The best gifts for Disney and Universal theme park lovers
It’s the first week of November, and that means it’s officially the holiday season, which is my favorite time to visit our local theme parks. Disneyland is first out of the gate, unveiling its full slate of holiday programming on Nov. 13. Universal Studios Hollywood and Knott’s Berry Farm will follow the weekend of Nov. 20.
For many, it’s also a season of gift giving, which can be one of the most daunting parts of this time of year. Thankfully, our theme parks are here to help — enter any of them and it’s difficult to walk more than a few feet without passing a souvenir shop, stand or stall.
To celebrate the start of the holiday season — and to coincide with the launch of The Times’ extensive gift guide — I’ve decided to dedicate this newsletter to some of my favorite items currently available at our theme parks. A word of warning, however. I’m a bit of a dork for monorails, and I like silly things, so this list does possess a slight personal bias. But like our paper’s guides to stocking stuffers or unique, made-in-L.A. items, consider it primarily a source of inspiration.
Or a reminder, perhaps, to schedule a visit to one of our theme parks this holiday season and bring home a little gift for yourself.
Disneyland
My favorite new item available at Disneyland is essentially a flip book, albeit one styled as a vintage ‘50s-style TV with brown casing that can house multiple oversize flip books. Turn it on, and it springs into action, playing scenes from either “Steamboat Willie,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” or “Flowers and Trees,” all classic pieces of Disney animation. The images unfold, of course, where the screen would be, and the set also plays music from the animated works. This Disney Animation Television (pictured above) is $99, and you can find it at Disney California Adventure’s Off the Page. It is a park exclusive.
I warned I was a monorail fiend, and new this year at the Disneyland Hotel is a collection from midcentury artist Scott “Scooter” Burroughs. I know many a Disneyland fan is a mug collector, so I’m highlighting this Burroughs-designed Disneyland Hotel item, which has the hotel’s vintage logo on one side, and Mickey and Minnie carrying luggage in front of one of the hotel’s towers and monorail on the other. The teal Disneyland Hotel coffee mug (pictured above), complete with an ornate Disney “D” handle, is $24.99 and available in the hotel’s gift shop.
I’m also showcasing the $24.99 monorail salt & pepper shakers (pictured above), which despite having been available for multiple years, remains my favorite gift at the resort. Yes, they’re in the style of Walt Disney World’s current monorails. but I love the mini track holder and smile every time I use them. Available throughout the resort, including Disney Home in Downtown Disney.
A new Fantasyland sweatshirt has arrived at Disneyland.
(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)
The Disneyland Resort has in recent years upped its fashion game. Too often I’d spy a shirt or sweatshirt I liked, and turn it around only to find the understated design on the front was paired with a garish creation on the back. Thankfully, the park seems to be moving away from that style, and this year debuted a gorgeous, restrained yet artful Fantasyland sweatshirt featuring a flying pirate galleon from “Peter Pan.” It’s $69.99 and available at multiple shops, including the Disneyland Hotel or the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. I love its minimal use of colors, pairing a creamy white with a royal blue.
For the last Disney item, I’m going to pivot slightly to include a selection from Walt Disney World. As I write this newsletter I’m listening to the newly released “Epcot” vinyl (pictured above), a two-LP set that spans the history of the Florida park. As someone who visited the park yearly as a child, it’s a nostalgic joy, featuring music from “Journey into Imagination,” “Universe of Energy,” “The Land” and more, but the primary keepers for me are some of the Future World instrumentals. This is available online from the Disney Music Emporium for $32.99.
Universal Studios
I can’t resist when Universal Studios Hollywood releases items that center the park’s tram tour. So I immediately wanted this King Kong plush (pictured above) that features the giant gorilla cradling a mini tram vehicle. This, in my mind, is a nod to the attraction when it featured a large animatronic of Kong that would create the illusion of rocking the ride vehicles, so in addition to being cuddly, it has a sort of vintage coolness. This park exclusive item is $30, and can be found in the Universal Studio Store near the entrance.
I don’t think the kitchen cupboard of any Universal Studios Hollywood fan is complete without a few pieces of the park’s retro glassware (pictured above). I have the one styled after the late great E.T. Adventure ride, which opened here in 1991 but sadly left the park in 2003. The ‘80s-style graphic cups have mini ride summaries. Each one is $10, and the park also has glassware styled after the “Back to the Future” ride (RIP) and the Kong section of the tram tour. The items can be found in the Universal Studio Store.
There’s a whole lot of Yoshi’s in this colorful shirt at Universal Studios Hollywood.
(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)
Universal Studios Hollywood is also the go-to shop for fans of the “Harry Potter” franchise and Nintendo. I’m a bigger fan of the latter, so I’m going to focus on a couple of my favorite Nintendo items. I’ve long been eyeing this Yoshi camp shirt, but I’m not yet persuaded I can pull it off; one of these days I’m sure I’ll be break down and buy the $75 item. I love its mix of green and pinks, and dig the soft, playful vibe. Plus, everyone adores Yoshi.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s mini-”Jaws” puzzle is an ideal stocking stuffer.
