Credit: DisneyDisney has just announced that a beloved Disney character is finally arriving at Tokyo DisneySea at the Tokyo Disney Resort on September 8, 2022 — LinaBell the Fox, Duffy the Disney Bear’s newest friend.
LinaBell is the newest addition to the massively popular Duffy and Friends lineup, a Disney character previously exclusive to the Shanghai Disneyland Park and Shanghai Disney Resort.
Duffy the Disney Bear originated in Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney, as Mickey Mouse’s very own stuffed toy teddy bear. Duffy exploded in popularity with the opening of the Tokyo Disney Resort — and along with his ever-growing cast of friends, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, OluMel, CookieAnn, the Duffy and Friends characters have become a beloved symbol of the Disney Parks, particularly in Asia.
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Dreamed up by Walt Disney Imagineering veteran Ethan Reed, LinaBell is an inquisitive and intelligent fox cub who loves solving mysteries and puzzles.
The Disney Parks Blog introduced Disney fans to the fluffy fox last September with the following story, tying her into Duffy and Friends canon:
Duffy met LinaBell when he was lost in the forest following a butterfly. LinaBell suddenly but masterfully took out her magnifying glass and started examining “clues” on Duffy’s body to figure out where he had come from. Thanks to her detective-like talent, Duffy was able to be reunited with Mickey Mouse. Duffy and the rest of the friends are often in awe of her ingenious ways of solving problems.
Disney has expanded on her story in an adorable stop motion-style video:
LinaBell arrived in the Shanghai Disney Resort on September 29, 2021 to much fanfare and celebration from avid Duffy and Friends (and Disney Park) fans. Many Duffy-and-Disney fans have been waiting with bated breath to hear if LinaBell (and her frankly, adorable merch) would ever make it to other Disney Parks around the world.
So it was with much enthusiasm that LinaBell’s arrival this Fall was teased at Hong Kong Disneyland — with Disney fans treated to even more exciting news, as it coupled with the announcement that she would be arriving at Tokyo DisneySea and the Tokyo Disney Resort as well.
LinaBell’s arrival at the Tokyo Disney Resort will not be a quiet one — she will join Duffy and Friends in Tokyo DisneySea this September with a full-scale LinaBell welcome event, which will include a range of new themed food, brand new LinaBell merchandise, and even themed offerings at the Disney Branded Hotels, such as the Hotel MiraCosta, which sits inside Tokyo DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor itself.
The Tokyo Disney Parks and fans are no stranger to adorable themed food, but this time the offerings look particularly delicious!
The new food and beverage options have been shown off by Tokyo Disney Resort’s official website, including a revamped Miguel’s Recommended Set with pink pita bread, and LinaBell’s Deli Plate Set featuring a swirly pink sandwich bread and LinaBell-themed whipped beetroot butter, over at Miguel’s El Dorado Cantina, a counter service restaurant at Tokyo DisneySea’s Lost River Delta.
Also available is the deliciously adorable boba/bubble tea, LinaBell’s Tapioca Tea (Fruit & Milk) for 700 yen (approx. $5) which is a fruity lassi-style drink sweetened with guava syrup, that includes rooibos tea jelly, black tapioca pearls and topped with mango chunks.
A super-cute LinaBell popcorn bucket (with popcorn) is also available for 2,600 yen (approx. $19)!
Other food options available are the (considerably swankier) Hotel MiraCosta menu offerings at the Bella Vista Lounge — the “Welcome, LinaBell!” Lunch Course for 6,500 yen (approx. $48), “Welcome, Lina Bell!” Dinner Course for 13,500 yen (approx. $99), “Welcome, Lina Bell!” Gourmet Dinner Course for 16,000 yen (approx. $118), and the “Welcome, Lina Bell!” Special Drink for 1,400 yen (approx. $10) — a strawberry, apple, and Calpis (a popular yogurt-flavored soda in Japan, named Calpico in the U.S.) flavored soda concoction topped with a swirl of strawberry whipped cream and chervils.
A major draw to the Tokyo Disney Resort Parks this Fall will no doubt be the new merchandise on offer at McDuck’s Department Store at the American Waterfront in Tokyo DisneySea. McDuck’s classically stocks many Duffy and Friends-related merch, and is often lined wall-to-wall with character goods.
