Attention all Disney and purse fans!  Did you know that Dooney & Bourke and Disney have collaborated to bring some fantastic bags to the masses?  I was recently working down in Orlando, FL and my husband sends me this link from the Disney Parks blog about a new Disney and Dooney & Bourke purse line that is to be released while I am down there.  Being a Disney and purse fanatic, I naturally checked into it.  And WOW is all I have to say!  Well, maybe not all.  Read on to hear the rest.

The release my husband actually sent me was for a new line, but Disney & Dooney had apparently paired up in 2009 to create these masterpieces.   It apparently started with the Sketch design which you can see above, but there a few differences in the ones originally released and the new ones they are now selling.  Both runs came in various styles (which you can see below) and are the PVC-coated cotton.  This is an important point.  A lot of people mistake these purses for plastic and wonder why you would pay that much.  I was actually operating under the same assumption until I asked a Dooney & Bourke employee about it.  She informed me that these types of purses are actually cotton cloth coated with PVC.  This allows more flexibility in style and design, but also lets you enjoy and carry your bag without destroying it.  I mean, let’s face it,  those designer canvas and satin bags are beautiful, but a lot of times you are simply too afraid to carry them because you don’t want to mess them up.  This is especially true the more expensive the bag.  The PVC coating allows you to have style and function because you can actually clean it with a soft toothbrush and gentle soap.

The main differences between the first run and the second is the following:

- The first edition has a yellow Dooney & Bourke banner on the pattern.  The second edition excludes this banner and replaces it with a tasteful leather tag (see on picture above).

- The first edition does not include Minnie and the second does.

- On the first edition, the Disney World and Disneyland banners are separate.  They are combined on the second edition.

This being said, both versions are beautiful.  You can no longer purchase the first edition from Disney, but I have seen it on Ebay.  You can purchase the second, but availability changes daily.  Also, if you are considering the Sketch design, if you have a favorite character or scene you want on it, either make sure to look through all the stock available (the cast members don’t mind) or ask if you are ordering over the phone, to make sure you get the characters or designs you want.  The purse has Mickey, Minnie, Tinkerbell, the Cheshire Cat, Dumbo, the castle with fireworks, a crown, Mickey balloons, Mickey ears, stars, hearts, a rose, Walt Disney World and Disneyland banners, Cinderella’s slipper, Minnie’s bow, a music note, etc.  Donald and Goofy’s hats are on there as well, but the characters themselves do not make an appearance.  The appearance of the purse is strictly up to fate and the cut of the cloth, so make sure you look or ask someone else to if ordering by phone.  For example, I purchased the bag pictured above and wanted to make sure the Cheshire Cat was on mine.  You can see he made an appearance on the back bottom right corner below.

Disney and Dooney also brought out a black PVC coated cloth purse collection.  It has numerous silhouettes of Mickey all over it in a variety of colors.

And on February 26, 2010, they brought out several handbag styles in the Mickey Mouse Tonal series, the pink with green Minnie Mouse series, and the blue  and white Mickey Mouse series.  The pink and blue bags are canvas.  I have not been able to determine the cloth type on the brown bags.  See some of the new styles below:

So if you have glanced through these pictures and decided that you want one of these bags, here are few things to keep in mind.  Even though this is a collaboration between Disney and Dooney & Bourke, you can only purchase these bags at the parks or Downtown Disney in CA or FL.  You cannot buy these from a department store that sells Dooney & Bourke, the Dooney & Bourke website or the Dooney & Bourke outlet stores.  If you do not happen to live near either Disney destination or will not be traveling there soon, you can call the merchandise number and order the bags.  You can find some of them on Amazon and Ebay, but you will pay more.  Most of the bags run between $49 for the wristlet to over $200 for the larger handbags if you order them from Disney.  Happy shopping!