The holidays are here, there’s snow on the castle and it’s time to get that shopping done! For those that love travel and theme parks, we’ve got ideas to add to your list. For those that are looking for presents for that theme park-loving person, we’re here for you. For those that just need to buy themselves a present, treat yo’ self! This holiday gift guide includes items we take to the parks or traveling constantly as well as things that remind us of our travels when we’re back at home.

Every item on the list includes a link. We don’t encourage anyone to buy things you don’t need but if you are interested then using our links will help support our site. Some of what we’ve listed includes stuff we really like, other things are good deals on stuff that looks fun or interesting. Let’s get to it!

Gift Ideas for Travel

Disney Theme Park Tickets

Whether it’s Disneyland or Walt Disney World, tickets into the parks are getting to be the most expensive aspect of a trip. If you’re willing to shell out the dough, they are a perfect Christmas present! Undercover Tourist also has discount tickets to Universal or other theme parks. We thought we’d start with the obvious ones.

Mickey Mouse Packing Cubes

Melissa swears by packing cubes and I must admit that they are very effective. Do I always have the patience to use them? No. But when I do they make packing and organizing during a trip much easier. If you’re a chronic overpacker then this could be a game changer, regardless of where you’re going. And if you’re going to buy them then they might as well have Mickey Mouse on them!

Mini Borealis North Face Backpack

This has become our backpack of choice while traveling. On longer trips, I’ll generally pack my much larger camera backpack but this is a nice option if you’re not hauling around a back ache’s worth of gear. The small size is still enough to pack a couple of sweatshirts in, along with some odds and ends. This is a perfect size to fit into your suitcase too, before you start using it for days in the theme park.

Sitting Mats

A trip to Japan introduced us to the world of sitting mats or pads and now there’s no going back. Look, I’m not above sitting on the ground. But it’s nicer not to! These specific sitting mats have a little cushion to them, which you may appreciate while waiting for the parade or fireworks.

Melissa’s Shoe Pick! – Hoka Clifton 9

Hoka’s are Melissa’s shoe of choice! From the source herself: “They have a nice cushion to them and last all day long.” She uses them for running as well as walking around theme parks city streets. The Clifton 9’s are her pick but I think any brand of Hoka’s will serve you well.

Andrew’s Shoe Pick! – ON Cloudswift

My brand of choice is ON. I’m a recent convert to this athletic brand and I may never go back. These are the most supportive shoes I’ve ever had and can notice a difference after just a day of not wearing them versus wearing them. Like the Hoka’s, I think any edition of the shoe will do but I’ve loved my Cloudswifts!

Baleaf Women’s Rain Jacket

Christmas or a birthday is always a good reason to get a new jacket! We’ve opted for a practical one instead of overly fancy, as getting caught in the rain during a trip can be memorable for good reasons until you’re still soaked through 2 hours later and then it’s memorable for bad reasons. We’ve linked a women’s jacket but this company also has plenty of men’s options! While we swear by ponchos at Disney Parks, I also don’t think anyone should put ponchos on their Christmas list. You deserve more!

Samsonite 2 Piece Luggage

Another recommendation from Melissa! This luggage set has treated us very well, being durable and practical. There’s plenty of space in the larger suitcase and the smaller one is surprisingly roomy for a shorter trip. Bonus points to you if you get a fun color!

AirPods Pro 2 & Plane Adaptor

I’m not much of an Apple product snob but will admit to loving my AirPods on planes. Most of us just want to tune out on planes and let the time go by quickly. AirPods block out the noise very well. I’ve also included an adaptor so that you can use AirPods with whatever screen the plane has.

AllBirds Shoes

Just in case you didn’t like the previous shoe recommendations, we both love AllBirds. They are comfortable and environmentally friendly. AllBirds are also more budget friendly than the other two options we’ve included. I’ve got several pairs of the wool runners and will continue to buy them.

Anker Portable Charger

I can’t go on any big trip without a portable phone charger. Disney Parks especially drain the battery on your phone and you’ll want some backup along the way. This Anker charger is the best I’ve found, holding a lot of juice and charging phones quickly!

