We have all experienced the PDDS (Post Disney Depression Syndrome). The days, month, even years after your last trip can be hard to bare. Luckily there are some things you can bring home from Walt Disney World that will allow you to bring those happy magical memories back. Here are my Tiki Top 5 Souvenirs to do just that.
5. Disney Parks CD’s
Some of our most magical memories of being at Walt Disney World is the music. Two of my favorites are the official Walt Disney World Album and Live In The Village by Wassalou. Some of you might know Wassalou from their “Disney” name the Burudika band that play in Harambe at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Whether you are at work, in your car, or mowing the yard. Disney music will always transport you back.
4. Disney Parks Cookbooks
Many of you know I am an Executive Chef. So for me food is a huge part of why I love Walt Disney World. You can find cookbooks at most gift shops around the parks and resorts. They also see specialty ones for the Food & Wine Festival. Making a meal you had at Disney is the perfect way to relive those moments.
3. Make Your Own Dole Whip
So I’m cheating on this one (I know it’s usually Sean who cheats). The one treat that makes me think of Walt Disney World more than any other is the Dole Whip. So unless you have dry ice and a private plane you can’t bring this home from the parks. However, you can make it at home in your ice cream maker. go to http://www.precisionfoodsstore.com/dole.html and you can have your own Dole Whip. I have used this product and it is the same mix the parks use.
2. T-Shirts
Clothes can be a way to show the world your Disney pride. They can also make you relive the experience of buying, wearing, and maybe even an interaction you had with someone at Walt Disney World. I remember on our last trip I was getting off the plane in my Haunted Mansion Hatbox Ghost shirt and several people stopped me to ask or comment on it. So every time I pull it from the drawer it makes me smile.
1. Taking Pictures
Even before I had a website, podcast, and blog. I have always loved taking pictures. I have been ridiculed by other people on trips for taking so many. However, the best way to remember the moments in your life are through pictures. Our last trip I took over 6k pictures (some of them were on a sequenced setting). I love sitting at the computer and going through them to organizing, cataloging, and reliving the trip. I also love looking in the background of pictures. Seeing the faces or things that I might not have seen when I first took them.
Make sure to comment on this post and tell us what your favorite things to bring home from Walt Disney World are.
One of my greatest Disney memories came just after High School. My friend, Ryan, worked as a ride operator at Disneyland and he was given the opportunity to visit the Disney Studios in Burbank and asked if I wanted to come along. “YES!”, I said. For four glorious hours we walked the grounds of the studios, peeked through the halls and doors of the Animation Building and visited Dave Smith in the Archives. What a thrill it was to actually meet him and look through all the cool stuff they have there! Little did I know my greatest thrill would be later at the Commissary while sitting down to eat lunch. With all the costumed people and the artists and celebrities floating about, Dave Smith walked over to our table and asked if he could sit with us. “YES!”, We said! He said he was so impressed with our knowledge and interest in Disney History that he thought it would be fun to sit with us and talk “Disney” over lunch! WOW! I can’t even remember all I asked him but I was in shock for days to come. To me, that was like any rock star, you choose the one you want to enter into the story, walking over and asking to have lunch with you and talking about their music! My only Momento from that day is a business card of his that I laminated because I knew I would want to keep it for generations to come! 
My first visit to Walt Disney World wouldn’t come until I moved back to Ohio and married my second wife, Elizabeth. She is also a huge Disney fan! Marrying her was the best thing I ever did, even if just for the fact that my first wife didn’t have much interest in Disney and since then I’ve realized how much I missed during that time. She is the love of my life and encourages the passion that we both have for all things Disney. My favorite memory with her comes from a trip to WDW in 2004 while she was eight months pregnant with our second daughter, Morgan. My wife’s favorite character is Tigger, with Pooh coming in a close second. Her one goal on our trip was to get her picture taken with them and get their autographs. It was our first ever visit to Animal Kingdom and we entered the Park and started across the bridge. As I looked down to the right I saw someone standing in a reception area and motioned to my Wife to look. “TIGGER!!” She screamed, and was off to the races! As much as I tried, I never caught up to her until we were both standing in line to meet the bouncy fellow, and Pooh showed up too! Coincidentally, Morgan’s nickname later became Morgiroo and shortened to just Roo as a reference to the character in the Winnie the Pooh stories. Our oldest daughter together, Aliyah, has a nickname too, but it doesn’t pertain to Disney so I won’t give it away and embarrass her here! 
Currently, our Family enjoys everything Disney in our everyday lives and we try to plan a trip to WDW at least every other year, more often if we can afford it. I havn’t been back to California since I moved to Ohio about twenty years ago, so there’s a lot out there we havn’t seen and a trip to Disneyland is a must for the Family soon. You will definitely catch me on Twitter 
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