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 is 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 other 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 with a stick or not easily. 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.
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 have 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.
While there is no doubt that these toys are incredibly cute, the question is how long will there cuteness keep them marketable enough Disney. The answer seems to be for quite a while still considering the adorable new Space Mountain inspired set. We can only hope that this fad sticks around for a while.
