The Value of Disney Dollars – How Much Are They Worth?

Discover the value of Disney Dollars today!
This photo was taken by Michael for Countdown to Magic

Disney Dollars were paper “currency” that was printed by the Walt Disney Company beginning in 1987. These bills were for use solely at Disney theme parks, cruise ships, resorts, and Disney stores. They were discontinued in 2016, but their popularity among Disney collectors has since soared.  So what exactly is the value of Disney Dollars today?  

Well, believe it or not, there are some cases where Disney Dollars’ worth have increased well beyond their initial face value, depending on the artwork, rarity, and of course the condition of the bill.

What’s the Value of Disney Dollars

This photo was taken by Michael for Countdown to Magic

Like any collectible item, the value is determined largely by how popular it is among collectors. There are a few other factors that can affect the value, as well.

For example, the condition of the bills makes a big difference in how valuable they are. For serious collectors, Disney Dollars are graded in a system similar to collecting any other type of currency. You can find a good explanation of the grading system for collecting currency here.

Most of the Disney Dollars you will find being sold for higher dollar amounts on websites like eBay are listed with the condition of “CU”. This stands for “Crisp Uncirculated”. Basically, this means the bill doesn’t have any major folds, creases, or wrinkles, and hasn’t been in circulation. 

“Uncirculated” means just that; the bill hasn’t been out in circulation. That means the Disney Dollar was purchased, but put away somewhere and never used. Uncirculated bills also should not have any folds or creases on them.

Disney Dollars were released over time in various series. Each series had different designs and were produced in different quantities. Disney Dollars from limited edition series are considered more valuable to collectors, simply because there aren’t as many of them in existence.

To get an idea of the value of any Disney Dollars in your collection, you can check recent selling prices on eBay, Mercari, and any other online auction websites. Live Auctioneers is a great website that combines auctions from many auction houses and usually has a large number of unique Disney memorabilia on their site.

However, many currency collectors also collect Disney Dollars and you can check with currency collector websites as well when looking for current sale prices.

Falmouth Stamp & Coin is an excellent resource. For example, a 1987 $1.00 Disney Dollar in “Choice CU” condition on their website recently sold for $75, and a set of five $1 Disney Dollars with consecutive serial numbers has a price of $350!

Rare Disney Dollars

This photo was taken by Michael for Countdown to Magic

Any Disney Dollar that was part of a limited edition series is considered somewhat rare. However, there are a few designs that stand out as being the “holy grail” for serious collectors.

“The Boyer”

The Disney Dollar most sought after by collectors is a $50 bill released in 2005, for the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. It was only sold for one day, and only 2,000 of these bills were ever printed. Of those 2,000 bills, 100 were signed by the artist and framed. 

The artist was the acclaimed Charles Boyer. This rare Disney Dollar has been nicknamed simply “The Boyer” in his honor. A recent search on eBay found a few of these bills in great condition with asking prices between $3,400 and $9,000!

1987 Mickey Mouse $1.00 A Series

During the first year that Disney Dollars were produced, there was actually a mistake printed on the first Disneyland series. These bills contained the phrase “May Be Used As Legal Tender Only At Disneyland”. 

Obviously, that was an error because they could be used at Walt Disney World as well as at Disney Stores. Not many of these bills are still out there, but the unusual printing mistake makes them something that collectors are eager to find. One of these “1987 Error Disney Dollars” in good condition is currently listed on eBay with an asking price of $249. 

1997 Simba $10 Disney Dollar

Minnie Mouse was on the $10 note until 1997, when Simba (as a cub) briefly replaced her. The $10 Simba Disney Dollar shows Simba on the front, and Sorcerer Mickey on the back. It was only produced for one year, and because of this limited production it is a popular piece with collectors. Searching eBay recently, the asking price for one of these in good condition is averaging between $200 and $300.

Can You Still Spend Disney Dollars?

Can You Still Spend Disney Dollars?
This photo was taken by Michael for Countdown to Magic

Even though Disney Dollars were discontinued in 2016, according to the Walt Disney World website, you can still Disney Dollars at various locations throughout the theme parks and resorts.

Even though you can spend any Disney Dollars in your possession, you might want to ask yourself if you should. As long as they’re not in terrible condition, Disney Dollars are now highly collectible and almost always are worth more than their original face value.

