Wishables: Disney's Latest Plush Phenomenon
Disney is no stranger to toys, from stuffed animals of some of their characters to their lines of princess dolls. Despite this, Disney is always trying to find something that's unique to them. Up until recently, they used a Japanese stuffed toy called a Tsum Tsum. With the fall of Tsum Tsum's popularity came the rise of Wishables.
Wishables are small plush toys that vary in theming across the Disney properties. They were introduced on April 19, 2019, though the first two (Mickey and Minnie Mouse) were not released until April 21, 2019. These two were sold individually, which only occurs for one figure in a set, if any at all. The first sets were inspired by Finding Nemo: Submarine Voyage, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Disney Parks foods.
Each set sold four of the Wishables in a mystery pack and one that could be bought without the wrapping. This means that while one is known what you will be getting, the others are a game of chance on which one you will be getting. Despite this, it is possible to guess based on the shape of the Wishable in the mystery bag. An example of this comes from the Parks Food set. Feeling the bag can reveal whether you are getting a treat that has a stick on it or not. From there, feeling the top of the snack will tell you if you are going to open a Mickey Ice Cream Bar or a Minnie Strawberry Bar. While this is not recommended, it can be useful for those who want to collect a whole set without getting any repeats.
Tsum Tsums
Featured (left to right): Grand Pabbie, Olaf, Elsa, Anna, and Sven
Wishables have become a way to collect something relevant to the resort you are staying at with the new Park Icons set. While the mystery bags contain the EPCOT ball, Tree of Life, Tower of Terror, or Mickey's Fun wheel, the individual ones are either Cinderella's Castle or Sleeping Beauty's Castle. Each castle is only sold at the resort they reside in. Aulani and the cruise line have also taken to using this idea. The Disney Cruise Line has nautical attired versions of the classic Disney characters, while Aulani (the Hawaiian Disney resort) has tropically-dressed versions of these characters along with two of the exclusive treats from the resort. Those wanting to collect these Wishables sets, or even just get one from the set, need to travel to these locations or sail with the cruise line in order to get them.
Another way to get Wishables is online through shopdisney.com. Amazon and Ebay may have second-hand Wishables, but Disney's official online store has a cheaper price. Despite this, they do not have every set. In order to create a need to visit the resorts, most sets are unavailable online. This is a smart idea to force guests to buy these collectibles during their vacations or add a reason to go to the resorts if they were already on the fence.
The future of these cute toys seem to focus on the parks. With Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway opening on March 4, there has already been a release of Wishables for the attraction. This is a good indicator that Disney plans to use this trend as park collectibles.
In the future, it is very likely that each park across the world will have it's own Wishable of its icon. In light of the recent opening of Regal Eagle Smokehouse in the America pavilion in EPCOT, it is highly likely that Muppet Wishables are an idea in the marketing department's mind. Along with this, it would make quite a bit of sense for Star Wars Wishables to be released exclusively for Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios.
This past holiday season Disney released two Christmas themed sets. While one tied in with the Haunted Mansion Holiday themeing of the Nightmare Before Christmas, the other had classic Christmas symbols. Featured were a nutcracker sold outside of the mystery pack while the packs could contain a gingerbread man, Santa dressed Mickey Mouse, a reindeer, and a snowman.
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway Wishables
https://www.micechat.com/222233-opening-a-bag-of-surprises-with-the-wishables-release-at-disneyland/
The Christmas Wishables were popular enough to warrant more Holiday themed sets. The most likely contenders are Easter, Halloween, and the Fourth of July. These would be easy to create Wishables for and would be able to use the classic characters Disney is famous for using in products.
The future appears to be bright for the Wishables, with plenty of opportunities for more sets and individual toys to be made. It is a welcoming sight for fanatics of Disney collectibles.