My New Winnie the Pooh Cookie Jar

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Saturday morning, Raymond and I struck out to cover a long list of errands.  First we cast our ballots in this year’s election before we headed to the pharmacy for flu shots.  (One of these activities was much less painful than the other.)  With the serious and grown-up portion of the days’ plans behind us, we celebrated with lunch at one of our favorite local eateries and toasted our morning with glasses of beer appropriately named “Reasonably Corrupt”.election-2016-voters

After lunch, we decided to do some early Christmas shopping and browse the shops in our local antique district.  As we were strolling in and out of our favorite places, I spied Winnie the Pooh.  All by himself, surrounded by unrelated items, Pooh sat calmly contemplating a jar of hunny with a big sticker across his nose.  The sticker provided quite of bit of info:  Pooh is a cookie jar with a small, repaired chip on the back of the lid, and is available for the reasonable price of $17.50.  Of course I stepped closer for a better look and to inspect aforementioned damage – which was barely detectable.  Raymond paused in his explorations long enough to take in the situation and declare, “I don’t think we can go home without him.”  Unexpected discoveries are the BEST, no?winnie-the-pooh-cookie-jar-profile winnie-the-pooh-cookie-jar-back

Winnie the Pooh in tow, Raymond settled up with Susie, the proprietor, and we made our way back down the street to our car and headed home.  Now this precious new addition to our Disney collection is brightening up our kitchen, just in time for Christmas cookie baking!

A little online research shows this cookie jar as having been manufactured by Treasure Craft in the mid-1990’s.  The bottom of our jar clearly shows Treasure Craft, Disney, and Mexico which leads me to believe our Winnie the Pooh is indeed an authentic Disney licensed version.  winnie-the-pooh-cookie-jar-bottomFurther digging revealed a suggested current value of $25-$40.  I also found Pooh for sale online in several places, going for anywhere from $49.99-$89.99.  As I have no intention of keeping him solely for his future earnings potential, I’m finding him a place of honor where he can be adored for years to come (and consider our new friend to have been excellent bargain!).winnie-the-pooh-cookie-jar-front

Have you come across an unexpected, irresistible Disney treasure? What was it?

 

Disney Flea Market Treasures: Disneyland Postcards

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It’s time for another Saturdays With Nick!  Today I’ve found some unique and interesting Disneyland postcards to share with you.  They provide a great look back to what aspects of Disneyland were considered postcard-worthy in the early years.   Have a great weekend!

Disney Flea Market Treasures: Disneyland Postcards

By Nick

 

I picked these 3 Disneyland postcards up from one vendor recently. Usually I wouldn’t buy postcards without someone’s vacation memories written on them, but the man offered 3 postcards for $2, so I went for it. Plus they were in beautiful condition.

The first 2 are from between 1956 and 1966.

“Guests entering the Magic Kingdom are greeted  by a floral Mickey Mouse and the Santa Fe and Disneyland Depot where a scaled down model of a passenger train of another era puffs out of the station to take them on a scenic tour of Disneyland.”

Each postcard has a logo, representing the land it’s from. This one is for Main Street, USA.
The Jungle Cruise is never actually mentioned by name on this next postcard!
“Elephant Bathing Pool“

“Far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia, an explorer’s boat cruises past Indian elephants at play in their sacred bathing pool-one of the many thrills that await jungle travelers in the wonder world of Adventureland.

This last piece is a postcard/booklet from 1967. Adventure thru Inner Space: Presented by Monsanto opened in 1967 as part of the new Tomorrowland, and closed in 1985. The cover of the booklet is the postcard.

“A view of Monsanto Company’s attraction “Adventure Thru Inner Space” in Disneyland. Located in the newly expanded Tomorrowland, the futuristic building houses a ride through the inner space of a snowflake, in a vehicle called an “Atomobile”. The rider feels the unusual illusion of shrinking to the size of the atom.”

The first half of the book is a look at the ride.
The second half is a look at the products of Monsanto and some of “its many costumers.”
Facts about Monsanto.
The back cover.

You can follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and all their friends on their many Disney adventures:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.  You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about all things Disney.

