Theme with A Vintage Twist: Disney

I can’t remember if I told you guys already or not, but the fam has been planning a trip to Disney World since January — yeh, before the whole economy scare. (Our timing is always stellar.) Anywho, we decided to stick with the plan, forget reality for a week, and head to sunny Florida. This will be Gracie and Aidan’s first time to DW. We’re really looking forward to it (minus the 10-hour road trip) and as you might expect, the kids are bouncing off the walls already. Granny & Pop are even joining us (it’s their first time too)!

So in the spirit of our upcoming adventure, I thought now was the perfect time to talk about vintage Disney! When it comes to decorating, I’m personally not a fan of the Disney Princesses, Cars, and Buzz Lightyear decor which is available in every department store from here to eternity. But believe me, I know how much the kids love them. Lightning McQueen is a member of the family. But I’d like to think that maybe there’s a way to fulfill the Disney dynasty with the kids while throwing in a bit of vintage flair that stands apart from the aisles and aisles of Disney-branded merchandise. Is it too much to hope for?

Believe it or not, yesterday was the 80th anniversary of Mickey Mouse’s debut in Steamboat Willie. (Who says my timing is bad!) Finding vintage Disney really isn’t hard. It’s incredibly popular and collectible. Prices on rare pieces can get pretty high, but there’s so much Disneyana (that’s the avid collector’s term) out there, you’re sure to find something in even the most modest price range.

I went through eBay looking for vintage pieces that I thought might inspire you. Let me take you on a little tour…

If you have an extra, say $1000 or so, you might want to check out this fabulous 1930′s Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse doll (shown above) currently up for auction on eBay. Even if you can’t swing the price (yeh, me neither), it’s still worth a peek. It’s the epitome of vintage Disney collectibles.

Another vintage Disney treasure I found was this Mickey & Minnie Vintage Pail. Wouldn’t it look great filled with vintage wooden alphabet blocks? (Stuff the bottom with newspaper first so it doesn’t take so many blocks to fill the pail.) You could use it as an adorable bookend or display it as a central focus on a wall shelf or dresser. This particular one is sold, but you can find many more like it on eBay.

Disneyana isn’t only about Mickey and Minnie though. Bambi, Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Dumbo (my personal all-time favorite) — the list goes on and on. You can find vintage versions of all of them and more. Here are two more examples of great oldies that are just itching to be rediscovered and adored…

Vintage Bambi Alarm Clock, circa 1964

Vintage Classic Dumbo Comic Book

Are you just giddy now with inspiration? Ok, well maybe that’s overstating a bit, but I hope you did enjoy the trip down memory lane. That’s truly one of the best things about Disney — the characters that we grew up with are still there among the Jasmines and Lightning McQueens our children are growing up with today. And you better believe I plan to point out every one when we get to that amazing wonderland in the sun — Walt Disney World.