Duffy – WDWNT Archive

Meet Stella Lou: Duffy’s Brand New Friend

WDWNT on March 27, 2017

Recently, the Oriental Land Company has let us meet one of Duffy’s new friends, Stella Lou. She is a fun-loving purple bunny who has a passion for dancing, and big dreams of performing on Broadway.

She would practice her dancing every day on the American Waterfront, and once Duffy met Stella Lou, he decided that he wanted to support his friend, to help make her dreams come true.

Most of her adorable merchandise will be available on March 30th, 2017.

Many fun Stella Lou decorations will be going up soon, along with a photo opportunity spot for your very own plush Stella Lou! This photo spot will be located in the American Waterfront, with the S.S. Columbia docked, and the Hightower Hotel standing tall in the background.

Concept art for the Stella Lou photo spot

She will start greeting guests with Mickey and Duffy by her side, just in time for Disney’s Easter at Tokyo Disney Sea, on April 4th, 2017 which is quite fitting since Stella Lou herself is, in fact, a bunny. This is only going on for a limited time and is said to be ending on August 31st, 2017.

Stella Lou with Mickey and Duffy, in the American Waterfront

Stella Lou is already part of a promotional video for Duffy and Friends that can be seen right here!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay7OUeXd0Rk

Walt Disney World Pulls The Plug on Duffy the Disney Bear np

WDWNT on September 3, 2015

After over 5 years, Disney seems to be giving up on making Duffy the Disney Bear the must-have souvenir at Disney Parks.

The Duffy the Disney Bear walk-around character will greet guests in World Showcase at Epcot for the last time on October 3rd, 2015. A Daisy Duck meet and greet will replace the current Duffy location.

The nearby Duffy store at Epcot was stripped of the bear a while back and is now a shop that sells Star Wars and Marvel franchise items.

The Disney Bear was reintroduced on both coasts in 2010 as Duffy after years of unbridled success at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Other than the Epcot meet and greet experience, other theme park experiences with Duffy were planned, but never came to fruition. Supposedly, sales of the plush were never quite what Disney expected and those cast members who launched the project were promoted within the company, leaving Duffy in the hands of those who never envisioned leading the charge for the plush bear.

There was even a media event celebrating Duffy’s arrival at the park back in 2010:

[sc name=”Youtube Embed 600×360″ id=”yCY8hprk7KA” ]

Disney also shuttered the Duffy meet and greet at California Adventure a few months back.

Despite all of these changes, Duffy will still be sold at the parks and there are no plans to retire the nightly bedtime story on Walt Disney World Resort TV as of right now.

RoE: Duffy the Disney Bear Blind Box Series

WDWNT on September 17, 2013

Before the two open window Duffy Vinylmation were released in 2012, we were told there would be a blind box Duffy series. We seem to finally be seeing that come to fruition. Disney has announced a blind box Duffy the Disney Bear Series One. Thomas Scott was very vague and just left us with this one image and said Duffy is going to look very different in this series.

I very much welcome a Duffy series, but it has to more than color palate differences. I’d more be looking for a customs around the world or seasonal costumes. I guess we will wait and see.

Dirk Wallen’s 2/23/13 Walt Disney World Resort Photo Report

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen takes us to all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks this time around, stopping to check progress on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, the Tangled restroom area, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, the Big Thunder Mountain interactive queue, and more! Let’s take a look:

RFID entrance installation continues at the Studios

The large electronic scrolling sign at Sounds Dangerous is now gone, looks like we can finally officially say the attraction is dead

The new Disney JuniorL Live on Stage debuted a few weeks ago

Doc McStuffins was added to the show

As was Sophia the First

Whoops…

It was up there for some of the show…

The Epcot 30th reveal/conceal pin set came out recently

New Spring pins

85th anniversary of the Plane Crazy short

EASTER DUFFY!

New Muppet shirt

Moving over to Animal Kingdom

Kodak picture spots are still up…

RFID entrances still being installed at Animal Kingdom as well

More Kodak

Hard to believe, but they are still installing the nets at Tree of Life

This is taking forever…

Some areas look completed

Others look like no work has even started

Beastly Bazaar will soon open as the Adventurers Outpost, a Mickey and Minnie meet and greet

The Character Landing will soon host Donald and Daisy, Pooh and Tigger are heading to Camp Minnie-Mickey

Pocahontas has already moved out of Camp Minnie-Mickey

The old theater for Pocahontas and Her Forrest Friends is still stroller parking

Some walls up in Camp Minnie-Mickey

We believe they are installing FastPass+ behind these walls at Theater in the Wild

Moving to Epcot, Flower and Garden Festival preparation is in full swing

Some scrims still up near the Oz playground

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs near Germany

Toy Story characters in the American Adventure

Lady and the Tramp in Italy

All of the booths are up… it’s so weird to see these out so early in the year…

They are giving out seed packets to promote Oz: The Great and Powerful and the festival

The Mission: Space facade is being refurbished, the ride is open still

Don’t try to park at the Polynesian Resort, there is a ton of construction equipment sitting there…

Work continues on The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. There’s some strange tower rising on the right…

Another somewhat similar structure is rising outside the building on the other side

It’s starting to look like the Grand Floridian

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, Main Street Apparel is behind tarps again

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

Work continues on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train

Work continues on the Tangled restroom area

You can see the tree-stump shaped charging stations gusts can use to charge electronics

Work is nearing completion on the exit of “it’s a small world” that has been behind tarps

Columbia Harbour House is still behind tarps

Work continues on Splash Mountain which is closed until mid-March

More and more progress is being made on the interactive queue at Big Thunder Mountain

I see Marc Davis and Blaine Gibson references…

The detail on the new props is stunning

A nod to Western River Expedition, the attraction originally designed for this space

Most of the work on the mountain looks complete

A few tarps still out there…

This looks like way too much fun…

YES… MUST BLOW STUFF UP!

