was “U MAD BRO?” Originally $9.99, reduced to $3.99. I was at the World of Disney store later in the day at Downtown Disney and they had postcard sets for the other three parks, but no new DHS version.

–

If you are new to Disney social media or websites you may see grown adults write the term “tooth pick holder” for shot glasses and think all of us have lost our minds, but here’s proof that this is an actual term.

–

More tooth pick holders for the Yacht Club. Very rare to see merchandise from this resort.

–

Glassware featuring that soccer design.

And coffee mugs.

–

Last month we saw monorail t-shirts and hats. This month the monorail spiel coffee mug has arrived.

–

Four different Cars Land designs, all of which looked real sharp.

–

Alright, let’s look at some plush, including this bizarre Minnie Mouse waring a hat of Minnie Mouse. I’m gonna chalk this one up to the Things I’ll Never Understand list.

And a Mickey version. I was just going to go into a rant about how Mickey would probably want to wear a hat with Minnie on it and vice versa and then realized I don’t have the strength. It’s been a long month.

These articulated Mickey Mouse figures were originally $7.95, marked down to $4.99. You can move his arms and head.

–

Always good to see Muppets merchandise, and if you read my report from Downtown Disney, you may get the hint that more is on its way…

–

I’m a big fan of the Animator’s Collection series of dolls. I’ve bought more than my fair share for the kids in our family.

Did not expect to see Anna and Elsa in with the rest though. While the others were dropped down to $13.99, Anna and Elsa only came down to $17.99 (from $29.95).

–

These Alice in Wonderland-inspired glasses were originally $34.95, reduced to $14.99.

Minnie Mouse photo frame.

–

Disney Popcorn made our list of the Top Six Iconic Snacks at the Magic Kingdom, and you can own its smell for just $3.99 (originally $5.95).

These pens are just weird, right? The only thing I would write with them is my suicide note.

–

This a weird one. And maybe you guys can help me narrow down where it originally came from. It’s a foam mace that looks like it came from the gift shop of Medieval Times. Not sure of the original price, but it has been reduced to $8.99 and then again down to $4.99. Does Disney have a Renaissance Faire that I’m not aware of? This is definitely something I would have begged my parents to get me as a kid, but thankfully at least we had Pirates of the Caribbean guns that weren’t painted blue or orange.

–

Here’s another strange Alice in Wonderland piece that’s hard to describe how weird it is, even with a picture. The tray this cup comes with is just plain odd.

But nothing is as odd as this Mad Hatter hat. Not the good Matt Hatter, the Johnny Depp one. Kids today might not even realize that there was a time when you saw Johnny Depp’s name on a film you knew you had to watch it because you were going to see something special. Now when you see Depp’s name advertised it almost works as a warning sign. I was on the Johnny Depp bandwagon from Day One, but I’ve long since tapped out. Hard to explain how heartbreaking it was to see Depp become the worst part of the recent Kevin Smith film Tusk (which I would still recommend, on weirdness alone), but it would be like finding out Walt Disney World fell behind Fun Spot USA in terms of quality. Just unimaginable.

There are actually two Disney outlet stores in Orlando. Both are in Orlando Premium Outlet shopping complexes, and they are called Disney’s Character Warehouse, presumably because The Land Of Misfit Toys was already trademarked. There is one Character Warehouse located on International Drive close to Universal Studios (4951 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819), and the other is on Vineland Avenue, right across I-4 near the exits to Disney World (8200 Vineland Ave, Orlando, FL 32821). For this edition of MMM, we went to the location near Universal.

I get a lot of questions about this, so we’ll answer them here. You can order any item from the Disney Outlet Stores by calling the WDW Merchandise Guest Services (877-560-6477) There is a catch though, if the item is still available they will charge you full retail price for it, plus shipping. The Outlet Stores themselves do not ship merchandise.

Previous editions of Magic, Memories and Merch: July 2013, August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, April 2014, May 2014, June 2014, July 2014, August 2014, and September 2014, October 2014, November 2014 and December 2015.

If you liked what you read here, you may enjoy THE SATURDAY SIX articles every week on the TouringPlans.com blog, the Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast, and you can follow your humble author on Twitter (@derekbugan).