Welcome back to Disney Stuff. I hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday season and I hope you’ll forgive me if I extend it just one more week. When I was contemplating what to write for this installment of Disney Stuff, I turned to my daughter Samantha and asked her what I should write about. We were sitting in the living room bathed in the light of our Christmas tree and she replied, “How about Disney ornaments? We sure have a lot of them on the trees!” Yes, she said trees, plural. The kids have a tree all their own in our house, and it’s filled with Disney, Sesame Street, Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to Town character ornaments. The main tree in the house has its share of Disney and Peanuts characters as well.
At first I thought that January 8th would be too late to write about Christmas ornaments, but she assured me that people would still care about them, especially the true Disney fans out there. Most of you are still probably packing your own holiday decorations away, so let’s revisit them one last time for the season. Besides, my last regular article day was supposed to be on Christmas Day, so let’s just say that this article would have ran then and then we can all get on with our winter.
Disney is a popular choice for Christmas ornaments of course, and have been for as long as there has been a marketing department at the Walt Disney Company. Two of my mom’s prized ornaments on her tree are her Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck Christmas balls she’s had since she was a little girl in the 40’s. As far back as the early 30’s there have been Disney ornaments, Christmas lights, greeting cards, wrapping paper, and all sorts of Christmas paraphernalia from the Golden Age of Kay Kamen and his marketing genius. As long as there has been a Mickey Mouse, someone has wanted him on his or her Christmas tree. Today, virtually every company in the holiday market has a Disney ornament—from Hallmark to Lenox, and everyone in between. Couple that with everything that the company puts out itself from Disney Shopping and in the parks and there will never be a shortage of Disney related Christmas ornaments for you collectors out there.
With that said, as I pack away the Main Street Christmas Village and take the monorail out from under the tree, here are just a few of my favorite Disney ornaments that have graced my trees over the years.
We have a lot of Hallmark ornaments and lots of them are Winnie the Pooh and friends, but this Classic Pooh has always been a favorite of mine.
Hallmark Classic Pooh ornament. Photo By Chris Barry.
This great blown glass Mickey was available in recent years at The Disney Store:
From The Disney Store. Photo By Chris Barry.
This Sorcerer Mickey usually warrants a high spot on the tree. He’s part of a set of Mickey Through the Years ornaments my wife got me as a gift from The Disney Catalog a while back.
From the Mickey Through the Years collection. Photo By Chris Barry.
My other favorite from that set is The Brave Little Tailor:
Also from the Mickey Through the Years collection. Photo By Chris Barry.
My wife is the big Tinker Bell fan in the house and one of her favorite ornaments is this crystal Tink she bought at The King’s Gallery in Cinderella’s Castle. (Don’t you miss that place?)
From the long lost Kings Gallery shop. Photo By Chris Barry.
Last year I bought this great set of park icon ornaments at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square and my one son’s favorite is Spaceship Earth…
Disney Parks-Park Icon Collection. Photo By Chris Barry.
…while the other son’s choice is the Sorcerer Hat from Hollywood Studios.
Disney Parks-Park Icon Collection. Photo By Chris Barry.
My daughter’s favorite is this Dumbo from Germany in Epcot:
Bought from die Weihnachtsecke, Germany, Epcot. Photo By Chris Barry.
Everyone loves this not-so-Hidden Mickey ornament that came home with us from Walt Disney World years ago. My daughter likes to put it deep into the tree, so it can be discovered like a true Hidden Mickey:
Bought at The Emporium on Main Street U.S.A. Photo By Chris Barry.
Trust me, I’ve left many out. It’s hard to choose favorites with Christmas ornaments. They all tell a story and each one invokes long lasting memories. I’m sure you all have a handful in your homes as well. Thanks for taking a look at some of mine and feel free to share your favorites with me.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time with some more of that great Disney Stuff.
