(I bet they're not what you think!)
America is my favorite country, and lots of us love our Americana even more than our Disneyana. America is home to lots of fun parks, especially our phenomenal state parks. And it's home to our favorite parks of all, Disney Parks! You know the Sun Never Sets on the Disney Magic because there are Disney Parks around the globe.
When you think of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, it's natural to envision the American flag fluttering in the background. They've both become a part of our culture in a way that possibly no other franchise has achieved.
What makes Disney so special is that it's almost like a universal language. Children and adults all over the world smile at the sight of Mickey, and they flock to parks in multiple countries to stand in front of a fairytale castle or stroll through a real-life Fantasyland.
Many of Disney's fantastical castles were inspired by the real castles of European countries, and many of the Disney Classics are inspired by their real-life monarchies. One of my favorites is the English monarchy.
Today marks the second anniversary of the end of an era -- the day that Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away. I know. What's this got to do with Disney and pins? Well did you know that there was actually an official Disney pin released in celebration of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee in 2022? It's PP#150468 and features Minnie Mouse wearing a crown and a matching skirt in purple, the color of royalty. Since it was only released through the UK Disney Store and sold out in a matter of a few hours, it's a crown jewel in my pin collection.
While Queen Elizabeth never visited a Disney Park herself, she's certainly left her mark in them over the years, as she did all over the world. Back in 2021, Disney actually released a charming animated short called Winnie the Pooh and the Royal Adventure. This sweet, rare gesture honors the shared 95th birthday of Pooh and the Queen by showing Winnie the Pooh and Friends delivering a special gift to Buckingham Palace.
When Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in February 1952, Walt Disney was busy formulating a new idea, which he submitted two months later in the form of a sketch of a "Fairy Land" to Anaheim's Recreation and Parks Commissioners.
It was another eight months before WED Enterprises was officially incorporated for the development of Disneyland. During the year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee (1977), Space Mountain opened in Disneyland. During the year of her Golden Jubilee (2002), pin trading was already an official "Disney Tradition" (as celebrated with PP#4080) and Pin Traders was opened in Downtown Disney (as celebrated with PP#13969). I had forgotten there's even a Cast Member version of this pin (PP#18816)!
During the 2022 celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee, June 4-5, a special "Jubilee Trifle" dessert was served in EPCOT's World Showcase at the Rose and Crown and the Yorkshire County Fish Shop. Today, you can still find lots of great royal and other British commemoratives of all kinds in the shops of EPCOT's UK pavilion.
On September 8th of 2022, Disneyland and WDW joined the world in lowering their flags to half-mast (or half-staff) in memory of the life and reign of Britain's longest-reigning monarch, a rare and moving sight with Cinderella's Castle, Spaceship Earth and the monorail in the background.
While this truly was the end of an era, it was also the beginning of a new one, and Disney didn't let it pass without a merchandise opportunity. Britain has a king for the first time since 1952, and after so many decades it's Mickey's turn to wear the royal crown!
A dazzling Limited Edition pin was released through the UK Disney Store, but this time it was in honor of "Coronation Day". PP#157735 is a slightly larger edition size than the Jubilee Minnie and features glitter accents. It was only available for a couple of days, however, before the "Sold Out" button appeared.
Trying to explain why it's exciting to wake up in the middle of the night to catch the live stream of a Royal Ceremony in Westminster Abbey is much easier than trying to explain to my Queen why I'd get up at the crack of dawn for a pin release. But for those of us who feel the thrill of both those experiences (and I am NOT a morning person), I'm thrilled that Disney commemorated the special occasions with these "regal gems".
Even though Queen Elizabeth II never visited a Disney Park or met Mickey, isn't it cool to know that her mother did?! Here's Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, with Mickey in 1979 during a visit to Canada. Why was Mickey there? He was in Toronto to commemorate 1979 as the United Nations' International Year of the Child.
So, are you like me? Do you love the Royal Celebrations of the United Kingdom? The royal coronation, the weddings, and even the memorials?
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