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Credit: DisneyIs Disney officially retiring the classic Mickey ears (and Minnie Mouse ears) that millions of guests have purchased and worn at Disney parks around the globe? It looks like Disneyland Resort, the original Disney theme park, is taking a leap and stealing a page from Hong Kong Disneyland.
The classic Mickey ears have been one of the go-to Disney souvenirs from Walt Disney World to Disneyland to all of the parks overseas. Whenever a new attraction is announced, Disney will create a pair of ears to go along with it, as well as new movies or just fun new designs.
The Mickey ear has become a staple in the classic Disney outfit. Upon a brief review of disneybythenumbers.com, it becomes apparent that annually, 2,500,000 “Mouse Ears” hats are purchased solely at Walt Disney World in 2017, one of eleven Disney properties, which just proves how popular they truly are.
So why would Disney want to take that away?
Well, they are not necessarily taking it away but adding to the basic look, creating a style not seen before in the U.S. parks.
If you have ever gone to Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort, or Shanghai Disneyland, you would know that they have a lot of merchandise that is very different than what can be found in the American theme parks. While they still have typical Mickey ears, other headwear, from a giant circular plush of Baymax to Winnie the Pooh lying on a tree stump, are among the most popular. Things tend to be more character-based and over the top with an emphasis on plush.
Now, the exchange character ears from Hong Kong Disneyland are coming to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Below, you can see what these new ears will look like, and how guests will have the chance to customize them. While you can still place two characters on each side like the classic Mickey Mouse ear look, it is also encouraged to just display one single character in the middle, or three next to each other, creating a style that has not been seen at the Western parks.
Create Your Own Headbands coming soon to the #Disneyland Resort! From your favorite Pixar Pals to Mickey & Friends, there are mini plush accessories for everyone to mix and match!
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The comments on the post are flooded with fans praising Disney for bringing a little bit of the Asian merchandise culture to Disneyland, while others are begging for Walt Disney World to also get these interchangeable ears.
According to the video, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Chip and Dale, Pooh, Tigger, Lotso, and The Aliens will be available. The characters have a strap on their base that attach through a velcro adhesive around a plain black band, which will allow for easy swaps and customization.
It has not yet been confirmed when these ears will arrive at Disneyland. However, it does say that they will be coming “soon.” Mickey ears at Disneyland typically begin in the $34.99 price range, but we would expect these interchangeable ears to cost more, depending on how many characters you choose to add to your set.
We do know that they will be sold at The Mad Hatter on available on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park and Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff in Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure Park, so keep your eyes peeled next time you head to the happiest place on earth.
We have seen Disney take notes from their popular Asian park merchandise and bring them to the U.S. parks in the past, specifically with the Figment plush hat that wraps under the chin, which is a style that is seen all throughout Toyko Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. While those hats are as common in Japan as Mickey ears are in America, they did not sell as well in Florida, likely due to the warm nature of the hat, and the hot climate of Orlando playing against each other.
These new customizable plush character ears, however, will not have a heat issue, and as we have seen with the popularity of customizing Disney nuiMOs plushes, it seems that the core fandom of Disneyland guests will take to this new release well.
Would you like a pair of these Create Your Own Headbands?