Currency With Character – Disney Dollars

Last month the news broke that Disneyland and Walt Disney World will no longer sell Disney Dollars.  Guests who have Disney Dollars and wish to spend them can still do so, but the Disney Dollar is going away.  As one would expect, Nick’s got quite a collection of this “Currency With Character” for us to discover.  Have a great weekend, Disney friends!!!

Currency With Character – Disney Dollars

By Nick

Disney Dollars were introduced in 1987 at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

For an in depth history of Disney Dollars, please check out disneydollars.net.

I bought my first Disney Dollars at the Disney Store in 1992, for use on my first trip to Walt Disney World that year. I saved a few, and have picked up more through the years.

Let’s start with the earliest dollars, 1s and 5s.

A waving Mickey greets us.

“May be used as legal tender only at Disneyland Park, Walt Disney World Resorts and the Disney Stores.” “Disney Dollars may be spent or collected and saved as souvenirs and are redeemable at any time before or after any time of inactivity.”

Series 1991.

Treasurer, Scrooge McDuck. Of course!

A Series

 .

A lovely illustration of Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle on the back.

Goofy looks proud to be honored with the 5 Dollar bill.

For my second trip to Walt Disney World in 1994, I picked up a few more Disney Dollars, including this fiver.

Same disclaimer as to where the dollars could be used, but with a notation that they could only be used in the U.S.A. and Puerto Rico.

The highlight of this is the absolutely beautiful illustration on the back.

1993 was Mickeys 65th birthday, and this momentous occasion called for a special dollar, and Mickey is decked out in a tuxedo to celebrate.

1993 was also the year that Mickey’s Toontown opened in Disneyland, which is commemorated on the back.

Disney Dollars even came with their own fun envelopes. “Currency With Character”. Cute!

In the future, I’ll share some Disney Dollars from the recent past.

Do you have any Disney Dollars?  Will you spend them or save them as souvenirs?

To read more about Nick’s amazing Disney collectibles and his many Disney adventures, visit the Disney Musings Blog (where this article first appeared).  You can follow Nick on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.  You can also listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about our love for all things Disney – new episodes every Sunday morning.

Disney World Stuff I’m Never Going to Like

Being a serious Disney fan does not mean you have to automatically love each and every aspect of all things Disney.  I can (and often do) wax poetic about Walt Disney World and why it’s my favorite vacation destination, but that doesn’t mean I’m unaware of the existence of some things I don’t care for.  There aren’t many, really, only a handful.  Some of you will be huge fans of some of the items on this list and most likely will find fault with some of my favorite things in return.  For the sake of discussion, though, I invite you to consider what tops your own list of…

Disney World Stuff I’m Never Going to Like

Remember when I made this list of attractions I could live without?  Well, consider this sort of an addendum to that first look at this other side of Disney World fandom.Scan-Magic-Band-to-Board-Disney's-Magical-Express

Magic Bands should know more – I’m not going to lie here – I am crazy about the ease and convenience of Magic Bands when they work properly.  Hello!  Room key, park ticket, FastPass, charging feature – all are fabulous to me.  Now I want them to know I’m all of the following:  Annual Passholder, DVC member, and Tables in Wonderland user.  How can this not be working already?  I hate to think that Disney wouldn’t automatically want to apply appropriate discounts by maybe hoping we’ll forget we’re eligible? If attractions like It’s a Small World can know my name by my Magic Band, when I scan my band at a checkout counter, it should know I’m due a discount.Winnie-the-Pooh-attraction-sign

Mr. Toad is living on the West Coast – I finally forgave poor Winnie the Pooh for taking over the real estate and I refuse to be a perpetual whiner about this, but I will freely admit I miss Toad and his darkest of dark rides.  I’m seriously working out a plan to visit him in California in the not too distant future.Pineapple Dole Whip

I wanted to like Dole Whips but I don’t – Again, no secret here.  Bazillions of people adore these pineappley (made that up) frozen treats.  I wanted to belong…I wanted to be one of those uber-fans.  Alas (if ever there were an opportunity to say “alas” this is it!), it was not meant to be.  On the bright side, turns out I’m a Citrus Swirl Girl!!!!  And that makes me happy.Epcot in Summer

Future World in 2016 – If you never knew what it once was, you could kinda overlook what it is today…but I do remember and I long for a much more meaningful, interactive, edutainment-filled Future World.  WHY can we not have this again?  Oh, I know…Disney’s spread thin right now with so many projects over in Animal Kingdom and the Studios.  Which brings me to the next item on the list…RM-Animal-Kingdom-Construction-Walls

The Castle Crane and Construction Walls – The crane (affectionately referred to by many, including myself, as Frasier) is a necessary evil when the Christmas lights go on and come back off of Cinderella Castle.  I’m always a little heartbroken for first-timers who cannot get a crane-free Castle photo.  I know the why, but I don’t have to like it.  Likewise with construction walls.  They’re inevitable for progress to take place and sometimes, those clever Imagineers make the walls a bit entertaining…but they obstruct, impede, and diminish.  I’m never going to like them, but accept their necessity and am excited by all the new attractions I’ll get to enjoy.RM-Magic-Kingdom-Autumn

Reduction of Extra Magic Hours – If you haven’t noticed, there are fewer Extra Magic Hours than there used to be.  We’ve always been fans of the morning variety (our kids love late night EMHs) and can’t help feeling a little bit gypped by this once so useful perk being reduced.  Having been touted for many years as a real advantage of staying on property at Walt Disney World, the reduction in quantity of Extra Magic Hours strikes me as Extra Unfortunate for those of us who purchased our Disney Vacation Club memberships, in part, based on this early entry (or late night) advantage.

I know I’ve told readers not to whine at Walt Disney World, but I will be the first to give you permission to NOT love absolutely everything.  What tops your list of things you’re never going to like?