Disclosure :: this post is sponsored by shopDisney, though our household falls squarely in the “Disney fanatics” category and does not need encouragement to shop with Disney!
9 Must Have ShopDisney Gifts For Disney Fanatics
It’s the most wonderful time of the year … the holiday countdown is on, with Hanukkah a few short days away and Christmas right behind it. The holiday season also means gift giving season, which can be overwhelming and stressful. However, if you have a Disney fanatic in your life (and that’s more of us than may admit it!), you can easily knock out your shopping in one easy stop at shopDisney!
Disney Water Bottles
Water bottles are popular with absolutely every member of my household. All three of my children bring a water bottle to school daily, and I usually have one within reach all day. Water bottles are simply a practical, affordable and easy gift for anyone on your list. Many of the adult canteens available on the shopDisney website are a collaboration with Corkcicle, so the quality is also terrific. The children’s shopDisney water bottles feature a variety of popular movies and characters, and many are stainless steel and/or feature a built in straw. There are several styles, designs and themes to choose from, but I don’t think you can ever go wrong with gifting a great water bottle. My children usually get water bottles in their stocking every year, so it’s fun to pick one that matches their current Disney obsession. As a side note, you could instead opt to gift a stemless glass for the wine lovers in your life as shopDisney also has a collaboration with Corkcicle on some stemless drinkware.
Disney nuiMOs
For the little Disney fanatics in your life who also love to play dress up, the shopDisney
nuiMOs are the cutest! Think of these sort of like American Girl (but much more affordable) and all Disney themed. Essentially, you purchase the plush (aka nuiMO) of your choice and then select as many accompanying outfits as you wish. nuiMOs are an awesome stocking stuffer because both the plush characters and outfits are affordable, and the look on a child’s face when they see their favorite character sticking out of a stocking would be priceless. Please take note that the nuiMO plush is indeed sold separately from the outfits on the shopDisney website, so if you go this route, be sure to select not only a plush but also an outfit (or two or three – no one’s judging!) for your new friend. The nice thing about nuiMOs is that you can circle back to the concept in a few months for your child’s birthday or Easter basket and continue to build the plush’s apparel collection.
Disney Ornaments
During our first family trip to Disney World in 2015, we started a tradition of letting each child select a unique holiday ornament from the parks. Every year my kids absolutely love unwrapping their special ornaments, remembering when they were obsessed with a certain character and then hanging them on the tree. It’s funny to see my now 11-year-old hanging his Lightning McQueen on the tree, but I secretly think he loves it as much as I do. Ornaments make a great accessory to round out a gift; I love to tie them to the outside of a gift as a special touch. There are dozens of ornament options on the shopDisney website, and each year there are special commemorative ornaments, too. I also love gifting these to the new babies on our list, as it can be a neat way to remember their birth year and is a gift they can literally keep forever. As with anything Disney does, the details are always amazing.
Disney’s 50th Anniversary
Any true Disney fanatic knows that we’re currently in the midst of the 50th anniversary celebration … and with that comes dozens of commemorative gift options at any price point. There is an entire category on the shopDisney website devoted to the 50th anniversary featuring everything from purses to sweatshirts to cookbooks and more. If there’s someone on your list whose childhood included a lot of trips to Disney, they will likely enjoy the nostalgia of the 50th anniversary collection. Like many New Orleans families, you may even have a trip to Disney World planned over Mardi Gras. Consider gifting the 50th anniversary ears in advance of your trip to help build the excitement.
Disney Legos
If your house is anything like mine, we try to minimize the plastic holiday gifts, but Legos are one toy that I am consistently okay with gifting and receiving. The beauty of Legos is that they offer so many benefits to children of all ages, including hand/eye coordination, creativity, detailed instruction following, 3D building and more. Legos are also an awesome family gift because the more complex and nuanced sets take quite a while and can be an activity that the family comes back to over a few weeks. shopDisney features Lego sets for children of literally all ages, ranging from the sets designed for toddlers all the way up to the 1,000+ piece sets for grown children. If you’re going to gift a Disney toy, Legos are my top pick.
Disney Pajamas
Fact :: I cannot resist pajamas. Fun for the whole family, you just can’t go wrong with Disney pajamas. Whether your little one is Star Wars obsessed or into princesses … the shopDisney website has you covered. I love gifting pajamas because just like the water bottles, they get used daily and are more practical than some of the tchotchkes that end up collecting dust in our playroom closet. Pajamas are also a very fun way to “announce” that the family has a Disney World trip coming up (I.e. if you are gifting a trip to your kids or grandkids this holiday season). Some of the shopDisney pajamas also come with plush toys this holiday season, which I know my own kids would adore.
Disney Key Chains
Similar to ornaments, key chains make a great accessory to round out a gift; I like to attach them with ribbon to a gift bag or present. Key chains are also a fun, unexpected and affordable stocking stuffer. Some of the shopDisney key chains online offer personalization, offering that special touch that shows you put thought and planning into selecting the gift. Kids love to attach key chains to their backpacks, so why not surprise them with a new treasure?! Another option that functions similarly are the shopDisney luggage tags; whether they get used for actual luggage or just overnight bags, it’s a small happy that most people don’t think to ask for or purchase for themself.
Disney Home Items
If you can think of it, shopDisney has probably branded it! For the Disney fanatic in your life, surprise them with something totally unexpected for the home. While coffee mugs are always popular, shopDisney also has serving bowls, baking sets, aprons, home decor and … waffle makers! My little girls would have flipped for a Frozen waffle maker a few years ago, and it’s the kind of special gift that no one asks for, no one expects and yet will bring so much joy to the kitchen. Who doesn’t need a Frozen waffle maker?! Well, no one “needs” it, but the best gifts are those that bring a smile to someone’s face “just because.”
Disney Hanukkah
Last but certainly not least, I love that there is also a Hanukkah section on the shopDisney website. While the options are admittedly fewer than Christmas, the fleece blanket would be a terrific and unique Hanukkah gift. We keep dozens of blankets around our house, and they get used quite often so why not add one more cozy blanket to the pile?! Hopefully in future years we will see even more options on shopDisney for Hanukkah, but in the meantime I do love that there is a small section with choices if you are looking for something specific to this Jewish Holiday. And of course, any of the gifts mentioned above from water bottles to Legos work well for Hanukkah, too.