Coming to Tokyo DisneySea on September 8 will be the — no doubt highly sought after — LinaBell plush toy and matching Detective outfit, as well as plush LinaBell badges and straps (keychains), a LinaBell plush shoulder bag, and the fluffy pink LinaBell fox ear headbands. Also available are LinaBell character tote bags, stationery sets, towels, water bottles, and even cookies.
During the Welcome Event, Disney fans and Park Guests can also expect to receive an exclusive LinaBell design on their Tokyo Disney Resort Line train ticket, at no extra cost — the Disney Resort Line is the paid monorail service that ferries Guests between Maihama Station, Disney shopping area Ikspiari, the Parks themselves Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland, and the surrounding on-property hotels.
Disney Parks fans, especially local fans living close to the Tokyo Disney Resort, are getting extremely hyped in anticipation, reacting to the food and merch announcements welcoming LinaBell to Tokyo DisneySea.
Twitter user @Ruuhime410 is beside themselves with excitement:
[translated]
way too crazy cute, I want it! இдஇ`｡) [distraught crying face]
when can I go!? இдஇ`｡)
めっちゃ可愛い過ぎて欲しい(இдஇ`｡)
いつになったら行けるんやろ、私(இдஇ`｡) https://t.co/t3jCcnhff7— 🌹はるち🌹 (@Ruuhime410) July 6, 2022
While @koko35mo exclaims in near-incomprehensible elation:
[translated]
this！！！！！！！！！！！wanniiittttt！！！！！somebody！！！！！lets go to disney！！！！！！！！！！！
これ！！！！！！！！！！！ほじいいいいいいいい
！！！！！だれか！！！！！ディズニーいこ！！！！！！！！！！！ https://t.co/wR5ccatb2S— 🦊狐々宮みこも🌠⛩2d準備中😶🌫️ (@koko35mo) July 6, 2022
[translated]
A pink fox( ´ཫ`)💓 [drooling face emoji] I want to go pick you up soon
ピンクのきつね( ´ཫ`)💓早く迎えに行きたい♡♡ https://t.co/GKPjzpGP7O
— 。♠︎かいかいに支配されてるいちごちゃん🧸🍓 。 (@melty_xoxo_p_q) July 6, 2022
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With all the fan hype surrounding LinaBell finally arriving in the Tokyo Disney Resort, making her long-awaited debut at Tokyo DisneySea this September 8, there is no doubt that lines for related merchandise, food, live shows and Character Meet and Greets will lengthen considerably, likely causing the Tokyo Disney Resort to see an increase in visitors to the Disney Parks this Fall season.
The Tokyo DisneySea theme park will also feature decorations to welcome LinaBell to the Tokyo Disney Resort — at Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, and the Lost River Delta Ports of Call.
What do you think of Duffy’s new friend, the Disney character LinaBell? Do you plan to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort? Comment down below with your thoughts!
The ‘Tokyo Disney Resort’ located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company and exists as Walt Disney Company’s first-ever international Disney Park. Located just beside Maihama Station, ‘Tokyo Disney Resort’ comprises two theme parks – ‘Tokyo Disneyland’ and ‘Tokyo DisneySea’, connected by the Disney Resort Line monorail.
‘Tokyo DisneySea’ is a truly unique Disney Park themed after the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.), it boasts seven themed lands, or “Ports of Call” – the ‘Mediterranean Harbor’, ‘American Waterfront’, ‘Lost River Delta’, ‘Port Discovery’, ‘Mermaid Lagoon’, ‘Arabian Coast’, and ‘Mysterious Island’. Equally unique are DisneySea’s exclusive and one-of-a-kind attractions – ‘Soaring: Fantastic Flight’, ‘Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull’, the S.E.A. storyline-themed old New York-style hotel ‘Tower of Terror: Hotel Hightower’, Jules Verne-inspired ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’, and star attraction ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’ located within the Park’s icon, the giant volcano, ‘Mount Prometheus’. Most unique of all, is the on-property official Disney Hotel (that basically redefines “on-property”) – the luxurious Hotel MiraCosta, built right into Tokyo DisneySea’s ‘Mediterranean Harbor’ itself.