Many of us have loved, collected and used Disney Dollars. For those unfamiliar, Disney Dollars are Disney’s paper notes that look like real money and feature characters such as Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Dumbo, and Tinker Bell on the front. They’re only good at Disney Parks and stores, making them essentially like gift certificates. According to multiple reports Disney will stop printing Disney Dollars on May 14th.
It’s truly the end of an era for Disney nerds. Printed as part of a brilliant marketing strategy, the notes were conceived as part gift certificate. The rise of gift cards and the general unpopularity of paper money in the digital age has de-facto made Disney Dollars obsolete. Disney staff were told earlier today, but the company has yet to make an official statement.
Disney Dollars were once so popular that they actually underwent similar anti-counterfeiting measures as regular American currency. Some examples of this include “microprinting, intaglio ink printing, serial numbering, and special material imprinting,” according to DisneyDollars.net, an online resource for the scrip. The bills also have a small amount of glitter on each one and even feature unique serial numbers. The currency is known for using intaglio steel engraving for high-quality printing and the use of 100 percent cotton paper to look and feel like real money.
Disney Dollars will continue to be accepted at Disney locations, since they have no expiration date. But unless you have hundreds of notes to unload you should probably just hold on to them for a bit. The resale market for even once-common Disney products can be pretty lucrative after a few years.
First introduced in 1987, Disney Dollars were a brilliant marketing strategy on Disney’s part. They were kind of like gift certificates posing as souvenirs. Taking home a Disney Dollar note not only gave kids something cool to hold on to, it gave them an incentive to bug their parents about visiting a Disney park again.
Disney News Today 