Visiting Disneyland makes an exceptional vacation for the whole family, where you can effortlessly create and share magical memories!
If you’re looking to bring something home for friends and family or even for you and the kids, there’s a lot you can consider getting. Just take a look at Main Street USA alone–you’ll find dozens of souvenir shops there!
However, buying bits and pieces of random keychains and magnets from the first store you enter will likely be forgotten in a drawer. The best souvenirs are unique Disney items that’ll serve as a daily reminder of your special memories at the happiest place on earth!
Here are some of the best Disneyland souvenirs to bring home.
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Need more help planning your trip to Disneyland? These posts may come in handy:
- Disneyland vs. California Adventure: Which Is Better?
- 8 Best Disneyland Hotels With Free Parking (That Don’t Suck)
- 10 Best Places To Eat At Disneyland On A Budget
- 7 Best Walking Shoes For Travel (That Are Actually Cute)
15 Best Disneyland Souvenirs To Buy
Table of Contents
1. Mouse Ears
The quintessential Disney souvenir is a set of Mickey Mouse ears! Is it even a trip to Disneyland if you aren’t wearing mouse ears for at least one day?
There are mouse ears to suit every style and theme, whether your love Minnie Mouse and her polka-dot bows, sequins, and stars or want a Jack Skellington, Stitch, or Yoda cross-over. Celebrating a birthday or an upcoming wedding? There are ears for that!
You can choose from limited edition ears to holiday-themed ears, picking up a different pair every time you visit. In terms of where to buy them, you can find the best selection of ears at the World of Disney store in the Downtown Disney District.
We love the classic black ears embroidered with each family member’s name. And best of all, you can have this embroidering done for free at the park!
For embroidery, you can head to The Mad Hatter shop inside Disneyland, and to either Los Feliz Five & Dime or Kingswell Shop in Disney California Adventure.
Read Next:
- What To Pack For A Disneyland Trip: 41 Essentials To Bring (+ Free Printable!)
- 7 Best Disneyland Hotels With Free Parking (Anaheim, CA)
- 7 Best Disneyland Hotels With Free Breakfast (That Don’t Suck)
2. Pressed Souvenir Coins
Another uniquely Disney souvenir is the pressed souvenir coin.
We love these because they’re inexpensive, easy to pack home, and make for a fun activity while visiting Disneyland. Costing from $1 upwards, you can choose to press a penny, dime, nickel, or quarter.
You’ll notice coin-pressing machines all around the park – for a small fee, the device will press a penny into a Disney theme. For instance, if you’re visiting the Pirates of the Caribbean, you can get a coin stamped “Dead Men Tell No Tales.”
You can collect Elsa and Anna, Olaf, Phineas and Ferb, Nemo, Pongo and Perdita, classics like Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Chesire Cat, and Tinkerbell.
To make this penny collecting a yearly activity or tradition, you can get your kids a collecting book to keep their pennies safe and to page through after years to come!
3. Trading Pins
Another favorite souvenir is collecting Disney trading pins – like pennies, they are relatively inexpensive, easy to store, and create a fantastic interactive activity as you move around the parks.
Disney pins are small metal badges with pictures of Disney characters or attractions. Start by buying a pin and a lanyard to display the pins.
Then, let the trading begin! Cast members will have a selection of pins, so you approach them and ask if they’d like to trade pins. Show them the pin you’d like to trade and which one you’d like in exchange. Parents, trading with cast members is easy for kids as cast members honor all trading requests.
You can also trade with other park guests, but they’re not obliged to make the exchange.
When you get home, you can keep the pins on your lanyard to hang in your bedroom or office. Add the pins to a tote, hat, or jacket for a daily reminder of your magical experience!
Pro Tip: If you’re looking to save a few bucks, consider picking up a few Disney pins before your trip! The pins from the parks are slightly more expensive than the ones sold online. That way, you’ll be able to save some money and arrive at the parks ready to trade with other guests and cast members!
4. Photographs With Cast Members
One of the most memorable activities at Disneyland is meeting cast members. A photograph with your favorite character is the ideal souvenir you can proudly display on your desk or in the living room.
You can take pictures with your phone, but one family member is always missing from your holiday snaps. The best way to get professional and display-worthy photos that capture special moments is to use Disney’s PhotoPass crew.
PhotoPass photographers are available all over the park, near popular cast members and attractions. Pick up a PhotoPass to access all your photos online and purchase them, depending on your chosen package.
The magic of PhotoPass is that Disney touches appear in your photos – is that Tinkerbell on your hand? Or Mater in the background?
