Mickey Mouse may be the face plastered over Disney’s theme parks worldwide, but for half of these locations, he dims in comparison to two teddy bears and their furry friends.
We’re talking, of course, about Duffy and Friends. The cuddly crew has turned into a merchandising powerhouse at Disney’s Asian theme parks, with Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort, and Shanghai Disneyland selling Duffy and Friends merchandise by the boatload.
Think we’re being dramatic? Think again. So popular at Duffy and Friends in the region that all three resorts have kickstarted their own events to celebrate the characters, as well as dedicating entire stores to their merch – which, considering people are willing to wait eight hours in line to buy the latest Duffy and Friends products, was probably a good call.
For those who haven’t visited Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo Disney Resort, or Shanghai Disneyland, the Duffy and Friends craze might be hard to grasp. Who are these irresistibly cute characters? And how do they rack up over $500 million in merchandise sales annually? (Yes, you read that right). Here’s everything you need to know about the lovable – and lucrative – gang.
First of All, How Did the Duffy Craze Start?
Duffy’s journey began not in Asia but at Walt Disney World in 2002, where he was first introduced at Once Upon A Toy in Disney Springs (then Downtown Disney). Though he initially met guests at Disney World and Disneyland, his popularity waned, and he was gradually phased out.
In Asia, however, Duffy’s story took a different turn. After catching the attention of The Oriental Land Company, he debuted as a walk-around character at Tokyo DisneySea and eventually took over as the star at Cape Cod Cook-Off Theatre. His popularity surged, leading to merchandise limits at the resort. From there, Duffy’s charm spread across Asia, inspiring a whole crew of lovable characters to fuel the Duffy phenomenon.
Who’s Who in the Duffy-Verse?
The Duffy universe currently features eight characters, each with their own unique backstory. While all have their charm, some are far more popular than others.
Duffy the Disney Bear
The OG. The main guy. The bear who launched a thousand credit card transactions. Duffy the Disney Bear is the Mickey Mouse of the group, if you will.
His backstory has changed a bit over the years. Nowadays, it goes a bit like this: as Mickey Mouse prepared for a long sea voyage from Cape Cod, Minnie Mouse crafted Duffy the bear to keep him company. She gave Mickey the hand-sewn bear in a duffel bag, inspiring the name “Duffy.”
Duffy’s presence has grown in the US recently. In 2023, he and ShellieMay (more on her in a moment) 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. Fingers crossed for more Duffy ASAP.
ShellieMay
The Minnie to Duffy’s Mickey, ShellieMay is also a teddy bear. ShellieMay the Disney Bear, to be precise. The key difference between the two duos? Duffy and ShellieMay are strictly just friends.
Regardless of the pair’s relationship status, the backstory for both Duffy and ShellieMay has them based out of Cape Cod, which is why their theme park home is the American Waterfront in Tokyo DisneySea (AKA the best Disney theme park on the planet).
Walt Disney Imagineering came up with ShellieMay in 2010, and according to Imagineers, she’s more adventurous than her male counterpart and likes creating gifts for her friends – which is handy because Imagineering has come up with a lot in the years since her debut.
Gelatoni
Four years after ShellieMay made her debut, we were introduced to Gelatoni. He’s an artistic cat (because, of course) and is never seen without his trademark blue beret. Unlike his ursine friends, Gelatoni heralds from the Palazzo Canals in Tokyo DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor.
StellaLou
She may be purple, but we’ll have you know that StellaLou is actually a rabbit. Created in 2017, her backstory has her originate from New York in American Waterfront, so of course her life goal is to become a Broadway dancer.
In her defense, she’s got pretty close; at Hong Kong Disneyland, the character has previously led the show StellaLou’s Wonderful Wishes Ballet alongside the actual Hong Kong Ballet. Impressive stuff for a rabbit.
CookieAnn
In 2018, Disney branched out and had one of its Duffy and Friends characters debut at Hong Kong Disneyland for the first time. That character was CookieAnn – a yellow dog who’s also a chef.
As it turns out, you’ve probably visited her hometown. Or, at least, a variation of it. CookieAnn (who was originally just called “Cookie”) is from Main Street, U.S.A., in Hong Kong Disneyland. She’s since inspired her own café, CookieAnn Bakery Café, at Shanghai Disneyland. Quite the resume.
‘Olu Mel
Disney branched out even further in 2018 to introduce ‘Olu Mel to the Duffy and Friends lineup.
The ukelele-playing turtle debuted at Disney’s Hawaiian resort, Aulani, where he remains extremely popular to this day. Like CookieAnn, he’s also undergone a name change—he was originally known as just Olu. However, he’s also caused some trouble with a lawsuit filed in 2023 over claims that The Walt Disney Company stole the idea for ‘Olu Mel.
LinaBell
LinaBell is a smart pink fox who debuted at Shanghai Disneyland in 2021. To say that the character has proven popular is an understatement; her merch continues to sell extremely well at both Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland, with the character drumming up a huge Chinese fanbase.
(If you need proof, just check out the wait times for her character meet and greet at Hong Kong Disneyland on any given day compared to other Duffy characters).
Who’s your favorite member of the Duffy and Friends gang?
