Welcome back to Disney Stuff. It’s hard to believe that after 3 years I still have “stuff” to write about; but as you can see, I keep coming up with things that I’ve accumulated over the years to talk about and there seems to be no end in sight. When I sit down and brainstorm for an article, I have to think about what I’ve already written about, stuff that I have and haven’t talked about, and any new bits and pieces that have come my way. Some things are brand new and I can’t wait to write about them, like last month's Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary Mini Attraction Poster Set. Other things have been around the house for years and it’s hard to believe that I haven’t gotten to them yet. Case in point: today’s little pieces of Disney Stuff—the Disney Collector Packs.
The original Collector Pack. Photo courtesy of Google Images.
If you’ve been to the parks over the last several years, you’ve probably seen what I’m talking about; small, plastic, miniature Disney figures. They’re sold three to a package. The packages are sealed so you don’t know which ones you’re getting until you open them up. Perhaps you’ve seen the cool Plexiglas display box in the Emporium or at MouseGear showcasing all of the figures, tempting you to buy more packages until you get just the one you’re looking for. Maybe you’ve seen people squishing and squeezing the packages trying to feel which one is inside. They are slightly addictive, I must say. My daughter and I started collecting them way back when, and now my sons have become hooked on them. Here’s the difference though—My daughter and I display our favorites.
Some of my daughter's collection. Photo by Chris Barry.
The boys, however, have them all piled into a Disney tin lunchbox and play with them frequently. They are concerned with getting as many as they can to play with, and my daughter and I are more concerned with completing as much of the whole collection as we can. I took the boys collection out just to see what they have and it's a pretty impressive accumulation with many doubles.
The boys' collection, out of the box. Photo by Chris Barry.
Last we saw, this past August, they are up to Series 11. That includes 2 different Star Wars series, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, the Holiday series and the Pixar series, as well as the other miscellaneous park series. I really do like the character representations, but it’s the park icons and ride vehicles and other things that represent the Disney parks that are my real favorites. Let’s take a look at some.
It’s hard to believe that Cinderella’s Castle is missing from this lineup, but between the four of us, we just don’t have it:
Three of the four Walt Disney World park icons. Photo by Chris Barry.
Here are some attraction buildings:
Disneyland's Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain. Photo by Chris Barry.
My favorite attraction vehicles from the many different ones included throughout the series are the ship from Peter Pan’s Flight, Mr. Toad in his motorcar, and the Jungle Cruise boat:
Some attraction vehicles. Photo by Chris Barry.
Here are a few of my beloved Muppets:
The Muppets. Photo by Chris Barry.
These are from the 2nd Star Wars series:
My two favorites from the Star Wars series. Photo by Chris Barry.
Here are some great Haunted Mansion figures:
Beware of hitchhiking ghosts! Photo by Chris Barry.
Let’s not forget some Disney vehicles:
The Disney Transport bus and the Kilimanjaro Safaris truck. Photo by Chris Barry.
There are so many more that I could have shown. Scan through the group photo above and you might see some favorites like the Expedition Everest ride vehicle, Tower of Terror Bellhop Goofy, Emperor Stitch, and Roger and Jessica Rabbit. I’m also quite fond of the classic characters like Baloo and Robin Hood. The point is there’s definitely something for everybody.
The Collector Packs are always on my son’s list when they head to Walt Disney World. They trade them back and forth with each other. There’s always a small bag of them in my backpack to entertain them in restaurants or in long lines. They don’t take up much room and best of all—they’re a pretty inexpensive little treat for them when they are behaving in the parks. I’ve walked out of a store on many occasions with a bag for each of them all in my pockets waiting for the right moment to act as a reward.
Let’s be honest, they’re always on my list as well. I have a decent amount on display in my collectibles cabinet. I think they’re fun and I like trying to see which ones I can find whenever I’m down there. You can find them in most of the big stores in each park like the Emporium in the Magic Kingdom. I used to find them on certain merchandise carts here and there and I have purchased them in several different hotel gift shops. I know you can get them at Downtown Disney and I hear there used to be a trading box at Once Upon a Toy. I can’t comment on whether that still exists or not, but it’s worth asking the next time you’re down there. We used to love getting them at the NYC World of Disney, but as you may know, those days are long gone. Some of the series are discontinued but there are many for sale on the web, especially on eBay.
So here’s to one of my favorite little finds at a Disney park, the Disney Collector Packs. I hope they keep them changing and keep them coming because…as we all know…I’m always in need of something else to collect.
Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time with more of that great Disney Stuff.
