About a week ago, I was exploring Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom when I noticed the balloon vendor was holding some iconic Mickey Mouse balloons that were solid color instead of the semi-translucent colors we’d grown accustomed to as of late.
Look close and you’ll see solid orange, yellow, and lilac colors. I’m not sure if those translucent green and blue balloons are new colors too.
You’ve probably seen the cast members struggling against the wind to hold their balloon bunch, or pausing to take a photo with a guest who just wants to hold all the balloons. They’re almost as big a part of Disney’s theme parks as the background music on Main Street.
The balloons are also sold at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but not EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the later because of safety issues with the animals.
You may not know that the balloons are actually sold by an outside vendor, not Disney itself.
Mickey balloons have changed style, color, and even gained a protective plastic outershell, but they’re still an iconic, if fleeting, souvenir for a Disney vacation.