9 places to find Disney magic in and around Seattle

Disneyland has finally reopened its gates to guests from other states amid the pandemic, but if you’re not ready to head to the Mouse House, there’s plenty of theme park magic here in Seattle and Evergreen State. Here are the top 10 Disney- and Disney-inspired must-dos this summer from where to get a real dole whip to the national park where Walt and Lillian Disney went on their honeymoon.

Dole Whip in the PNW

The Dole Whip has become synonymous with Disney parks. The iconic pineapple soft ice cream is dairy-free (and vegan) and yet totally creamy. But you don’t have to travel to Anaheim or Orlando to get this frozen treat. Disney does not own the Dole Whip. It only has one license to use it. And in the International District goPoke also has the license and the real Dole Whip. It’s exactly the same soft serve formula as in the parks. Even sweeter? It’s $ 2 cheaper. Like Disneylands The Tropical Hideaway, goPoke can make dole whip swimmers. But what makes this place in Seattle unique compared to Disney Parks is the Hawaiin Frost and Dole Whip Eddy. This hybrid coconut soft ice cream concoction is licensed by the Dole Food Company in only three locations, and goPoke is one of them. The coconut and pineapple combo is the dole whip that masters them all. Regular dole whips in the parks will never taste this good.

Downtown Disney ice cream

Seattle has another popular frozen treat at Disneyland: Salt & Straw. Portland ice cream company, known for its unique flavors, opened a location in Downtown Disney in 2018, and another location will open in Disney Springs in Walt Disney World in 2022. There are two locations in Seattle, one in Ballard and one in Capitol Hill, and a third shop in Kirkland.

Monorail History 101

The monorail is the epitome of Disney transportation. The parks would feel so empty without these mid-mod moves. And the Seattle Center too. Seattle not only has its own monorail, but also the OG monorail: Alweg. The German company pioneered the straddle beam monorail and built the original monorail system at Disneyland in 1959. The Disneyland monorail, however, was a five-eighth scale version. The train was built to scale for the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962 and was also the country’s first complete monorail system.

Today, Disneyland’s monorail trains have been updated with a signature slim cone nose. But you can still drive the original 1962 red and blue Alweg cars over the Seattle Monorail. There is no such thing as a smooth nose. These wagons are flatter like pugs. But there’s something magical about driving through a piece of history and clinging to an original design that so many, including Walt Disney, believed was the mode of transport of the future.

‘UP’ House IRL

Do you remember the house of “UP”, which was surrounded by new buildings and high-rise buildings? It’s a real house – and it’s in Ballard. Many speculate that the house in the Pixar film is based on Edith Macefield’s house. And the resemblance is scary. As the story goes, Macefield was offered a million dollars for her house, but she turned it down. So a development was built around the house. Macefield died in 2008, but the now vacant house still stands. It is common to see colorful balloons tied to the front fence by Disney fans who come to visit.

Unique Disney housewares

Disneyland and Disney World are great, but Tokyo Disneyland is constantly being lauded for its design and unique merchandise. From the over-the-top mega Disney stores in downtown Tokyo to rare licensed characters you won’t find in the US, Tokyo is the ultimate Disney collector’s destination. And while vacation trips to Japan are not yet possible, you can find a small solution at Daiso with their collection of Disney merchandise, from stationery to carpets. Known as the Japanese dollar store, Tokyo Daiso stores are huge with floors and floors filled with IKEA-meets-kawaii-designed products. There are six Daiso stores in the Seattle area, and while these U.S. offerings aren’t that big and flashy, the stores are jam-packed with tons of Disney items that you won’t find in the theme parks or U.S. Disney stores. The Daiso Store in the International District offers a wide selection of Disney kitchen items, from sponges in Mickey shorts to Winnie the Pooh honey jars.

Vintage Mickey Merch Vintage Disney finds can be found at the Fremont Vintage Mall. Stand after stand is littered with Mickey flashbacks, from sweatshirts to handbags to oversized t-shirts. There are even a couple of Mickey phones in very good condition, as well as some mugs and merch from the Mickey Mouse Club. And Star Wars fans will enjoy the store’s steep stairwell mural. Iconic characters and pop culture personalities like R2-D2 can be seen on the walls.

Walt Disney Archives on display

You can’t talk about pop culture without coming across a Disney brand or story pretty quickly, and MoPOP’s latest exhibit delves deep into the art of costuming classic Disney movies. “Heroes and Villains: The Art of Disney Costume” is basically your chance to sniff through the most prized costumes, props, and accessories from The Walt Disney Archives. With 70 items on display, it’s a huge new attraction. Some items have been displayed in Disney parks in the past, but others, like the original Mary Poppins costume, rarely come from high security camps.

Puget Sound Disnerds

It’s not as Disney as D23, the official Disney Fan Club Expo, but there are tons of Disney costumes to see and Disney fans to meet at the Emerald City Comicon. There’s cosplay from all sorts of Disney brands, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the Disney Princesses of the 90s. In the midst of the pandemic, the 2020 convention was canceled and this year’s celebration was postponed to December 2nd.

Mini Cinderella Castle

You can’t go to a Disney Parks gift shop and not pop! Figures or a wall of Loungefly backpacks. The two Funko brands make the hottest collectibles in the Disney fan world and it all started in Everett, Washington. Founder Mike Becker wanted to create a “fun company” and thus Funko. Funko is now known worldwide for its pop culture partnerships, but the official headquarters are still in downtown Everett and you can visit the 18,000 square foot flagship store. Even if you don’t collect Disney Funko Pop! Figures or

Loungefly accessories, you’ll want to make the 45 mile drive north as the store has giant Disney pop! Figures like Tiana, Belle and Elsa in a Cinderella castle in the Funko style. There’s even a pop! Version of Jack and Gus Gus complete with a tiny mouse door. Go through the castle gate for even more sinister pop! Displays like Maleficent and Jack Skelington. There is also a pop! Vignette for Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe with some hidden treasures and surprise noises.

Retracing Disney’s Steps

Disney trivia fans know that Walt Disney and Lillian Disney love to travel, and many original theme park attractions and designs have been inspired by their adventures. But before Disneyland and before Mickey Mouse, Walt and Lillian went on their first big trip in July 1925: their honeymoon. And they decided to visit Mount Rainier. The National Park Service doesn’t know much about the Disney’s journey or what landmarks or trails the Disneys visited as it was before their celebrity status and fame. But if the couple visited in July, they likely saw the beautiful wildflower meadows.

Some historian accounts suggest that the Disney’s only spent a day sightseeing as Walt Disney had severe toothache and the Disney’s drove to Seattle to have his tooth pulled. According to Leonard Mosley’s biography Disney’s World, Disney spent his entire visit to Evergreen State “with a scarf around his face”. And Lillian Disney describes it as Disney that “looks like a bear and just as grumpy as one”.