Why The Disney Bubble Wands Are 100% Worth It, From A Mom Of 3
They let kids be part of the magic, and it might be the most emotional part of a trip for me.
There are some parts of a Disney trip that stick with you more than most. It’s why entire Etsy shops are dedicated to merch celebrating the Mickey pretzel or why pin trading is making an enormous comeback in the Disney universe. But nothing prepared me for the magic of a Disney bubble wand — and just how special it would make my own kid feel.
The Disney bubble wands are one of those infamous “small” bits of a trip that stick with you. You can search a million Disney subreddits and Facebook groups and find people suggesting you buy them before you head off to the park, sharing Sam’s Club deals for similar-but-not-exact bubble wands, selling literal “bubble wand” holders on Etsy — it’s a whole thing.
I knew my girls would love them. Bubbles are kind of a universal kid-pleaser (even my tween can’t resist chasing after them if her little sisters are blowing a bunch). Besides, it’s the perfect souvenir: It’s easy to hold, fairly modest in price compared to other souvenirs, and you can keep refilling it to enjoy when you’re home and need an extra dose of Disney magic.
Yet, I simply was not prepared for the truth about the Disney bubble wands. Because these little light-up toys are more than just fun souvenirs — they literally make the kids part of the magic.
And it’s seriously emotional.
The Mickey bubble wand was the only souvenir my 2-year-old wanted. We showed her plush Mickeys and Plutos, she hugged a million of those little baby stuffies, and she played with all of the Inside Out 2 toys she could find. Still, it was the Mickey bubble wand that won her over.
I didn’t get it. Sure, she liked bubbles, but didn’t she want something she could actually play with? Didn’t she want something to snuggle, something that did more than just blow bubbles?
In Disney, though, the word “just” isn’t a thing. These weren’t “just” bubbles. This was magic... and my girl knew it.
She sat in her stroller as we rolled down Main Street or headed into Tomorrowland or walked through Galaxy’s Edge and let the bubbles fly. They blew straight past her, the wind sending them sailing out like those Mickey balloons tethered to one cast member. She doesn’t even get to enjoy them, I thought. She’s not even seeing the bubbles.
But she was grinning.
It was like she was leaving a trail of pixie dust in her wake, and as I turned around to see all the bubbles floating behind us, I saw other toddlers and little kids jump up to pop them. I saw grown adults point and say to their friends, “Oh my gosh, bubbles!” I watched one woman stop her kids in the middle of Main Street, the castle almost completely pink and yellow from the setting sun, and take a photo of them surrounded by bubbles.
And my girl just kept letting them fly.
Half the time, toddlers in strollers and big kids running around with bubble wands don’t get a chance to play in their own bubbles. Rather, the bubbles become part of the Disney atmosphere, surrounding everyone around them with joy. It’s like they’re in charge of some of the Disney enchantment. They get to be part of this whimsy; they get to bring their own energy into making Disney World The Most Magical Place on Earth. It’s 100% worth it.
So buy the bubble wand. Don’t buy it before you get there. Don’t try to convince your kid they won’t play with it. If they want a bubble wand, find one of the carts and let them choose their favorite. And then just wait. The magic is about to begin.