Nikon D850

If you’re a weirdo like me that loves to take photos on all hours of a vacation, then a fancy camera makes that all the more fun. Some would recommend a mirrorless option but this is my current camera of choice! If you want more camera opinions, drop a comment and I’ll either respond there or make it a separate post.

Foldaway Duffel Bag

As we’ve started traveling more and more, we’ve somehow gotten much worse at packing. I don’t understand it either. While simply not being bad at packing would be ideal, I’m not sure this is a simple fix. Instead we’ve just started packing an extra bag inside of our other bag. This makes cramming stuff into a suitcase easier, knowing that we’ll be able to lighten the load once we’re through the airport phase. These foldaway bags are also great if you’re planning on picking up quite a few souvenirs.

Luggage Strap Bag Bungee

You’ve got that extra bag but you don’t know how to carry it? These brilliant bag bungees were a game changer for us. Truth be told, we got ours at a store in Japan but they’re cheap on Amazon too. They’ll easily keep that bag from falling off your roller suitcase.

Women’s Disney Featherweight Woodward Small Belt Bag

We’ll keep the bag trend going! This has been Melissa’s favorite bag for the parks over the last few years. She wears the bag over one shoulder and it easily fits in her phone, ID, and a few other small items. It’s perfect for an afternoon inside of Disneyland.

Gift Ideas for Home

Bring the Magic Home

A Melissa choice, this book gives practical ideas on how to bring Disney themes into your home. As someone who enjoys my wife’s decorating but could never do it himself, this book is a nice idea!

Poster Art of the Disney Parks

For a quick and easy look into the history of Disney Parks, this book showcases some of the classic attraction posters that each ride has. This is one of the best theme park coffee table books you can find, as most people like seeing the different art regardless of if they’re a theme park fan or not!

Vintage Disney Parks Posters

If you’d rather have the posters instead of the book, then here you go! I love the looks of these and you could really overbear guests with the amount of Disney Parks references in your house if you have these. Win-win!

Classic Disney Golden Books

Now that you have the neon sign, you need a book to read under. All of the doctors agree that reading under a neon light is best for your eyes (do not take our health advice). Anyway, these books are very pretty and a short retelling of some classic Disney stories.

Tokyo Disney Electrical Light Parade CD

Does anyone buy CD’s anymore? If you do then may I point you to this delightful Tokyo Disney Electrical Light Parade soundtrack. It’s a day brightener and something that we turn on and it takes us right back to the parks.

Dole Whip Candle

The parks are a sensory experience and smell plays a role more than you might realize while there. Having a Dole Whip Candle at home might take you right back to the memory of the Tiki Room! There are a number of other Disney Parks candles if Dole Whip isn’t your thing.

Muppets Clue Board Game

Was it Miss Piggy in the Prop Room with the Swedish Chef’s Frying Pan? You won’t know until you play the board game! No, they’re not paying me to say that. This is just bringing my childhood dreams to life and I’m so happy it exists!

Mickey Mouse Satin Pillow Case

What better place to rest your head than on Mickey Mouse? Well, maybe I should phrase that better. Who doesn’t love a satin pillowcase though? Even better if it reminds you of your Disney Park days at the hard nights of sleep that followed.

Mickey Waffle Iron

“And in the mornin’, I’m making waffles!” Even Donkey knows that waffles taste better if they’re shaped like Mickey Mouse. The creators of Shrek might argue with that assessment but the chances of them reading this is about as high as me actually being an ogre. Anyway, Mickey Waffles every Saturday morning sounds like a great family tradition!

Guide Books!

If you’re just sitting at home and thinking about the next trip then you could just start planning it! There are several guide books that have helped us over the years. Our favorites include the Lonely Planet Japan Guidebook, Unofficial Guide to Disneyland and the TDR Explorer Guidebook. All of them are wonderful in their own way!

What Disney Parks gifts are you interested in? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! For those planning a trip, our planning guides might help along the way! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!