(Todd Martens / Los Angeles Times)
The park also has a fair amount of Nintendo toys, including Mario, Bowser and Yoshi, but I’m a big fan of the dancing Piranha Plant, which spins and rotates when exposed to noise. It’s $37 and a little goofy, but I can’t have plants in my apartment because my cat instantly destroys them, so I’m always on the prowl for toys that double as greenery.
The Universal Studio Store has small sections dedicated to a number of the films featured in the park, and I was smitten with this mini “Jaws” puzzle, which would make an excellent stocking stuffer for fans of the Steven Spielberg classic. It’s $15, comes in an easy-to-store capsule, and features bright, cartoonish poster art.
Knott’s Berry Farm
I love all things boysenberry and at any time throughout the year you can find numerous boysenberry items around my apartment. Lately, I’ve been using the park’s boysenberry cream hand soap, which sells for $16.99. Look for it at numerous shops at the theme park, including the main store just outside the park or the hotel gift shop. It does have a powerful berry fragrance, but I don’t mind as it allows me to pretend I’m spending the night at the park. If you can’t make it to the park, Knott’s sells a $12.99 boysenberry bath bomb online.
The boysenberry, a Knott’s creation, is a delight, a sort of midpoint between a blackberry and a raspberry, although sweeter than both. That’s why I never don’t have a jar of boysenberry jam (pictured above) on hand. They’re $12.99 and available pretty much everywhere at the park but also online. The boysenberry jam is a hearty jelly, its taste reminding me of fall, as it’s not a thin, easily-spreadable jam.
Knott’s stages its annual boysenberry fest each spring, and it’s always a good time to sample dozens of boysenberry-infused foods. Typically, I prefer a more subtle touch, which is why I’ve become a big fan of the park’s boysenberry pancake mix, which sells for $7.99 and is available throughout the park and online. Each bundle is good for a number of meals, although I tend to use more than the recommended dose for thicker, larger pancakes. It’s not a heavy boysenberry flavor, so if you want to go overboard you can pair them with boysenberry syrup, which sells for $12.99 per bottle.
While I focused on boysenberry items in this list, it would be derelict of me not to mention that Knott’s Berry Farm is a prime source for all things “Peanuts.” The boysenberry, however, is such a SoCal original that I’ve been known to visit the park for the sole purpose of snaring a boysenberry pie, which I should mention is a perfect Thanksgiving dessert.
This week in SoCal theme parks
Layoffs last week hit Disney’s experiences division, which oversees its theme parks.
(AaronP / Bauer-Griffin / GC Images)
- Layoffs hit Walt Disney Imagineering. Last week The Times revealed that just under 200 people would be cut from Disney’s experiences division, which includes Disney’s theme parks, cruise line and Aulani resort and spa in Hawaii. Many of those involved, sources say, were with Walt Disney Imagineering. None of the currently announced projects for the Disneyland Resort are believed to be affected.
- Another coaster is coming to Magic Mountain. Six Flags’ Valencia park is soon going to be home to ArieForce One, which previously resided at the now-shuttered Fun Spot America near Atlanta. Six Flags purchased the coaster earlier this year, but at the time did not announce where it would be relocated. Magic Mountain hopes to open ArieForce One in 2028, according to a park spokesperson. The news was first reported by Brady MacDonald of the OC Register.
- Express access comes to Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Getting on Universal’s fancy new coaster will now be a little easier, at least for those who are willing to pay to skip the line. Universal Studios Hollywood is now selling a paid line-skipping pass for $19.95 per person. This will give you an entry time to return to the attraction.
- Happy holidays! The Disneyland Resort is giving us a beer stand. Set to open in the coming days at Disney California Adventure is Bountiful Valley Brews, a new beer stall that will also sell a pepperoni pizza egg roll. In addition to local ales, Bountiful Valley will also sell a margarita and a Southern whiskey peach tea. The kiosk will be located near the entrance to Avengers Campus.
- A new immersive experience is coming to Anaheim. TeamLab, the Japan-born, tech-heavy immersive art collective, is plotting its first permanent U.S. exhibition in Anaheim. The group, stylized as teamLab, is moving into a 110,000-square-foot space at OCVibe, the 100-acre mixed-use entertainment district currently in development near the Honda Center. The teamLab spot is not estimated to open until 2030, but a press release specifies this will be a new exhibition and not a re-creation of one of the collective’s popular international exhibits.
Tell us your stories. Ask us your questions.
Have a theme park tale to share? Whether it was a good day or less-than-perfect day, I would love to hear about it. Have a question? A tip? A fun photo from the parks to share? Email me at todd.martens@latimes.com. I may feature your note in an upcoming newsletter.
Ride on,
Todd Martens
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