Keeping fandom lit with Maple & Whisky Candle Co

If you’re a regular reader of Have Husband, Will Travel you’ll know that we like Disney theme parks.

Whilst David gets into the spirit when he’s there, it’s really me that has those cravings to be there on a fairly regular basis. Wherever in the big wide Disney world you want to go, it’s not a spur of the moment thing when you live slap bang in the middle of the UK and this means that there’s usually at least a year, if not more, between trips (although we have been lucky enough to visit each of the Disney theme parks at least once a year since 2013).

For me, then, that means I need to do some work to keep myself sated between trips. You’ve already read how I can make a trip to Norway feel like a Disney experience, and similarly, I somehow felt like I was at Disneyland when I was at Buckingham Palace, but at home there are times when even listening to Disney Parks fan podcasts and keeping up with the Disney Parks Blog just won’t cut it anymore, so I have to turn to merch.

Spaceship Earth model, Disney Infinity figures, photographs of our trips all help to keep the memories alive. This fantastic candle scent certainly helps too!

The wood wick option gives an atmospheric crackle to the experience

Tees, tanks, ears, tiki glasses are cool, and often arrive in packages at our home, but one of my latest discoveries is the amazing Maple & Whisky Candle Co and their Etsy store. One of the strongest ways to relax, or trigger a positive memory, is through scent. It’s one of the reasons that each trip to Disneyland Paris involves a visit to the Disneyland Hotel gift shop to buy one of their room sprays which captures to gorgeous smell of the hotel lobby.

Disney inspired scents are nothing new in the fan community - and in the US there’s a lot of companies to choose from, some who offer regular new aromas through subscription boxes - but in the UK, we were unable to open our wallets and buy these fragrant treats unless we want to pay international shipping (and likely duty).

But like I say, I found Maple & Whisky Candle Co. The independent company has had almost 33,000 sales since opening their online shop in the tail end of 2014. They’re based in Colchester, in the UK, meaning that their candles, room sprays, melts and diffusers are able to be shipped to Disney fans in the UK at much lower cost than a US-based alternative.

Adventure is Out There is just one of the many scents available from Maple & Whisky Candle Co

There are more than 30 fragrances to choose from picking their inspirations from scents you’ll experience on certain rides, or from sweet treats, or the smell you’ll recognise when checking into your favourite Disney hotel. Candles come in one of two sizes (8oz or 12oz) and you can choose from traditional or wood wicks (choose the latter if you’re also trying to recreate the crackle of the log fire at Wilderness or Sequoia Lodge).

Each item is labelled in a complementary colour and style to the Disney-inspired memory it is based on (including the colour of wax when buying melts or candles). Prices for candles start at £8.95 (including vat) plus delivery.

I ordered five candles in late May after happening upon them and they arrived yesterday. They were carefully packed with fragile stickers on the outer packaging and generous padding inside and because of this care and attention all items arrived in pristine condition.

I really could not wait to get them around the house and lit!

I went with:

Adventure is Out There: which is a beautiful grape scent inspired by the Disney / Pixar movie Up! and the grape soda badges that Carl and Ellie wear. This film tie-in is special as my husband and I wore the badges from Up! on our wedding day and signed our wedding register to the music from the tear-jerking Married Life section.
Castle Club: capturing one of the most fantastic aromas known to man - that of the aforementioned Disneyland Hotel lobby in Paris. To date, this has been the only slight disappointment in my pack, and perhaps only because of its subtlety when compared to the heady fragrance of the official park merch room spray.
Spaceship Earth: The sight of Epcot icon just makes me happy, and now the smell of it can too, specifically, a fiery, woody fragrance will have me thanking the phoenicians. The wood wick option works particularly well on this one.
Banshee Flight: One of the more recent additions to Walt Disney World is captured in the citrus, ocean and fresh pine scents of this candle.
Dead Men Tell No Tales: one which will probably be quite divisive. Have you ever wanted your house to smell like the water in a Disney dark ride? Just me then! But more than anything, this for me is what Maple & Whisky Candle Co does best. They’re distilling memories into wax and Dead Men Tell No Tales transports you to the waiting area of Pirates of the Caribbean (or Splash Mountain) and that musty scent (which is actually based on a chemical, bromine).

Dead Men Tell No Tales has a similar ‘love it or loathe it’ scent to Dark Ride, a unisex perfume from Xyrena which captures the unique smell of the a Disney boat ride.

Maple & Whisky Candle Co are an Etsy store, which means your purchases are secure (and you’ve got a great online record of your purchase history for handy re-ordering of all your faves!) and there are regular additions to the line-up, including seasonal scents. There are regular offers shared across social media and reductions on lines which are being retired too, meaning you’ll regularly pick up a bargain.

As I said earlier, scent is such an important trigger for memory and I already know that I’ll be getting through the gaps between Disney holidays (and making my home smell beautiful) with a little help from Maple & Whisky Candle Co.