There are still a few more days to grab gifts for the pop culture fanatic in your life. (Truly! There are!) That means that there is still time to get something really special for somebody you care about (as long as they’re on the “nice” list).
With that in mind, here are some ideas for the person in your family (or on your white elephant list) who cannot get enough of Disney and its various subsidiaries.
“Claude Coats: Walt Disney’s Imagineer: The Making of Disneyland From Toad Hall to the Haunted Mansion and Beyond” by Dave Bossert (Old Mill Press, $65)
Celebrate one of the most underrated (and most profoundly influential) Walt Disney Imagineers with this expertly written book by Disney historian and former animator Dave Bossert. The book gives a great look at the early part of Coats’ career along with colorful deviations into his interactions with Wernher Von Braun and his personal artistic works. Praying for volume 2, detailing his EPCOT years and beyond.
“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” 4K (Disney, $34.99)
Over at Disneyland, anxious brass are busy trying to make Jessica Rabbit seem more family friendly (in the Roger Rabbit’s Car-Toon Spin ride, she’s getting a trench coat that conceals her curves), while simultaneously the company is releasing Robert Zemeckis’ masterpiece in all of its high-definition glory. Honestly, you’ve never seen the movie look this good. And mercifully, Jessica has been left alone.
Pixar Spotlight Series WALL•E Figure (Mattel Creations, $40)
The Pixar Spotlight Series, part of the Mattel Creations line (kind of like their version of Hasbro Pulse) launched this past summer with a super cool figure featuring Kevin (the crazy bird) from “Up” and the line continues with an essential new figure – WALL•E, the lovable robot from Pixar’s masterpiece of the same name. Featuring articulation and a number of cool accessories (including a mini-figure of WALL•E’s trust cockroach pal Hal), this should be on every Pixar obsessive’s shelf.
“Luca”/”Soul” 4K Blu-rays (Walt Disney Home Video, $39.99 each)
You probably are old enough to remember the agonizing wait for your favorite Disney or Pixar movie to arrive on VHS. (“Toy Story” was released almost a year after it bowed theatrically.) And while “Luca” and “Soul” never had proper theatrical releases, instead debuting on Disney’s direct-to-consumer platform Disney+, you can still recreate that magic of taking home your favorite new Pixar feature on home video, with these reference-quality 4K Blu-rays.
“A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth” by Kevin Kern, Tim O’Day, and Steven Vagnini (Disney Editions, $60)
Walt Disney World turned 50 earlier this fall and to commemorate Disney put out a big, glorious book about its history. There have been gorgeous hardcover releases put out for almost every anniversary, including “Since the World Began,” which is essential for any Disney fanatic, and it’s lovely to have a new book this beautiful to slot alongside those earlier tomes.
Mondo Tiki Mugs (Mondo, $45 for M.O.D.O.K., $55 for Venom)
Disney and Tiki culture go hand-in-hand, thanks largely to Adventureland and the Trader Sam’s bar at Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s resort hotels. So it makes sense that Mondo, the Austin, Texas-based proprietor of fine pop culture items, would put out mugs of two famous Marvel villains. These feature a terrific sculpt and are very large, in case you want to do a heavy pour for your next tropical cocktail.
Hawkeye T-Shirt (Boxlunch, ShopDisney, and Hot Topic, various)
“Hawkeye” on Disney+ has offered a unique merchandise opportunity – with its Christmas setting it makes for all sorts of wonderful T-shirts and long sleeves that feature the ugly Christmas designs from the show, arrows encircled with Christmas lights, and other fun designs. Shop around on these sites and find one that perfectly expresses you or a loved one’s appreciation for the Marvel Studios series.
