You can find hidden treasure at the Disneyland Resort. While it may not consist of golden doubloons, it is every bit as priceless. There are countless sets of often-hidden and always-valuable Disneyesque items for you to find during your vacation. Sometimes these items are purposely hidden; other times they are out in plain view for all to see but few to notice. Hunting for your favorite item can add a new dimension to your vacation! Here are our favorite things to collect:

Disney Characters and Autographs

Live Disney characters abound, and kids of all ages delight in spotting them.  If you want to "bag your catch," take photographs—and try to get yourself or your family in the picture! Keep in mind that characters are popular and crowds will form. If you know when your characters will appear, show up early to greet them. Tip: Ask a Disney cast member or Guest Relations about character appearances for the day, or download the Disneyland app (available free on the major app stores) on your smart phone or device. You can also collect autographs from characters who are able to sign their name. Special autograph books are available at most shops, or you can bring your own. Or use the PassPorter's autograph page behind the index (print editions). Try to bring a wide-barreled pen or marker so the character can hold it easily. You can also have the characters sign hats or shirts (which must be Disney or noncommercial), but shirts cannot be worn while they are being signed and you need something to slip under the fabric to provide a writing surface. We have an entire 266-page e-book called PassPorter’s Disney Character Yearbook, which is all about finding, meeting, photographing, and getting autographs from the characters. It also includes a full page dedicated to each character you can meet at the parks. Characters are generally easier to find and get autographs from in the Disneyland parks than at Walt Disney World.

Abby shows off her
pressed penny collection
by CinderAbby

Pressed Pennies and Quarters

One of the least expensive souvenirs at the Disneyland Resort is pressed coins. Souvenir pressed coin machines, found throughout the parks, impress different Disney designs onto pennies or quarters. Cost is 51 cents for a pressed penny and $1.25 for a pressed quarter. Designs differ from machine to machine, making a complete collection a worthy achievement—see some of Abby's collection, above and left. Bring rolls of shiny pennies and quarters along with you—the hunt for a money-changing machine isn't nearly as much fun. While there are good lists of pressed coin machine locations on the Internet (try http://www.presscoins.com/), finding them is half the fun! Tip: Buy a keepsake book at Disney's gift shops to store your coins. Tip #2: The tubes for Mini M&Ms make fun carriers for your pennies and quarters—make sure you use the shiniest pennies you can find for the prettiest pressed coins. The Disneyland app, available for free through most app stores, will also give you an interactive map of all the machines, if you're not up for a hunt.

Free Stuff

Disney may seem to be a mecca of capitalism, but you can still find free things for the taking, and they make great souvenirs! Some may even become collector's items one day. You can collect guidemaps, brochures, napkins, paper cups and plates, containers, bags, menus, and more.