Pro Tip: For those on a budget, you can ask the PhotoPass photographers to take a photo using your phone – they’re usually willing to do this, and you’ll get professional quality snaps.
5. Cast Member Autographs
While you’re visiting with your favorite character, get a photo as well as an autograph.
Disney autograph books are a fun idea, as you can ask characters to sign on the right-hand page and leave the left open to attach a photo – double the memories!
If you want to come to the park prepared with autograph books in hand, you can get them online ahead of time (like the one below).
But if you’re worried you’ll never open the book again, choose an alternative surface for autographs. Did you know cast members will sign just about anything, so long as you’re not wearing it at the time?
Why not collect autographs on your favorite cap, a tote bag, a T-shirt, a quilting square, or even a pillowcase?
6. Disney-themed Clothes
You may not wear your Mickey Mouse ears to your local restaurant, but Disney-themed apparel is a souvenir you’ll definitely wear again and again. Clothes also make great gifts from Disney parks!
While walking through the park, it’ll be hard to ignore the fact that 7/10 people are sporting Disney-branded gear.
Often times you’ll see people wearing Disney-themed shirts paired with shorts and comfortable walking shoes. This now ranges from Star Wars to Avengers-themed clothing, and classic Disney Princess costumes to Disney Pixar outfits.
Yes, you can buy Disney gear at chain stores outside the park, but purchasing a cap, T-shirt, jacket, or earrings from your favorite movie is so much more special when you’re there.
Star Wars fans will love Darth Vader-themed shoes, while lovers of the classics will appreciate a Sleeping Beauty sweatshirt or a Donald Duck tee. Select limited-edition items commemorating special events and anniversaries.
Disney-themed pajamas are ideal for the whole family and can become a tradition, like Christmas or holidays PJs.
For upmarket items, look out for Disney-themed collections by designer brands – a Vera Bradley purse will elevate your daily style if you’re a diehard Disney fan!
7. D-Tech
If you want to keep your memories close, there’s no better way than to purchase a D-Tech branded cell phone or computer case.
Overtly Disney covers have all the cartoon appeal you need, but there are some elegant items like the mouse-ear texture case to subtly show you’re young at heart.
With this tech gear, you can personalize your phone case, charger, and all your mobile gadgetry with your favorite Disney personality!
The broadest range of D-Tech merchandise is available at Tech on Demand in Tomorrowland. You can also go to the Marketplace Co-Op at Disney Springs.
8. Holiday Ornaments
Holiday enthusiasts who decorate their homes for each holiday will love buying ornaments to remind them of their Disney trip!
If you happen to be there during one of their seasonal events, why not pick up a limited edition ornament? For example, Halloween-themed items include Hocus Pocus, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Haunted Mansion collections.
There’s also a massive variety of Christmas ornaments available all year round, with tree decorations, baubles, stockings, ugly sweaters, kitchen décor, and much more.
A special touch is that most ornaments have the year printed on them, so you can date your visits chronologically!
Although you only use them once a year, holiday ornaments are guaranteed to trigger many happy memories of the trip where you first bought them.
9. Cookbooks
Foodies, amateur chefs, and lovers of Disney cuisine will enjoy a Disney cookbook. It’s no surprise that you’ll find a Disney-themed collection of recipes to suit every fan and every taste.
Favorites on the list are Kitchen Magic With Mickey, a Star Wars cookbooks including BB Ate: Awaken To The Force Of Breakfast And Brunch Cookbook, Marvel’s Eat the Universe, Delicious Disney: the Fresh Edition, and The Disney Princess Cookbook.
Cookbooks make fabulous gifts and are souvenirs that keep on giving as you try to recreate the best food from the park.
10. Disney Mugs
Another practical and fun souvenir that you’ll use every day is a Disney coffee mug. Mugs are inexpensive and create a talking point every time you use them.
Your first option, especially if you’ve got kids, is to buy refillable souvenir cups, which come in practically every Disney theme, design, and color. You know you’ll have to get beverages several times a day, so why not purchase a mug for each family member and enjoy the unlimited refills of soda, coffee, and tea throughout the park and at your hotel?
You can take the mugs home as a reminder of your morning coffee or afternoon soda break!
The glowing plastic “ice cube” that lights up the glass is a fun add-on when you buy kid-friendly drinks. These are inexpensive, and the flashing lights provide hours of fun to little ones.
For adults, the best souvenir mug is a ceramic coffee mug, which you can fill up at home or keep coffee hot at your desk in the office.