That Time I Rode Mad Tea Party

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I’ve managed to enjoy many trips to Disney World without, until recently, ever stepping foot into a teacup.  While Megan once said it might be her favorite attraction, I’ve never been a huge fan of anything that spins.  So I’ve always just walked on by Mad Tea Party without the urge to change the fact that it’s among the very few attractions I can’t add to my list of once-and-done.magic-kingdom-selfie

That Time I Rode Mad Tea Party

I wouldn’t say I succumbed to peer pressure, but Megan and Lyndsey (Joseph’s girlfriend) were irresistibly enthusiastic when they noticed Mad Tea Party had no line and we had plenty of time to spare.  They’d been adorably happy, dressed in cute Disney shirts throughout our trip.  They were always smiling and excited to see and do as much as possible.  I caved and somehow convinced Raymond to go with us.  Our group of seven walked right on and, finding the teacups of our choice, split up and climbed aboard.mad-tea-party-friends

We had plenty of time to look around and take a couple of pictures because our Mad Tea Party experience was delayed…by a guy with a selfie stick!  Yes!  Those Fantasyland Cast Members were vigilant in their duties and just as the ride was about to begin, one of the Cast Members announced to another that there was a selfie stick among the guests!  I was immediately interested!  Captivated, really, to find out the fate of the offending guest and his contraband photographic device.  Poor guy!  He was rapidly approached by a serious, stern Cast Member, intent upon her duty.  His selfie stick was confiscated, his information gathered, and he was summarily informed that he would be able to retrieve his property at the park’s exit when he was ready to leave.  Clearly, all he wanted was a picture of himself on Mad Tea Party and instead ended up humiliated and selfie-stick-less.  (A list of all Disney park rules can be found here.)mad-tea-party-newbies

Once the selfie stick was dispatched per Disney regulation, the ride began…and seemed to end within moments.  I was somewhat disappointed.  Here I’d avoided this most iconic of Disney attractions because I was worried about the spinning and it was a, well, a dud.  I didn’t feel the joyful thrill reflected on those faces in the Disney commercials.  Raymond and I, in our pink teacup, revolved around the Tea Party a couple of times and the ride was over.  Not as spin-ish as I’d imagined and much shorter than expected.mad-tea-party-chillin

There you have it.  Megan and Lyndsey were happy and that made it all worthwhile.  Raymond and I survived Mad Tea Party and can check it off the list of Disney attractions we’ve tried.  I also learned a valuable lesson should I ever be tempted to attempt the use of a selfie stick in Magic Kingdom.

Mad Tea Party fans!  What am I missing?  Is this attraction a must-do on your Walt Disney World vacations?  WHY?

Disney World Ruins Pirates of the Caribbean?

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Purists lament most changes and updates to Disney rides and attractions that add or remove original elements.  Long have we heard the unhappy rants over Haunted Mansion’s additions on the inside and out.  Diehard fans will forever mourn the loss of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Snow White’s Scary Adventure, SpectroMagic, and Maelstrom (to name a few).pirates3

Disney World Ruins Pirates of the Caribbean?

I’ve heard more than a few grumblings over the additions to Pirates of the Caribbean through the years and I’m honestly surprised the cries have not grown louder of late.  Recently (about a year ago), this most beloved Adventureland attraction became the recipient of new scents to some of the ride scenes.  pirates4 During a lengthy refurbishment that added new lighting, updated costumes, a softer drop, and more fluid-moving animatronics, the new fragrances were added.   piratesherekitty piratesinjailYes, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” smell fans have long adored (that dank, musty, sulfur-tinged Orlando water aroma) is virtually no more (you can still smell it loud and clear in the ride queue, if it matters).  As you sail along, you’ll now notice what many describe as a “rum” smell and a “burning” odor (among others).  Similar to the “Rome Burning” fragrance in Spaceship Earth, Pirates now has its own set of custom scents.piratestownburning

A quick search of the internet does turn up a few discussions about the new aromas, but I’ve yet to find a definitive list of how many there are and exactly what we’re supposed to be smelling.  Personally, I’ve loved Pirates of the Caribbean in all its different versions and configurations throughout the 25+ years I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World.  The newest changes have made no difference to me…except the scents.  piratesbarbosa2 piratesskeletonThey don’t bother me and my ride experience is not ruined, but I’m perplexed by how mysterious they are to me.  Maybe my sniffer isn’t as sensitive as it once was, but I can smell only two different aromas – one smells sweet and a bit like a particular green apple bubble gum I used to love as a kid.  The other smell is the scent of burning, which matches the burning town scene and makes sense (or should I say scents) to me.pirates1

What about YOU?  Have you noticed the new aromas in Pirates?  Please tell me…what do they smell like to you?  Do you like the changes that have been made to this attraction through the years?

NOTE:  I know the pictures I’ve used in today’s post are grainy and of poor quality and I’m sorry about that.  I’m a firm believer in “No flash photography” on dark rides and this was the best I could do with my iPhone.