Okay, Disney Princess fans, this one’s for you (oh, and you Villains fans haven’t been forgotten, either)!

I always love to check out the mugs in the big merchandise shops around Disney World – places like Magic Kingdom’s Emporium, Epcot’s Mouse Gears, and Downtown Disney’s World of Disney.

Why, I don’t know, because I have way more mugs than I have people to pour coffee for… plus, I’m pretty sure they multiply themselves (I mean, I couldn’t have purchased all of those, could I?). But still, I’ve always liked the idea of a souvenir that you can use in your daily life — and use often, at that.

Well, my most recent visit to the Emporium was rewarded with my first look at these: the new line of Princess mugs!

Much like the popular ear hat ornaments, these mugs incorporate distinctive elements of a particular character’s design and story (in fact, Disney Merchandising has stated that this line was inspired by the ear hat ornaments).

First, for those who might be unfamiliar with the ear hat ornaments, here’s an example.

Now on to the mugs! I have to start with Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), because I love how the clever design showcases both her pink dress as well as her blue one. I’m also pretty impressed with the way the “gems” are painted in such a way that they almost look real.

Snow White’s mug is certainly eye-catching, due to her bold primary colors as well as the sparkling apple.

By the way, the sparkling apple is what makes this one unfit for the microwave – I did not find that to be the case with the other mugs when I peeked at the bottom (though I should note that Cinderella’s mug wasn’t yet on the shelves the day I saw them, so I’ll need to check. I can’t wait to see that one!).

You gotta love that so many of our Princesses have iconic hair-dos, and those have been incorporated into each mug handle as well. Arguably, the most famous locks belong to Rapunzel…

Though many are partial to Ariel’s red hair.

And then there’s always [Read more…]