in Disney, Disney Parks, Merchandise
There’s nothing like a Disney Parks vacation. Whether you’re shrinking to the size of a toy in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort or flying with superheroes at Avenger’s Campus in Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort, you’re going to remember your Disney vacation forever. So why not bring home a souvenir to commemorate your trip?
Maybe your family likes matching t-shirts. Or you want to build a lightsaber in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Perhaps you collect pins and figurines, or your little one wants a cuddly Mickey Mouse plush to take home. The memento options are endless.
Related: Guest Has Altercation at Disney Springs, Reportedly Gets Security Involved
However, for all the times Disney gets it right… they’ve had their fair share of failures. Most recently, we reported on a D23 merchandise offering celebrating Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary that took the Internet by storm.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were a little too excited for the 50th Anniversary at Walt Disney World Resort. @Wario64 initially shared the platinum Mickey and Minnie Mouse ears, priced at $195 and $175, on Twitter:
Mickey Mouse Disney 100 Platinum Celebration Ear Hat for Adults – Limited Release up for preorder at Shop Disney ($195) https:// bit.ly/3RBUFgS Minnie Mouse Headband for Adults $175 https:// bit.ly/3qu5nKI
Mickey Mouse Disney 100 Platinum Celebration Ear Hat for Adults – Limited Release up for preorder at Shop Disney ($195) https://t.co/w4LdDgy6Gg Minnie Mouse Headband for Adults $175 https://t.co/D1AedpAfZx pic.twitter.com/Zjrb6ot8pq
The initial product description for the Minnie Mouse ears read:
Minnie is dripping with excitement as she celebrates the centenary of The Walt Disney Company in her typically fashionable style with this ear headband. Part of the Disney 100 Platinum Celebration, this limited release commemorative ear headband has been designed by Disney artists for a special platinum-dipped effect and includes a coordinating padded bow, all presented in a special keepsake box.
Fans quickly took note of the reference to Minnie “dripping” and the unintended sexual innuendo. Following the posted links will now take you to the D23 Expo store on shopDisney, where the ears are nowhere to be found. It is uncertain if the limited release ears sold out or if Disney chose to remove the controversial items.
Something meant to be relaxing quickly turned into a nightmare. These Disney spa face masks – not to be confused with protective masks made during the COVID-19 pandemic – went viral on TikTok.
Disney fans shared themselves trying terrifying masks inspired by Thumper from Bambi (1942), Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians (1961), Stitch from Lilo & Stitch (2002), and more beloved Disney characters.
In 2018, one half of a couples tee shirt garnered attention on the “gaybros” subReddit. u/nailatixela shared a photo of a black tee shirt they spotted at Walt Disney World Resort that said “POWER:”
Power 🐭 Bottom (Spotted in disney world) from gaybros
The shirt also featured a pair of Mickey Mouse pants, which many took to insinuate that the shirt read, “Power bottom.” The other half of the pair featured Minnie Mouse’s clothing and said, “Couple.” However, many Guests purchased just the Mickey Mouse shirt for the unintended sexual innuendo.
Some fans feel that due to staffing shortages and material delays during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Disney merchandise has gotten “lazy.” In one incident, so-called “lazy” merchandise made for yet another unintended innuendo.
Related: Guest Allegedly Attempted to Steal Hundreds of Dollars In Disney Merchandise
u/Seekhunt shared a photo from Walt Disney World Resort to Reddit:
Might wanna reconsider the design of these keychains from WaltDisneyWorld
The photo features keychains inspired by the “Kitchen Sink,” a beloved Disney Park ice cream sundae from the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom. However, the appearance of the two cherries on top of two dollops of whipped cream made Disney fans think of a certain part of the female anatomy.
Other “lazy” merchandise is less controversial. TikToker @alifacc2 has an entire series highlighting Disney merchandise that she feels expose glaring graphic design mistakes:
Disney merch is at peak ugliness #disneyland #disney #wdw #funny #SearchForWonderMom
♬ Crazy Clown Music (From the original soundtrack to “Hardly Working”) – Morton Stevens
The most egregious example, according to the Disneyland Resort Guest, is a gray shirt made to resemble an outdated meme that read “there are two types of people” surrounding side-by-side photos of Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. She says she “has no words” to describe how lazy the shirt is.
Related: Little Girl Barred From Entering Disney Store Gets Magical Gift
Additionally, the Guest feels that Disney merchandise designers rely too heavily on basic quotes that are meant to inspire the wearer. Slogans like “let’s work together” and “let your power shine” have the opposite effect, @alifacc2 says.
In another TikTok, @alifacc2 showed “lazy” merchandise at Walt Disney World Resort:
Replying to @alifacc2 here we are .. part 2 #disney #disneyworld #SplashSummerVibe #ShowUrGrillSkillz #reviews
Once again, the Guest took issue with odd slogans. First, the Guest referred to a gray shirt featuring a faded Mickey head and castle that reads “my kind of place.”
Related: Resellers After Exclusive Collection, Fill Huge Bags With Disney Merchandise
The Guest felt uncomfortable with a children’s shirt featuring Disney Princesses that read “the future is mine.” She captioned this finding with “Ok whoever is deciding these phrases needs help. This feels weird to read.”
In this video, the most insulting piece of merchandise was a Minnie Mouse-inspired dress that @alifacc2 said felt cheaply made. The dress features an open-armed Minnie with the words “cuddle time,” and a creepy 3D cat emerging from the shirt pocket.
Have you seen any Disney merch fails?
Jess Colopy is a Disney College Program alumni and kid-at-heart. When she’s not furiously typing in a coffee shop, you can find her on the hunt for the newest Stitch pin.
Inside the Magic was created in 2005. What started as a tiny central Florida based website and short weekly podcast that provided our audience the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World virtually has grown to the publishing company it is today. We focus on bringing you all things fun so you can plan your theme park vacation, enjoy Disney at home, and more.
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