What makes this Disney Parks merchandise must-have souvenirs?

Tis the season for shopping, and what better place than Walt Disney World or Disneyland? For many, if not most, travelers, a fun part of the vacation experience is bringing home a souvenir or two. We love to have something tangible to remind us of our time spent exploring new places. And there’s no doubt that Disney merchandise is some of the most popular — for personal use and for collectors.

But every season now there seems to be an item or two at the Disney theme parks that is short supply after shoppers collectively decide that it’s a must-have item. Social media helps spread the news about the popular item, and travelers and collectors snap it up, leaving Disney trying to keep up with the demand.

This spring, it was the Enchanted Rose tumbler. The clear plastic cup had the famed rose in the middle of the base, a lid with various light-up features, and a clear plastic straw. It was released to promote the live-action version of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” and quickly sold out first at Disneyland. When it finally was introduced at Walt Disney World, guests could only purchase the tumblers if they had reservations at Be Our Guest, and even then there were purchase limits. And the Enchanted Rose Tumblers still sold out. People were reselling the tumblers that cost $13 for as much as $75 to $100 on eBay! Eventually, a different version from the restaurant tumbler was sold at Disney Store locations and then theme-park merchandise stores.

For several months now, the must-have merchandise item has been Rose Gold Mickey Mouse ear handbands. I’m not sure why this particular item became so sought-after overnight, other than the color is a popular one right now. Still, Disneyland and Walt Disney World have not been able to keep these mouse ears in stock. Many people who got their hands on the $25 headgear have been reselling them for double the price. Others want to show off their prized possession in the parks, which has prompted guests to count the number of the Rose Gold Ears they see each park visit as a sort of online game.

Now, many Disney fans have been left wishing Dooney & Bourke had produced more of its new Disney Dogs and Disney Woodland Winter bag collections. Both lines had been announced over the summer and were eagerly anticipated before their releases during Black Friday weekend. Guests lined up at Disney Springs on the first day the bags were for sale, with the Dogs bags commanding a three-hour wait for guests who wanted to be among the first to purchase the bags. The Dogs bags sold out on Disney property within a day, while the Christmas bags have lasted for about a week. Both collections also were sold on the ShopDisney website and Shop Disney Parks app, where the stock was quickly depleted. The demand for these bags was so great that Disney began cancelling online orders, leaving many unhappy customers.

With a seemingly endless supply of new merchandise at the Disney parks, what makes certain items the new “it” purchase for Disney fans? What do you think? Tell us in the comments, please.