Selfie Does Disney Small Shops
Honestly, before I even go through the list, if you’re not thinking “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos aplenty! I’ve got whozits and whatsits galore! You want thingabobs?”... you should leave now because that’s where we’re at. And now I have that song in my head. 🙄 That’s on me.
Annnnyhoodles, if you’re not aware, there’s a huge, huge cottage industry of Etsy stores that make the cutest freaking things for Disney fans. Now, I thought I was a person who just doesn’t have Disney tchotchkes around the house. Like, I don’t wear Winnie the Pooh T-shirts* (If you do, no shade! It’s just not my aesthetic). But in standing in my kitchen rn I see: A Mickey hand spoonholder; a Minnie apron: a Mickey cap opener: a Minnie oven mitt and a Disney cookbook so I COULD be wrong about that. So I’ll edit and say, I guess I’m not a person who BUYS Disney tchotchkes. They are gifts from Papa Josè exclusively. I do, however, love what I call “subtle Disney” things. Oh, and anything I can wear in the park which does not have to be subtle. So, basically what I’m saying is that I own ears and candles. However, I also wanted to point some cute shops that you might like as well!
I mean, if you've seen my IG at all you know I'm obsessed with these Minnie ears. They were a gift from a friend of mine with great taste and were my first foray into non-official park merchandise. These are so stunning - the perfect mix of flower crown and Disney magic. I got so, so, so many compliments on these and there were so many disappointed faces when I told the admiring masses that these had been purchased these on Etsy and not in the park. The flexible wires makes them travel-friendly and not heavy to wear all day. The women who run this shop are awesome, super funny, really nice on social media and flippin' do FLOWER. EARS. RIGHT.
So apparently, I love flower Minnie Ears. That's what we've learned . And I love, love, love the special additions this shop has. First, the extra details like the bow and the characters are so awesome. And secondly...THEY LIGHT UUUUUUUUUUUUP! I'm living my best night show life over here. If you do follow me on IG and you're like “I've seen these on there but not as much as the other ones?”. It's really a matter of the outfit not working out and not-at-all related to how much I like these ears. I legitimately wore them all day with the lights on and they were AWESOME. Another really unique thing this shop does is modified ears for small humans. This includes things like lighter-weight ears or hair clips so little heads don't get sore. It's pretty genius and I'm really tempted to get matching ears with the child model (it's my niece) I keep hiring to take photos with me. And yes, this shop is also super awesome on social media and an amazing IG feed to boot! Ooooh! Also, they are making phone cases that look so glittery and fun!
I love this shop's story, the quality of the ears, the wide-ranging collections available and the shop owner's Instagram. She also has adorable t-shirts and shouts-out other awesome small shops. Idk, just based on these companies alone, being part of that Disney small shop community seems pretty awesome. I should learn how to like...make something. But I digress. I will say, I'm generally pretty hesitant about the non-park classic fabric ears. They're cute but they can be not quite the right proportions or shape. However, this shop is really making me change my tune because while I've seen the quality of some of the official park merchandise go down (looking at you Briar Rose Gold ears), I've seen a ton of Etsy shops with really high quality items. Also, she is very cool and nice on social media (there's a theme here but like...isn't awesome to buy from people who are just passionate and nice and cool?).
I've talked about this in the Galentine's Day post but I deeply love these candles. They are made to smell like the rides, hotels and treats at Disney and NAIL it. My Dole Whip candle makes me hungry and happy. This shop also has some of the most beautiful art and is always coming out with new items and Disney-inspired items. They generally have some great sales going on and...quelle surprise, are super nice on Instagram.**
This is certainly the priciest shop on my list. She specializes in vintage Disney bounds/ dapper day clothing and man, these dresses are stunning. This is, again, another place, I think really great Etsy shops do better than the official park merchandise. Like these are similar in price to the Disney Dress Shop, but IMO puts it to shame.
I've seen a lot of novelty cups and water bottles and what-have-you on IG. Especially now that that's all that comes up in my IG. The best I've seen are these beautiful designs by this shop. Her instagram feed is just magic.
Special Mention: Oh Hey! Studios
I found these on IG this week (because again, Disney things are now my only suggestions on IG) and they really made me laugh. I know lots of Disney fans love pins and I think these would be such a cute addition for the adult collector.
Non-Small Shop but Awesome
"I thought this was a post solely dedicated to Disney Small Shops? What is this?" I know but...Selfies be shoppin' so these get special mention under "Things that I’ve found, that I love and have been forced to convince myself I don’t need but will probably end up buying or already own." If you made it this far on the post you either really like me (Hi, Mr. Selfie! I love you!) or you love Disney things so, you will probably also love these things.
Phone Cases: Casetify has the cutest freaking phone cases that are slim but also super tough. And I…drop my phone a lot.
Bags: Loungefly, far and away, has the most bags that I'm obsessed but I'm not going to purchase because I don't need themed bags. Right. Right?! How about you buy one and I’ll, I don’t know, borrow it.
Colourpop Cosmetics: This affordable make-up line has the coolest Disney collabs and just as, if not more, importantly the formulas are ON POINT. I bought the whole Disney Designer collection (at a discount and to buy gifts for people) and I love it. I am...diligently trying not to purchase the Villains collection. I've obsessed with the packaging. Seriously, They've really knocked it out of the park with the price AND the quality AND the packaging. Seriously. How?
Alright, now go spend all your shekels and please tell me what other small shops you love!!