Personalized Mickey Ears!
And, y’all, it’s hiding in plain sight!
Okay besties, I need to talk to you about something that has been living rent free in my head ever since I discovered it and I genuinely cannot believe it took me this long to find out about it!
We are talking about one of the most magical, most personal, most completely one of a kind souvenirs you can bring home from Walt Disney World. And the wild part? Most people walk right past it every single trip without ever knowing it exists!
I am talking about personalized Mickey ears at Magic Kingdom, and no, besties, I do not mean the classic embroidered ear hat from the Emporium on Main Street! I am talking about something so much more special than that!
So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let me walk you through exactly how to get your own personalized Mickey ears because by the end of this post you are going to be adding a very specific stop to your Magic Kingdom itinerary and you are going to thank me for it later!
STEP ONE: GRAB YOUR EARS FIRST
Before you do anything else you are going to need a pair of plain black faux leather Mickey ears! Recently, Disney has even had pink & white faux leather ears too! You can find these at pretty much any Magic Kingdom gift shop, the Emporium on Main Street USA is your best bet for the widest selection! But, sometimes these can be hard to find so I would start my day by locating your ears.
These simple faux leather ears are your canvas and what is about to happen to them is going to transform them from a cute park accessory into the most personal and meaningful pair of ears you have ever owned! I am not being dramatic, I genuinely mean that!
Pro tip: While Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe does usually have ears in stock, it is always a good idea to grab them from the Emporium first to make sure you have exactly the style you want before heading over for customization!
STEP TWO: FIND YE OLDE CHRISTMAS SHOPPE
Now here is where the adventure begins and I promise this is going to make complete sense in a moment even though I am about to tell you to walk into a Christmas store!
Make your way down Main Street USA and veer left toward Liberty Square! As soon as you enter the area you will see Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe right across from the Hall of Presidents!
Yes, the Christmas store! The one that is open three hundred and sixty five days a year regardless of the season! The one that most guests associate exclusively with ornaments and holiday decor! The one that is hiding one of the absolute best kept secrets in all of Magic Kingdom right inside its walls!
STEP THREE: HEAD TO THE BACK OF THE STORE
Now here is the part that trips most people up and why so many guests miss this entirely even when they DO wander into the store!
Do not wait in the front line or the one you meet when you first come in from Main Street! Although you will see personalized Mickey ears on display near the front, you need to walk all the way through the store to the back left where you will find a desk completely devoted to customizations!
This little desk tucked in the back corner is where the real magic happens y’all! The cast members stationed here are genuinely talented and the work they do is absolutely stunning! I could watch them work all day long, it’s like witnessing tiny wearable art being created right in front of you!
STEP FOUR: MAKE THEM COMPLETELY YOURS
This is the fun part and trust me when I say the options are going to make your head spin in the absolute best way!
The cast member will ask you questions about colors, add-on designs, and free designs! You can add your name, a date, a special message, or choose from a wide variety of designs to make your personalized Mickey ears reflect exactly who you are and what you’re celebrating!
Depending on the occasion you can add things like graduation caps, fireworks, and even spiderwebs for Halloween! The customization options change throughout the year to reflect the season and any upcoming special events, which means your ears from a Halloween trip can look completely different from your ears from a Christmas trip or a birthday trip! Each pair tells its own story!
You can personalize your Mickey ears to celebrate anything, like:
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A birthday: add your name and age with birthday confetti designs
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An anniversary: names and dates with hearts and fireworks
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A graduation: graduation cap and your school colors
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A first trip: baby’s first Disney trip is a moment that deserves to be remembered forever
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Just because: because YOU deserve a pair of ears that are completely and entirely yours with zero occasion required!
STEP FIVE: GO ENJOY THE PARK!
Once you place your order the cast member will give you an approximate return time and then the best part happens! You get to go off and enjoy Magic Kingdom while your personalized masterpiece is being created!
Ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! Grab a Mickey waffle! Watch the parade! Do all the things! And then swing back by Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe to pick up the most special souvenir you have ever brought home from Disney World!
PRO TIPS FOR THE BEST EXPERIENCE
Y’all I would not be doing my job if I did not give you every single tip to make this experience as smooth and magical as possible! Here is everything I wish I had known!
Go early in the day, the customization desk can get busy, especially during peak seasons and holiday parties! Head there first thing in the morning, place your order, and then go enjoy the park while your ears are being made! This way you are not racing back at the end of the day when your feet hurt and your energy is gone! 
Come with your design in mind, the options can be a little overwhelming in the best possible way! Think ahead of time about what name, date, or design you want for your personalized Mickey ears so you are not standing at the desk trying to make decisions while exhausted from a full park day!
Visit year round not just at Christmas. This is a YEAR ROUND service y’all! You do not need to visit during the holiday season to get personalized ears! Sunshine Tree Terrace is always open, the Christmas store is always open, and the magic is always available no matter what time of year you visit!
Check the display cases near the front. When you first walk in take a look at the display cases near the entrance, they showcase examples of different customization styles and designs which can give you incredible inspiration for your own pair of personalized Mickey ears before you make your way to the back desk!
Order for everyone in your group. Seriously, get everyone a pair! Matching personalized Mickey ears for a girls trip! Couples ears with both your names! A whole family set for your first family trip! The possibilities are absolutely endless and the result is the most cohesive and meaningful matching set your group will ever wear!
AND WHILE YOU’RE THERE…
Since you’re already inside Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe you might as well explore the whole store because it is genuinely magical in its own right!
You can also have ornaments personalized with a name, date, or small design while you wait, making this the single best one-stop shop for the most meaningful Disney souvenirs you will ever own! Personalized ears AND a personalized ornament from the same trip? Yes please and thank you!
The store is full of gorgeous Disney Christmas decor, character nutcrackers, holiday themed merchandise, and some of the most beautiful ornaments you will find anywhere on Disney property, all available year round for those of us who believe it is always the right time for a little Christmas magic!
WHY THIS IS MY FAVORITE DISNEY SOUVENIR SECRET
Here’s the thing y’all, Disney World is full of incredible souvenirs! The Loungeflys, the pins, the popcorn buckets, the spirit jerseys, I love all of it and I will never apologize for any of it!
But there is something about a pair of personalized Mickey ears that hits completely differently from everything else!
Every other souvenir at Disney World, as beautiful and magical as they are, can be purchased by anyone! They exist on shelves and in stock rooms and on ShopDisney and they are wonderful! But a pair of personalized ears? Those exist ONLY for you! Your name! Your date! Your design! Your memory! Nobody on the entire planet has that exact pair of ears and they never will!
THAT is what makes this the best kept secret souvenir at Disney World! Not because it is the most expensive or the most flashy, but because it is the most personal! And at a place that is entirely built around creating magical memories, a souvenir that is uniquely and completely yours just feels exactly right!
HOW TO FIND YE OLDE CHRISTMAS SHOPPE
Location: Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom, across from the Hall of Presidents
Hours: Open daily during regular Magic Kingdom park hours
What to bring: Your plain black, white, or pink faux leather Mickey ears purchased from any Magic Kingdom gift shop
Where to find ears: The Emporium on Main Street USA has the best selection
Customization desk: Walk all the way through the store to the back left corner
Have you ever gotten personalized Mickey ears at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe?! I want to hear ALL about it, drop a comment below and tell me what you had put on yours! And if this is your first time hearing about this hidden gem, save this post immediately because you are going to want it for your next Magic Kingdom trip!
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The Best Kept Secret Souvenir at Disney World – Personalized Mickey Ears at Magic Kingdom