It’s hard to believe that 2019 is almost over! Then again, this year has been packed with so much merchandise news that it almost feels like it’s been going by in dog years. To help end the year on a high note, let’s reminisce about the top 5 biggest merchandise trends we saw in 2019 at the Disneyland Resort.
5. Designer Ears
The concept behind Designer Ears series was to create Ear Hats and Minnie Ear Headbands in conjunction with different artists, celebrities, and designers. The first design, the HARVEYS Americana Ears, was released on May 24, 2019, and different designs have been added intermittently ever since (the series is set to end in Summer 2020). Since then, we’ve seen ears made by SHAG, Coach, Heidi Klum, and even Imagineer Kim Irvine.
The prices on these little accessories had a wide range, but the high-end ones were incredibly expensive. Heidi Klum’s Minnie Tiara Headband cost a whopping $600. Yes, it had Swarovski crystals on it, but in spite of the price it still sold out immediately upon release!
This series was significant for several reasons. It is an impressive collaboration with top artists and designers. Seeing artist-driven merchandise in the Parks was a rare treat. Also, this series showed how much guests were willing to pay for merchandise. Heidi Klum’s crown aside, the others were still far more expensive than normal ears (usually around $75-$99 a pair) a standard pair of ears is typically $29.99.
4. Wishables
Mystery pin bags are not a new thing at the Disney Parks but Wishables, mystery bags of mini-plushes, definitely were! Wishables released last April with three different series: Park Food, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. After that, the first Wednesday of every month saw a new Wishables series release. It even had its own social media hashtag, “#WishablesWednesday.”
Almost every new series was released in a month that would be relevant for those particular characters. For instance, the Splash Mountain ones were released in July to celebrate the attraction’s 30th anniversary. Besides the Disney Parks, Aulani and the Disney Cruise Line both have Wishables series exclusive to their locations (or ships, in the latter’s case).
3. Better Attraction-Based Merchandise
This year, we began to see better, more inventive merchandise inspired by Disney attractions. The Haunted Mansion enjoyed a wealth of such items, mostly because of its 50th anniversary in August. There are still the typical tees, hoodies, and mugs (although, even their designs were top-notch!) but the designers also branched out to include things like dioramas and Popsocket phone cases.
Splash Mountain, also celebrating a milestone anniversary, was another fortunate recipient of better merchandise. The range of merchandise, compared to The Haunted Mansion, was considerably smaller. But given that the attraction rarely has any merchandise at all, I’d consider this a bounty. In addition to some limited edition items (a water bottle, shirt, and hat) released in August for the attraction’s 30 anniversary, shelves were stocked with plushes of Br’er Bear and Br’er Fox (Br’er Rabbit was released the year before). These toys are detailed, even by Disney standards, with several layers of clothing and a variety of textures.
Hopefully, this trend of well thought out and creative merchandise will continue through next year. And Disney, if you are reading this, we need a large plush of Haunted Mansion Caretaker’s dog ASAP!
2. Retro Merchandise
Every 80s or 90s kid who visited the Disney Parks over the course of 2019 has surely noticed that fragments of our childhood have started to materialize on store shelves. Retro merchandise has been such a hit that it can be seen all over the Disneyland Resort in all sorts of mediums. You can take a look at my dedicated article about the retro collection to get a better feel for what was available.
Beyond Disney movies and television programs, long-retired Disney Parks attractions also got some merchandise love.
How far down the “nostalgia well” will Disney go? I personally enjoy the old school merchandise but I can see how —especially for the younger crowd— there may be a sort of brand disconnect. What are your thoughts on this trend?
1. Immersive Shopping Experiences
With the introduction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the Disneyland Resort gained two immersive shopping experiences in the Droid Depot and Savi’s Workshop. By “immersive shopping experience,” I mean you engage in a sort of location-based story or activity and end up with an item of merchandise to take home.
There are both pros and cons to this approach. On the pro side, these experiences help flesh out the lore of the land as well as provide a fun memory for guests.
There are two pretty hefty cons, though. The first being that the merchandise that comes from these experiences tends to be pricey and non-refundable. The second is that, at least in the case of Galaxy’s Edge, it takes a sizable chunk of real estate to accommodate such experiences, but they are very limited in capacity.
Will we see more shopping opportunities similar to those found in Droid Depot and Savi’s Workshop in Avengers Campus (scheduled to open Summer 2020)? Only time will tell. But I would be surprised if something similar wasn’t included.
$99 Disney Vacation Layaway Sale Extended!
We’ve got some great news for you. Our partners at Get Away Today are helping you save money on Disney theme park tickets and travel packages. AND, through the end of the year, they’ve got some great ways for you to gift Disney trips for a reduced deposit:
- For Discounted theme park tickets and travel packages, always start HERE: Get Away Today (When calling, always mention MiceChat so you get your special rates and deals!)
- Layaway Plan Sale Extension: Due to how popular the $99 Layaway Plan has been, Get Away Today has extended the sale through December 31, 2019. You can hold a Southern California vacation for just $99 down with final payment due just five days before travel. It’s the easiest way to plan a 2020 Southern California vacation!
- Layaway Plans can be used for any of our Southern California vacations and can be combined with any of our specials – like Extra Day Free Tickets and Extra Night Free Hotel Specials.
Book something amazing to look forward to – HERE
Let’s Hear From You
And with that, our countdown comes to a close. Do you agree with my choices? What merchandise would you add to the list?
Happy New Year my dear MiceChatters!