(NEXSTAR) – Some of
Disney’s
More recent characters from movies such as “Frozen,” “Moana,” and even “Wreck-IT Ralph” have emerged as widely known figures in popular culture over the past several years. However, “Duffy the Disney Bear,” which has been around longer than all these mentioned properties, hasn’t achieved the same level of recognition.
Duffy, who is presently making a seldom appearance at a
new Disneyland cavalcade
was explicitly designed for merchandise sales and initially made available at Disney World’s Once Upon a Toy store when it opened during the grand event in 2002.
Initially, Duffy lacked a detailed background story, possibly contributing to his failure to instantly captivate visitors at the parks.
“Duncan Dickson, a former professor of hospitality management at the University of Central Florida, explained to a reporter that selling a Tangled or a Tiana doll is much simpler when you have the film as support compared to a Duffy,” he said.
the Orlando Sentinel
in 2010.
“Many individuals, when they visit the park, will ask, ‘What kind of bear is that?’” Dickson stated.
Despite Duffy’s initial obscurity, it wasn’t much of an obstacle for him. Not long after receiving a modest welcome at Disney World, Duffy-themed products were launched in a shop within Tokyo DisneySea—the sole Disney destination not fully under Disney’s ownership—and quickly gained popularity among visitors. To enhance Duffy’s appeal, the park’s creative team crafted a detailed background story: they portrayed Duffy as a present from Minnie to Mickey, intended to accompany Mickey during his global adventures.
According to the source, Minnie gave Mickey a handcrafted teddy bear inside a duffel bag, inspiring him to call it Duffy.
a chronicle of the character
on Disney’s official website.
Over the years since then, Duffy has gained significant popularity in Japan, according to a statement from Disneyland shared with Nexstar. The character can be seen not only at TokyoDisneyland but also at various locations such as Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, and the Aulani Disney Resort and Spa in Hawaii.
Moreover, Duffy has inspired a
whole slew
of
“friends”
(for instance, supporting characters that would only be familiar to die-hard Disney enthusiasts), such as a female character called ShellieMay, a cat named Gelatoni, and a ukulele-playing turtle dubbed ‘Olu Mel.
Even though Duffy hasn’t yet become a huge star in the U.S., his promoters haven’t stopped making efforts. In the 2010s, a Duffy figure used to be part of meet-and-greet sessions at EPCOT, but eventually got removed as part of an evaluation process.
Chicago Tribune
Reported in 2019, and a “Duffy and Friends” series on Disney+ was announced in 2022, as stated by
Fortune,
However, it hasn’t been realized yet.
Currently, Disney is aggressively promoting Duffy and ShellieMay at Disneyland.
once again,
featuring them prominently in the completely redesigned
“Celebrate Happy Cavalcade”
As it marches through the park to celebrate the resort’s 70th anniversary.
This time around, many fans appear delighted to see Duffy at the park, despite him not being as well-known as characters like Elsa, Moana, or Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph.
“I hope Duffy doesn’t flop in America like last time,” one TikTok user wrote under
a Disney Parks post
featuring Duffy and ShellieMay. “PLEASE GIVE THEM LOTS OF LOVE.”
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