How to Load a PEZ Dispenser

My kids are crazy about PEZ candies. 

When I was a kid, my dad would bring home a new PEZ dispenser from the US, just for me. Too bad, I didn't know anything about collecting and didn't think this would be valuable. Nowadays, you can get PEZ candy from just about any local supermarket.

My dad still loves buying the kids PEZ candy. He takes them to the little grocery store beside the office, and treats them to a pack each time the kids are there to visit. RL probably has over two dozen dispensers - Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Lightning McQueen, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, etc. A was delighted to find that they now have Littlest Pet Shop dispensers! I'm just a tad peeved that the distributor doesn't carry the candy refill packs here - what a way to make more money and have parents buy dispensers each time. Ha!

Anyway, when I was in Hong Kong with RL a few months ago, I had to load and reload his dispenser over a dozen times (we shared the candy with friends). I never really learned how to load that thing properly, and it took me several tries to find the perfect way to load a PEZ dispenser WITHOUT touching the candy with your bare, oftentimes, dirty hands.

Last time A and RL got their PEZ from my dad, my brother and I thought to document step-by-step instructions on how to PROPERLY LOAD PEZ INTO A PEZ DISPENSER.

Here's how:

1) Choose a PEZ dispenser.

A's Littlest Pet Shop PEZ Dispenser with Orange-flavored PEZ.

2) Take a PEZ refill pack, and tear out one side of its wrapper. Make sure you tear out a narrow side (see photo below for reference) You can peel off outer wrapper if you choose to do so; I just find it less time-consuming to leave it on. Plus the outer wrap keeps the inner paper wrapper from tearing during handling.

Peel off wrapper off one of the narrow/ thin sides. Make sure you leave 3-sides of the wrapper around the candy.

3) Open PEZ dispenser and secure candy tray with finger. Make sure the tray doesn't slide back down. Have your "peeled" candy ready, and angle it such that the open "narrow" side faces the open tray.

Use pointer finger to secure candy tray from slipping back into the dispenser.

 4) Push the whole refill pack into the dispenser's candy tray. The whole pack should fit all standard PEZ dispensers. Make sure you are still securing the candy tray, such that it doesn't snap back down into the dispenser.

Push everything into the open candy tray, narrow-side first.

5) Use wrapper to push the PEZ candy all the way into the tray. Look, Dad, I didn't use my bare hands!

Keep your candy clean! Don't use your bare hands! The wrapper keeps it finger-free. Hehe.

6) Make sure the candy is aligned and you don't have one protruding out of the candy tray. Snap the candy tray back into the dispenser.

Once all the candy is in, snap back candy tray into dispenser.

7) Tilt dispenser head back to open. Et... voila!

Enjoy! And don't forget to brush your teeth!

Do your kids love PEZ, too? My kids are PEZ cccccrrrrraaaaazzzzzyyyyy!