If you aren’t interested in keeping any Disney Dollars you have, you might consider selling them, then saving the money from the sale to go into a “Disney Vacation Fund”. You’ll probably have more buying power from the sale of your Disney Dollars than you would be spending them at face value.

Selling Your Disney Dollars Collection

Online auction websites such as eBay really are good places to sell any collectible item. People who collect Disney memorabilia frequently search such websites for items they’re looking for. These are also good websites to use as a resource to determine a fair asking price.

Online Disney Collectors groups are also great places to find potential buyers. Additionally, the members of such groups are pretty knowledgeable and can help you determine a ballpark value of your item, or maybe even direct you to potential buyers.

A Brief History of Disney Dollars

Disney Dollars were first issued in 1987, and even though they weren’t U.S. legal currency, they do have the distinction of being the first four-color printed notes issued in the United States. At that time, they were issued in denominations of $1 and $5 only. In 1990 a $10 note was added, and a limited series of $50 notes were issued in 2005.

Just like United States government-issued money, the Disney Dollars were created with several anti-counterfeit measures. They were printed on 100% cotton paper, with Scrooge McDuck’s “signature” as the Treasurer. Reflective ink and micro-printing were used so that they couldn’t simply be copied, and just like real money, each bill had a unique serial number.

This photo was taken by Michael for Countdown to Magic

The serial numbers consisted of a prefix letter, followed by a number. The prefix letter told you where the Disney Dollar originated.

  • Letters A, B, and E meant the bill came from Disneyland.
  • Letters D and F meant the bill came from Walt Disney World, Florida
  • The letter T meant the bill was purchased from a Disney Store.

Just because a particular Disney Dollar was purchased from one location doesn’t mean it had to be spent there. For example, Disney Dollars issued from Disneyland could still be used at Disney Stores and Walt Disney World.

In 2016, Disney announced that no more Disney Dollars would be printed or sold. Some of the reasoning given was that consumers didn’t like to carry cash anymore, and plastic gift cards were preferred. The discontinuation also came just a few years after Magic Bands were introduced, and it’s been speculated that Disney wanted people to use their bands to charge purchases instead of using Disney Dollars.

The end of Disney Dollars was a disappointment for those who loved to use the Disney Dollars while on vacation, but it has been good for those who saved their Disney Dollars as souvenirs. They are now a very popular Disney collectible. Since they are unlikely to ever be produced again, it’s highly probable they’ll only continue to increase in value.

Collecting Disney Dollars

Collecting Disney Dollars is popular among those who love Disney memorabilia. If you have some stashed away with souvenirs from a childhood vacation, or maybe stuffed in a drawer somewhere, you might want to find a way to display them.

Some collectors like to display their Disney Dollars in a frame. If you do this, don’t glue them into the frame. Instead, you can just lay the bills on a fabric backing, then add a cardboard mat to ensure there is a little bit of space between the bill(s) and the glass. You don’t want the glass from the frame to touch the currency you display directly.  

Alternatively, you could use straight pins to tack down the corners of the Disney Dollars to a fabric-covered background, although even tiny pin holes can affect the value of Disney Dollars. Try to find a frame with UV-resistant glass to help prevent the colors on your Disney Dollars from fading.

There are also dollar bill display stands that are popular with anyone who collects currency. This makes an attractive display for a special single Disney Dollar.

If you have a large collection or want to start collecting more Disney Dollars, you could store them in currency collector sleeves, which can be kept in a 3-ring binder. Just be sure you get sleeves that are acid-free so your Disney Dollars won’t be damaged.

Many collectors try to collect a particular series of Disney Dollars, or they like to collect any with a favorite character on them. Others like to collect according to the serial numbers. Although each serial number is unique for each denomination within a series, each bill denomination can have the same serial number. 

For example, the serial number 123456 can be found on the $1, $5, and $10 Disney Dollar in a series. Some collectors look for completing these matched serial number sets.

If you’re trying to determine the date and series of your Disney Dollars, Kathy’s Disney Dollars is a website with a list describing all the series and when they were released.

Some Disney Dollar collectors have their own websites and may be interested in buying if you have what they’re looking for. Kathy’s Disney Dollars is one of the better-known Disney Dollar websites that you can contact for information about selling.

Since Disney Dollars are collected by currency collectors as well as Disney enthusiasts, you can also contact places such as Falmouth Stamp & Coin and Elite Coinage to see if they would be interested in buying your Disney Dollars

This article was written by Kimberly and edited by Michael.

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