Look for one with a personal connection at a ride your family enjoyed or with a design from your childhood favorite movie. Add matching coasters and tea towels and now you’ve got yourself a lovely Disney-themed kitchen!
There are gift shops selling all kinds of Disney mugs throughout the park and even at every major ride exit.
11. DIY Lightsabers And Droids
You can’t put a price on Disney experiences, and building lightsabers and droids are one of the top-shelf souvenir-building activities for fans at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
At Savi’s Workshop, wannabe Jedi can create a custom lightsaber to take home and fight the evil Empire. This immersive experience includes selecting parts, pulling kyber crystals, and activating your weapon. Customize further with a hilt of your choice (or buy the one you want)!
Another incredible souvenir-building activity is putting together an interactive droid of your very own – and you can purchase add-on body components in alternative shapes and colors. Droid Depot is where you’ll want to go for this unique experience.
Wondering if you’ll have trouble flying with your new toys? Traveling with your droid or lightsaber is legal and will cause no problems on airlines.
12. Disney Artwork
Disney’s animation has revolutionized the movie industry time and time again. Buying a piece of beloved Disney artwork is the ultimate expression of your fandom!
Few of us will ever buy an original Disney piece, but luckily there are items ranging from picture postcards to a hand-painted parasol and from full prints to framed portraits.
For prints, your best bet is to choose Disney Art On Demand – select your design, decide which frame you want, and have it shipped right to your door.
Two other unique artwork souvenirs that are handmade at Disney include getting your name written in letters made of Disney characters or a beautiful hand-crafted silhouette.
Paying per letter, you can choose to have a single initial painted in watercolors or a full name using designs based on a beloved character. You won’t get artwork like this outside of Disneyland, and the souvenir is an excellent sign for a child’s bedroom door! You can find various kiosks throughout the park selling this artwork.
At The Disney Silhouette Studio on Main Street, talented paper artists will create beautiful, hand-cut black silhouettes of your, your child’s, or even your favorite character’s head. Framed, these silhouettes make a lovely addition to your home.
If you want to try your hand at creating your own artwork, visit the Animation Studios, where you get to learn about the animation process. You get to take home your own fantastic version of a classic Disney character – all for free!
👉 Pro Tip: If the Disney merchandise within the parks seems overpriced, it is! You can often find more affordable merch on the official Disney website or on Amazon. You can find many of the same great official Disney products for much cheaper than what you’ll find within the parks!
13. Autopia Driver’s License
For an inexpensive and packable souvenir that you can only get at Disneyland, let your kid get their own “driver’s license at the booth at Autopia’s exit!
Fans of Cars will enjoy having their photograph transformed into a personalized souvenir.
14. Disney Snacks and Candies
There’s nothing like a snack, candy, or other edible branded with your favorite Disney character to remind you of a fantastic trip.
While edible goodies don’t last as long as other souvenirs, you’ll certainly enjoy them, and they won’t languish in the back of a cupboard.
For adults, coffee beans, pods, or flavored tea bags are great gifts and souvenirs available all over the park. You’ll smile every time you have a coffee break and taste the Disney magic you enjoyed in the restaurants at the park.
Kids of all ages will love lollipops, chocolates, candy-dipped apples, and gummies when they get home and realize their time at Disney is over.
The sweet taste of chocolate or mint fudge takes you straight back to Goofy’s Candy Store, and you’ll enjoy munching on caramel popcorn while rewatching Nemo and Frozen for the 100th time.
15. Disneyland In-Park Freebies
There’s nothing better than getting Disney memorabilia for free, and these simple examples will surely delight the younger family members.
Celebration Buttons
It’s easy to make your first trip to Disneyland special, to celebrate a birthday, or commemorate an anniversary. Disney helps you to remember these milestone events… for free!
Tell a cast member at Town Hall or one of the ticket booths about your special day, and you’ll get a free commemorative button. There are buttons for birthdays, graduations, just married couples, and more!
One of the more unusual free buttons is available at Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland – you can get a celebration button when your child gets their first Dole Whip. Also, look out for free celebration buttons when you book a dining experience with cast members.
Mardi Gras Beads
Head to New Orleans Square to enjoy the Jambalaya Jazz Band and Royal Street Bachelors’ performances. One of the perks is the colorful Mardis Gras beads the musicians hand out to enthusiastic dancers and participants.
Jedi Diploma
Another commemorative freebie is free at the Jedi Training Academy.
Sign up your kid to fight Darth Vader (you can do this in advance) in a galactic battle, and they’ll get a terrific diploma.
