Ornament Review: Once Upon a Wintertime - Storybook Classics Collection #5 - 2016 Disney Store Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute ornament captures the flirtation well

Cons: Very limited appeal, but if you want it, you’ll love it

The Bottom Line:

Rarest characters

Get ornament to flirt on

DisNerds will love it

Romance Blooms Once Upon a Wintertime

Thanks to The Disney Store’s Storybook Classics ornament series, I’m rediscovering several shorts or stories I’d forgotten about.  "Once Upon a Wintertime" is one of those, but it was a very appropriate choice for the December release in this series.

If you are like me and don’t remember it at all, it is the opening piece in the Melody Time movie Disney released in the late 1940’s.  It features a human couple who go out ice skating on a date.  They flirt as they skate before things take a dangerous turn.  (Hint: If you are going to storm off in anger, watch for “Danger: Thin Ice” signs.)  There’s no talking from any of the characters, but there is some singing that talks about romance blooming during December.  Suddenly, this ornament coming in December makes perfect sense.

The ornament captures the fun of the early part of the short perfect.  Our couple are on the ice skating next to each other.  The man is looking at the woman adoringly.  She isn’t looking at him, but the look on her face says she is enjoying it as well.

Honestly, the couple spend so much time flirting in the short that it’s hard to think of a better way to capture the short.  The look on their faces says it all.  They are clearly having fun and enjoying each other’s company.  The ornament captures the two characters perfectly as well.  It might have been fun to have some of the animal couples from the short in the ornament, but that’s a minor complaint.

But here’s the part of the piece I love.  The base of the ornament, made to look like the ice of the lake where they are skating, is shaped like a heart.  How perfect is that?

That heart shaped base is flat, so if you want to display it year round, you certainly can do that.  However, the ornament does have a red ribbon attached already, making it easy to hang.  It does hang slightly to the left, but you can disguise that easily enough with the branches on your Christmas tree.

My only hesitation with this ornament has nothing to do with its looks but with how obscure the short is.  I honestly didn’t remember anything about it before the ornament was announced.  Yes, Disney did release a Golden book based on the short, which is why it ended up here, but how many people will have heard of it?

That limited appeal is the only downside for the ornament.  If you want something tied to a very rare Disney piece, look no further than "Once Upon a Wintertime."

If you are a Disney fan, you'll want to check out the rest of the Storybook Classics Collection.

Original Price: $19.95