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Credit: DisneyNot for the first time, Mickey Mouse has been replaced as the face of one Disney park.
Yesterday (March 15) saw the launch of Duffy & Friends Play Days at Hong Kong Disneyland. The limited-time event – which also ran in 2023 – sees Duffy the Disney Bear step in as the face of the park, with his friends (including Shellie May, Gelatoni, and CookieAnn) by his side for special parades, shows, and character meet-and-greets.
Special event “Duffy & Friends Play Days”
Starts today (3/15)#HKDL_info
#HKDL
スペシャルイベント
「Duffy & Friends Play Days」
本日（3/15）からスタート🍀#HKDL_info#HKDL pic.twitter.com/8C56PbH0ru— Emporium HKDL情報🏰✨ (@hk_emporium) March 15, 2024
The event also sees Mickey Mouse replaced in the iconic floral planter at the park entrance by Duffy himself.
Duffy and co. are notoriously popular at Disney’s theme parks throughout Asia, with a 2023 report claiming that he is considerably more profitable than Mickey Mouse at Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disney Resort, and Tokyo Disney Resort, generating $500 million per year.
All three resorts have hosted special events oriented around the character in recent years, with his merchandise drawing not just lines but utter chaos (for proof, just see the eight-hour queue that cropped up at Shanghai Disneyland for the sake of a Duffy backpack this week; when was the last time Mickey Mouse attracted a crowd that big?). At Hong Kong Disneyland, demand was so high that Duffy and co. even got their own permanent meet-and-greet space, Duffy and Friends Play House. Mickey, meanwhile, just meets guests in the Main Street Town Square. Ouch.
The History of Duffy the Disney Bear
Surprisingly, Duffy got his start not in Asia but Disney’s biggest theme park resort, Walt Disney World. He was first introduced at Once Upon A Toy – the toy-focused store at Disney Springs, then Downtown Disney – in 2002. While he was once available to meet at Disney World and Disneyland, he was gradually phased out as he proved less popular than other characters.
Related: The History and Development of Duffy the Disney Bear
In Disney’s Asian parks, however, it was a different story. After catching the eye of The Oriental Land Company – the owner and operator of Tokyo Disney Resort – he was first introduced as a walk-around character at Tokyo DisneySea, before later replacing Donald Duck as the namesake and entertainment at Cape Cod Cook-Off Theatre. He even forced the introduction of a purchase limit at the resort.
Duffy in the USA
A few years ago, we would have said no. However, Duffy’s presence has grown in the US recently. In 2023, he and ShellieMay were included on the Disney100 mural at EPCOT. He also popped up for surprise appearances at RunDisney events and was available for meet-and-greets in his Santa Claus fit at Disney’s Jollywood Nights over the holidays.
Disney’s rarely one to turn its back on profit. While it’s not guaranteed Duffy would trigger the same outright chaos in Disney World or Disneyland, the past few years have proven that parkgoers have a similar level of enthusiasm on the right occasion (and for niche characters). The addition of Figment as a meet-and-greet character was a hit at EPCOT, as was the release of a Figment popcorn bucket.
The Future of Duffy at Disney Parks
Being realistic, he’s never going to outshine Mickey Mouse at Disneyland and Disney World. However, considering the ever-increasing fervor around Duffy and his growing group of friends at Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo Disney Resort, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more events, entertainment, and perhaps even attractions push Mickey Mouse out of the spotlight in the next few years.
Are you a fan of Duffy the Disney Bear? Let us know in the comments!