039 - The BEST Souvenirs Come With A Story!

[captain_slinky]

Eventually, this post becomes about a few various souvenirs we+ got at Disneyland. But first...

There are all sorts of "Disney Vacation Tips & Hints" blogs out there that will suggest that you avoid buying souvenirs while you are in Disneyland, instead opting to buy them cheaper online either after your vacation or, in some instances, BEFORE your vacation so you can take them with you and give them to your kids while you're there.

I disagree with this idea SO. MUCH. Beyond the notion that your kids will be happy with owning a pair of Mickey Ears with some other kid's name on them, beyond the assumption that your kids will appreciate your frugality in the long run... there is NO WAY to know what is going to be a cherished memento BEFORE you've had your trip, and if you wait till AFTER the trip you lose that special memory of the item!

EXAMPLE #1: This Poster Set.

On our second day in the park, I was an Illegal Immigrant to The Magic Kingdom. We had made it all the way to the back of the park in Toon Town before we discovered it. Crystal had taken our passes to go get us Fast Passes for Roger Rabbit's CarToon Spin while Molly and I perused the gift shop there, which is where I saw this. Twelve posters of vintage Disneyland Attraction Posters, the same ones they hang in the entryway to Main Street USA, each one reprinted on acid-free cardstock at a frameable size of 12"x18" - the full set for just $20. A buck-sixty-seven per poster! I loved it! I needed it! And then Crystal came to tell me that SOMEHOW, they had not scanned my pass at the front gate and so I could not get any Fast Passes for any rides! I had to go all the way back to the main gate to get my pass scanned, which then made me consider the posters... they were big and bulky in a package that would be WAY to easy to bend, rip, fold of otherwise mutilate... did I really want to lug it all the way to the main gate and back? Did I really want to lug it around the park all day long???

Then the Cast Member who was helping us with my Illegal Immigrant status suggested that I wait till the end of the day - Pretty much anything and everything available at the various Gift Shops of Disneyland can be found at either The Emporium on Main Street, or at the World Of Disney store in Down Town Disney. PERFECT SOLUTION! Just wait till the end of the day, make it the last thing I buy, then the most I have to walk around with these giant posters is the walk from Disneyland to the hotel room! I thanked the nice lady, walked back to the Main Gate, resolved my residency issues and went on with the rest of our vacation.

And so it was that on the last night of our vacation, as the park was closing, we were buying our souvenirs at The Emporium on Main Street and... the poster set was nowhere to be found. I asked one of the Cast Members if she knew what I was talking about, and the hunt began. She called the main office, she called the World Of Disney store, she asked all the other Cast Members... they all seemed to remember the set, they all seemed to know where it *should* be, but none of them could remember having seen one in a few days... the folks on the phone (whoever they were) seemed to think that they may be completely sold out :(

I wandered around the store looking for something else that I really wanted, but didn't really find anything, so I helped Molly and Crystal look for stuff. Then I saw some free Park Maps slightly behind the counter that had a different image on the cover than the ones that were at the front gate and, being a person who loves these maps, had to have one. I reached over the counter to get one and...

A Cast Member from behind me abruptly and authoritatively said "CAN I HELP YOU WITH SOMETHING SIR?" I snatched the map quickly and stuttered out a half-assed excuse just n case maybe I wasn't supposed to have *that map*, but then the Cast Member continued "Are you sure, sir? Would you maybe be interested in this Poster Set that you've been looking for all night?"

I spun around and saw the three Cast Members who had been the most instrumental in my search for the posters, smiling and holding the poster set! They had teamed-up to locate the last set of these posters in the entire state of California! It had apparently been sitting on a Go-Back cart of items that needed to be restocked for a few days, because no one could figure out where it was supposed to go! We all laughed and agreed that it was just meant to be :)

I could have come home and bought the poster set online, but what kind of a story would THAT make? Instead of a tale of Immigration and dreams come true! Imagine how much more boring this post would have been!

Comments

[susandennis]

I have never been to Disneyland or Disney World and have never once had even the remotest inkling to go and I think you are delightfully whacky. And, I totally 100% LOVE your passion.

It's been a great joy to read about your planning and dreaming and actually going and savoring and reflecting on this vacation. I think I may well have had as much fun reading about it as you did being there!

This whole poster thing is the perfect example. The joy and the thought and reward. Just perfect.

And the sharing of it all is a great gift. Thank you.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! You're exactly who I'm writing this stuff for, too :)

[tfcocs.livejournal.com]

Aw!

[snarky-imp.livejournal.com]

This story is fantastic. The poster set was clearly meant to be yours, but I'm going to pretend that the Cast Members had to go through all kinds of wacky hijinks to get the posters to you.

Yay for everyone!

[aurora77]

Eee! I love stories like this. Some people take things for granted. They would have dismissed this. They're boring people. I like people who appreciate all these little things in life. They're awesome people. Like your family. :)