For Years I’ve Used This Disney Wallet Rather Than a Fancy Travel Wallet and It’s Done Just Fine

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For Years I’ve Used This Disney Wallet Rather Than a Fancy Travel Wallet and It’s Done Just Fine

The nature of wallets and what one needs to travel with are rapidly changing. From e-tickets to cashless economies, the global economy is transitioning to having most things buyable, storable, or accessible via smartphones. Even public transport cards are being replaced with digital alternatives in some places around the world. But between being old-fashioned and living on-and-off in cash-driven countries in the Global South, I still use a traditional wallet to function around the world. Not a fancy or expensive travel wallet, but a small one I bought 20 years ago during my work and travel at Disney World. With Mickey Mouse smiling back at me, this wallet has done just fine ever since. Here are the things I like about it, and the few things I would change if I could.

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Things I appreciate about my Disney wallet

Photo: Debbie Gonzalez Canada

A unique wallet is a conversation starter

My Matador colleagues and I were discussing some fancy travel wallets, including one with RFID blocking technology (meaning, it can help prevent unauthorized access to your e-passport and credit cards). I ended up admitting I use a leather Disney wallet that I bought 20 years ago, and other people admitted to their own peculiar wallet choices. The whole thing made me realize that the best feature of my Mickey Mouse wallet is how well it works as a conversation starter. It works like a charm with most children and even adults. It is also useful to spot judgemental people (by that I mean a person who would roll their eyes and judge me as a “grown-ass woman with a Mickey wallet”), which fortunately my travel colleagues are not.

It carries everything I need, except for a passport – and I wouldn’t want it to

For some, the definition of a travel wallet is that it must fit your passport. But I wouldn’t want to bring out my passport everytime I bring out my wallet, even in travel-specific situations, such as in the airport or a bus/train terminal. Being brought up in a country where pickpocketing is normal, I learned that putting every valuable in one place can be asking for trouble. My passport travels hidden in my backpack’s pocket, and that tactic has served me well so far.

The Mickey Mouse wallet has enough room for:

A photo ID card (e.g., an Argentinian ID or a driving license), which in some countries you always need to carry with you.Cash, including the majority of paper notes I’ve seen around the world, with the exception of the largest ones, such as British banknotes.Four cards (in my case, two debit cards, a credit card, and a health insurance card)An external pocket for an additional card, which is ideal for a public transport pass.A small pocket for coins… which, to be honest, I mostly use to carry small amulets.It forces me to be a minimalist (which I am not)

I wish I could Marie Kondo my packing list, but I am usually carrying too much just in case. If the wallet wasn’t so small, I would collect lots of paper shit from my travels, from maps to museum tickets and gift receipts. The minimal size forces me to clean my paper pile often, and I am grateful for that.

It is surprisingly long-lasting

My Disney wallet is made out of leather and fabric, and it’s in pretty good shape considering how much I use it and how little attention I’ve paid to the leather. I am surprised that even the red glitter that dots Mickey’s shorts is still around – I was not betting on that when I got it almost two decades ago.

What I would change about my Mickey Mouse wallet if given the choice

There might come a point when I really need a wallet with RFID blocking technology. I don’t think Mickey alone will melt away the sophistication of pickpocketing, petty crime, and identity theft.
I sometimes wish I could wash or somewhat clean the fabric parts of the wallet, but it’s not too bad considering how much I’ve used it.
If I were designing it from scratch, I would add maybe one centimeter in length, so British notes and the like would fit in more comfortably.

Our favorite Disney wallets

For the Disney lovers out there, I did my best to find current offerings. Aside from options at the Disney store, some of the best looking options for Disney wallets are offered by Kate Spade and Loungefly.

Kate Spade leather wallets with vintage Minnie and Mickey designs: minnie mouse wallet

Photo: Amazon

Kate Spade New York x Disney Minnie Mouse Leather Card Holder
Buy NowKate Spade New York Disney X Minnie Mouse Zip Around Wallet
Buy NowKate Spade New York Disney X Mickey Mouse Large Continental Wallet
Buy NowDisney x Loungefly Collection: lungefly disney wallet