Celebrate the Seasons with New Duffy the Disney Bear Items

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

By Steven Miller on the Disney Parks Blog:

The start of a New Year brings many reasons to celebrate. This year, there are two months of back-to-back holidays including Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. I caught up with Monty Maldovan, long-time artist with Disney Design Group, about some of the new merchandise coming for Mickey Mouse’s bear, Duffy the Disney Bear. Monty recently celebrated the release of three original art pieces, including one featuring Mickey and Duffy, at the Art of Disney in Downtown Disney Marketplace.

“I had a lot of fun designing some of the seasonal outfits for Duffy the Disney Bear this year,” said Monty. “We have some new things that our guests have told us they wanted including outfits for 17-inch bears and smaller sized bears that have been a hit!”

The 9-inch Valentine’s Day bear has been extremely popular this year (at time of press there weren’t many remaining in merchandise locations). For St. Patrick’s Day, Monty designed a costume for a 17-inch bear that includes my favorite detail – a bow tie! Monty felt the bow tie was the perfect complement to the bowler hat (and here I thought it was because of my intense love for bow ties).

Monty also designed what may be my favorite Duffy item I’ve seen in the past two years – a 9-inch egg that unzips to reveal a 7-inch bear dressed as a baby chick. He said the design was inspired by previously released plush.

“We introduced Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse plush eggs about two years ago,” explained Monty. “Guests loved them, so we updated the colors this year and added a version with Duffy.”

Other favorites will return this spring including two 12-inch bears. Gardener Duffy will be found at the start of theEpcot International Flower & Garden Festival on March 6. Monty said the pocket on the front of his overalls is big enough to hold a Disney Gift Card (smells like the perfect gift for someone with a green thumb). Graduate Duffy looks similar to last year’s design but features different colors.

Finally, we released a series of new Hidden Mickey pins that has Duffy the Disney Bear sporting different Disney hats. These pins build on a collection introduced last year of Duffy wearing hats. Look for them on cast members’ lanyards at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

Duffy the Disney Bear Photoshoot

WDWNT on August 30, 2012

I couldn’t wait to take the Duffy Vinylmation over to Epcot to see all the Duffy goodness!

First he wanted to read the story of how he came to be.

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He was excited to learn all about the Duffy adventures.

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He posed next to his story book with the Epcot ball in the background.

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Oh my! This is the Epcot home of Duffy the Disney Bear!

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Welcome Duffy indeed!

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He couldn’t pass up a photo next to Mickey.

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And of course, the big bear himself.

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Sailor Duffy loves to travel the globe.

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I’m seeing double Duffy!

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I’m seeing lots of Duffy!

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Duffy overload!

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Duffy mixes it up with some pals.

Episode 078 SpectroMickey

WDWNT on July 10, 2012

Ep. 078 SpectroMagic

This week we cover all the release dates announced for Park 9 and Animation 2. We also talk about the Villains 3, Mascots and Nerds releases. There is more news out of Japan and from under the big top.

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Release Day! – June 29th, 2012

WDWNT on July 7, 2012

Lets start with the biggest, most exclusive, piece first.

Today the Park 8 Yeti was released exclusively online. The Casey Jones figure costs $74.95 and there are only 1000 of them. Buy it at DisneyStore.com

At both D-Streets the Duffy the Bears came out. Read more about them at

Duffy the Bear Vinylmation Explained

And also at D-Streets are the new Color Block Series. Read more about them at:

Color Blocks Vinylmation Explained

Also remember that Disneyland will be having a trading night tonight from 7-10 at the Pacific Ballroom at the Paradise Pier Hotel.They will also be having signing with Monty Maldovan and Quynh Kimball throughout the day and at the trade event.
Over in Orlando, WDW will have a Park Starz Series artist signing with Thomas Scott and Casey Jones from 5-7 at D-Street. D-Street WDW will also be getting the new 9″ CYO Vinylmation ’95 pieces.

For all the details of upcoming events go to our calender at

Destination Vinylmation Calender

Duffy the Disney Bear Explained

WDWNT on June 22, 2012

Duffy the Disney Bear Explained
Release Date: July 22, 2012 (Facebook) and July 29, 2012 (D-Streets)
Price: $14.95
Artist: Monty Maldavon
Details: Open window box. 2 initial figures. Expected Summer 2012 release. Duffy first appeared as “The Disney Bear” in 2002 as a marketing gimmick to promote the opening of the Once Upon The Toy store in Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney. After poor sales, the bear was pulled from the shelves. Then, in 2004, Duffy the Disney Bear debuted in Tokyo Disney as a plush and park character. In the fall of 2012, Duffy joined the US Disney Parks at both EPCOT and DCA as well as Hong Kong Disneyland. In 2011, Duffy made is way to Disneyland Paris. Duffy plush can be purchased and then dressed in numerous outfits sold around the Parks included other Disney characters, World Showcase outfits and of course his sailor outfit.

Update 6/22/12 Both Duffy Bears are now available to order online at Disney’s Vinylmation Facebook Store. They will be there exclusively until the June 29th release at stores.

picture from Disney Parks Blog

Sailor Duffy

Disney changes the mold for this lovable bear. The large rounded body and arms and legs sticking out putting Duffy in a sitting pose make for the perfect look that makes it distinctly different from the Mickey mold. It’s an inviting pose that will attract both the Duffy lover and casual guest. The Mickey paw prints are also well shown off in this pose. A good looking hat as well as some “indentations’ in the face for the eyes, nose and mouth.

picture from Disney Parks Blog

Flocked Duffy

This version has a peach fuzz like feel to it.

Episode 070 Wolf Boy