While Tokyo Disney Resort often sells souvenir trays and serveware featuring some sort of event going on at the park, rarely does the resort sell actual trays like those given to Guests dining at the restaurant… until now! Guests love that nearly every counter service restaurant at the resort has a unique tray to carry your food, so it makes sense to replicate and sell these incredibly thoughtful pieces of the parks. Starting June 1st, Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall […]
Greetings from Black Spire Outpost! Whether you like all things cute and cuddly or bold as a bounty hunter, there’s new offerings at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios that are sure to please. Let’s see what’s new! Creature Stall Tooka-Cat — $49.99 This blue and green cutie may not be sporting a smile, but we’re sure happy to see them. The tag offers more information about the creature. For example, the Tooka-Cat is a carnivore. (Maybe keep […]
World of Disney at Disneyland Paris’ Disney Village will once again reopen on the weekends leading up to the resort’s reopening on June 17. What’s Happening: Disneyland Paris has announced that World of Disney at Disney Village will be reopening on the weekends from noon to 5:00 pm starting on May 22 through June 13. The […]
Greetings, World Travelers, from another beautiful day at EPCOT! We had a quiet day here, but we didn’t mind as it gave us plenty of time to check up on all of the construction projects going on here. Let’s get started! On our way into the park, we drove under the welcome arch on EPCOT Center Drive and found it to be visually completed. From what we can tell, the repainting is finished, and final checks are being made before […]
I remember as a child, a trip overseas meant finding a present for your teacher and a small token gift for everyone in your class. Back in the days when it wasn’t common to travel overseas from Australia, gifts were a good way to include your friends in the experience equally and soothe your teacher about missing school. As time passed, it became hard to decide who you would buy something for and who wouldn’t make the cut. Immediate family members? Close friends? Kids of said close friends? It can be a never-ending cycle of gift-giving if you don’t draw the line somewhere.
Fast-forward to traveling with my own children; I can’t help but notice how much more expensive those trinket-type tokens of friendship are. Suddenly, $20 for 25 class keyrings and pens has blown out to $50 or $60. Add on top of that the friends and family gifts that add up, it’s easy to spend a few hundred dollars and an entire suitcase full of other people’s souvenirs. Looking through this week’s Monday Merch Meeting, I was gazing through the Pins in particular as something I might have previously purchased a few of for friends as a little token of my love, but at $9.99 plus tax a pop, these little babies are now an expensive option to take back for the folks at home.
In recent years, I have pared right down, only picking up special, unique gifts for a handful of people, usually when I come across something they will really love, not simply for the sake of giving them something. I find it much more meaningful to find something special and buy it with someone equally special in mind, not just ticking off a gift list. Some people get it, travelers themselves, they know what a pain and cost it is to be buying for everyone. Others are not so understanding, clearly gritting their teeth through false smiles, feeling entitled to a piece of my vacation. It’s one of the few changes I have made as an adult that has shown me the true colors of those around me.
Of course, the guilt is always there. I would love to bring something back for everyone, I really enjoy giving gifts in general, but the impracticality outweighs the want for it. In some ways, it makes me sad; this was once a tradition that I loved, a gesture of generosity that included the people you love in your experience abroad. I fondly remember choosing a unique mug from the shops within Disneyland for my teachers, the younger me deciding on the most extravagant and flamboyant one I could find, usually packed with characters and 3D molding. I would present it to them with such pride upon my return, usually with my class as my audience while I spoke of our adventures at news (show and tell) time.
I wonder if I am the only one who has made this transition or if the times we live in have changed this part of traveling for others too. Having to save long and hard for that extra pair on Minnie Ears I will collect on each trip, who has extra money to be spending on something for everyone? Not to mention everything I buy I inevitably want to keep for myself; who doesn’t need another trivet?
Do you still manage to bring home a series of gifts for friends and family? I’m curious to know if you do it because you can or because you feel somewhat obligated to. In turn, how do people respond when you don’t have something for them upon return? And if you have given the tradition away, do you miss being able to spread the joy? Lastly, what is your go-to souvenir to pick up for people at home?
Perhaps it doesn’t feel as pressing when you are visiting the parks domestically; maybe this is a pressure more so reserved for international travelers when the expectation is greater? Let me know your thoughts on this one in the comments below.
Although major construction on Universal Beijing Resort was completed in December, the massive new resort has yet to officially announce an opening date. But a Tweet from the fairly reliable (albeit unofficial) Universal Core account on Twitter suggest that Universal Beijing Resort including Universal Studios Beijing is preparing to open to Guests incredibly soon! According to Universal Core, Universal Studios Beijing at the resort has soft opened for Team Members this week, and the resort is planning its grand open […]
We have been waiting for the opening of this restaurant for a very long time. After many delays, we may finally be closer to an official opening announcement! Space 220 Space 220 is a new table service restaurant, which will be located next to Mission: SPACE. Upon entering the restaurant you will take a special […]
The Undefeated and Hollywood Records have announced the artists and track list for their four part musical series, Music for the Movement. Vol. 3 titled Liberated will be available to commemorate Juneteenth. What’s Happening: Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3 EP is set for release Friday, June 18, in celebration of Juneteenth. The EP is the third […]
This month, National Geographic is throwing things back to the Mesozoic era for DinoMAYnia! The company’s online hub for kids features a variety of activities, fun facts, games, and interesting scientific discoveries, all geared toward young dinosaur fans. What’s Happening: In celebration of International Dinosaur Day, National Geographic Kids is inviting young fans to join […]
May 31st, 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre and National Geographic is making up for lost time in several ways. The latest episode of Overheard at National Geographic is called “A Reckoning in Tulsa,” featuring historian Scott Ellsworth, forensic anthropologist Phoebe Stubblefield, and National Geographic History writer Tucker Toole. Articles will appear in the […]