Jungle Cruise Map
If you’re keeping a scrapbook of your visit, a fun freebie is available when you take the Jungle Cruise. Just ask the skipper for a free map when you disembark and add it to your host of memories.
So much freebie goodness!
Where To Buy Discounted Disneyland Tickets
Still need to buy Disneyland tickets? Sure, you can buy them at the gate, but then you’d be paying full price. We like to buy discounted Disneyland tickets from either our workplace discount portals or from Undercover Tourist.
If you don’t have a workplace discount portal offering discounted Disney tickets, then Undercover Tourist is your best bet.
Undercover Tourist is the trusted name for discounted theme park tickets. Depending on how many days you visit the parks, you can save up to $149 per ticket with them!
Essential Tips For Your Disneyland Resort Visit
- For discounted Disneyland tickets (steep discounts are nearly impossible unless you know someone who works at Disney) — we like to buy from Undercover Tourist.
- Generally, the slowest periods at Disneyland are from January through early February. If you can, try to schedule your visits on weekdays, as weekends tend to see much higher traffic. We personally never attempt either park on weekends (Fridays to Sundays). We’ll always try to aim for a visit on a weekday (Mondays to Thursdays) because we really don’t enjoy standing in ride lines for any more than 30 minutes!
- If you’re staying overnight, choose your hotel strategically. Many hotels in the area charge $10-25/night for parking, so if you’re traveling on a budget, be sure to choose a hotel that’s within walking distance of the parks, yet still offers free parking to guests.
- If you’re traveling with a larger family, you can save a lot of money on food by selecting a hotel near Disneyland that offers complimentary breakfast. A lot of these hotels serve up really good breakfast too — complete with Mickey-shaped waffles!
- Pack a pair of stylish yet comfortable walking shoes. You’re likely going to be doing 10+ miles of walking on your feet!
- Arrive early: Arriving early (like when the park opens) ensures that you’re able to capitalize on shorter lines, especially for popular attractions like Star Wars: Rise Of The Resistance, Space Mountain, or Guardians of the Galaxy, where lines can get up to 2 hours long.
- Use park apps: Disneyland has an official app with features such as making ride and restaurant reservations, as well as showing you wait times, showtimes, and park maps, which can help you strategize your day better.
- Want to avoid crowds at all costs? Before your visit, check to see if any nearby school districts are on break. You’ll want to visit on a weekday when all the schools within ALL the nearby school districts are in session.
- You can also use Is It Packed’s crowd calendar predictor, but sometimes it drops the ball — so take what you see with a grain of salt!
- Upgrading to Genie+ at Disneyland can be totally worth the money, depending on how much you value your time. If you plan to go to the parks for multiple days, you may not need Lightning Lane access. But if you’ve only got 1 day to experience it all, Genie+ dramatically reduces wait times for popular attractions!
- Plan your meal times strategically: To avoid long lines at restaurants and food stalls, consider eating during non-peak hours, like preparing to eat a little earlier or later than traditional meal times.
- If you want to experience character dining or a sit-down restaurant at any of the Disney parks, you’ll want to make reservations 60 days in advance! Really, these reservations book up QUICK.
- Both parts are in Southern California’s Orange County — it’s HOT here, especially in the summertime. Do not forget the hot weather essentials: a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a water bottle!
- You’re allowed to bring snacks, so be sure to pack a few things to munch on if you’re looking to save money. You could even bring in lunch/dinner if you really wanted to save money.
- If you need a break from all the heat, sun, and/or walking, you can duck into rides like Pirates Of The Caribbean and it’s a small world (both involve sitting on a boat in AC), or watch a show at the Hyperion Theater, Turtle Talk with Crush, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic Concert. And by ‘watch a show’ I mean taking a quick nappy nap.
- Before getting to the parks, make sure you’re aware of the various facilities and services offered to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable visit. Look for info on things like First Aid, Baby Care Centers, Wheelchair and Stroller Rentals, and how security checks work.
And there you have it, our list of the top souvenirs to bring back from Disneyland. Hope you found the perfect one for your needs!
Looking for more Disneyland / Southern California travel tips? Read more:
Disneyland vs. California Adventure: Which Is Better?
What To Pack For A Disneyland Trip: 41 Essentials To Bring (+Free Printable!)
7 Best Disneyland Hotels With Free Breakfasts (That Don’t Suck)
10 Best Places To Eat At Disneyland On A Budget
40+ Things To Do In Anaheim Other Than Disneyland
175 Bucket List Things To Do In Los Angeles, California (From A Local’s Perspective)