Do you have any Disney Dollars from trips to the Mouse House?
If you do, you’ll want to hang onto them. These popular Disney collectibles can be worth hundreds of dollars!
I was fortunate to receive one as a gift from a friend who’s a huge collector of Disneyana (Disney memorabilia and collectibles).
Disney Dollars were issued for nearly 30 years — from 1987 through 2016. They were eventually replaced by plastic cards.
Collectible Disney Dollars (Fast Facts)
Here’s everything you want to know about Disney Dollars…
Disney Dollars are a kind of corporate scrip, which is privately printed money used for redeeming goods and services offered by the issuing entity.
This was especially popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when some mining and logging companies paid their employees in scrip to be used at their company stores — often in rural locales where other conveniences were few and employers could charge high prices.
Disney Dollars have a much less dubious origin!
They were conceived by Disney artist Harry Brice, when the Disneyland Main Street silhouette cutter was attending a Disney memorabilia collectors convention.
They were produced on high-quality paper with intaglio printing by EPI of Battle Creek, Michigan. Anti-counterfeiting techniques, such as microprinting and glitter, were used to make Disney Dollars. And they largely resemble the look and feel of government-issued notes.
Disney Dollars were issued as fun souvenirs in the following denominations:
– $1
– $5
– $10
– $50 (rarely issued)
Each bill bears the signature of “Treasurer” Scrooge McDuck and carries an image of Tinker Bell.
They were printed in Series A, D, and T, meaning:
– A – Bills printed for Disneyland
– D – Notes printed for Walt Disney World
– T – Dollars distributed via the Disney Store
These notes feature a parade of beloved Disney characters — like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Snow White, Dumbo, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, various Disney landmarks, and more.
While many of these bills were standard issues and printed for years, several (like my Series 2008 T 80th Anniversary $1 Disney Dollar) were printed as commemoratives.
The first Disney Dollar was introduced at Disneyland in Anaheim, California on May 5, 1987.
A few months later, on October 2, 1987, the bills were put into use at Epcot in Disney World of Kissimmee, Florida (20 miles southwest of Orlando).
Disney Dollars were last printed and sold at Disney properties on May 14, 2016.
These highly collectible Disney Dollars could be used at all Disney theme parks in the United States to pay for admission, food, and merchandise.
They were also used on Disney cruise ships, and in some places on Disney’s private Caribbean Island Castaway Cay.
A few years after their introduction, Disney Dollars could be spent at Disney stores beginning in 1992.
Yes, Disney Dollars are still redeemable at their face value in exchange for services or goods at Disney parks and stores, with any change given in the equivalent amount of U.S. currency.
You might be tempted to head to one of the Disney parks and spend a fistful of Disney Dollars, but I really hope you won’t — because Disney Dollars are worth much more to collectors than just their face value! (See values below.)
Yes, but not from Disney.
Since Disney Dollars are extremely popular collectibles, you’ll need to visit a coin dealer, a banknote dealer, or a Disneyana dealer to buy them.
Are Disney Dollars worth money today? YES!
In all there are more than 170 different types of Disney Dollars out there spanning the various series, denominations, and characters.
Most $1 Disney Dollar values start at a minimum of $5 to $10 in circulated (worn) condition. Uncirculated (like new) examples of the $1 bill usually go for at least $15 to $20.
Early issue Disney Dollars in mint condition from the late 1980s and early 1990s also command premiums. For example, 1987 $1 Disney Dollars in uncirculated condition trade for $30 to $50, while the $5 Disney Dollars in mint condition sell for $100 and up.
Prices go up from there for higher denominations and rarer notes — like the 1993 DA Series Minnie Mouse $10 that fetches between $150 and $200.
Uncut sheets of Disney Dollars are prized by collectors! A sheet of 36 notes from 2013 that were part of the limited-edition series “Bad Money” and featuring Captain Hook, Cruella Di Ville, Maleficent, and Ursula sold for $5,040 in an April 2024 Heritage Auctions offering.
One of the most valuable Disney Dollars is a Series 2005 50th Anniversary $50 signed by influential Disney artist Charles Boyer. This rarity sold for $10,800 in an April 2024 Heritage Auctions sale.
This list of Disney Dollar values should give you a good start in finding out how much your Disney Dollars are worth.
For a more comprehensive guide to Disney Dollar prices I suggest you check out resources online and in print that are published by Disneyana collectors.
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century.
I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek.
I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
