Disney Store Muppet Merchandise Released

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

I went to TRU and saw a huge display of Crappy Feet, I felt like throwing up.

i REALLY hope a grown man such as yourself IS KIDDING about getting "sick" over a dumb kids movie!?? (I myself dont care for "Happy feet" movies...but Cooooome onnn!)

 

[Drtooth]

Revulsion of their ugly CGI appearance knows no age limit. The movie's almost as ugly as those bad Brazilian Pixar ripoffs. Kids are welcome to this chewing gum for the senses (that loses flavor quickly), but it is a revolting sight. At least Rio's stylization was endearing. Still didn't see that one.

And YES, I am exaggerating for the sake of a joke. But still, wouldn't it have been something to see Kermit and Piggy instead of... whatever the characters' names are?

 

[Walter]

Okay Disney, we are down to 18 items for the muppets.. time to give us new stuff or replenish what was lost because the page looks very small now...

 

[frogboy4]

I don't really think that anyone knew how the film would turn out and products take a long time to develop and license. Disney arranges for some items to be made in their stores, but the rest have to be licensed and that means companies have got to want to make them. There really hasn't been a strong market for Muppet stuff so they don't see too many people wanting to buy them. A successful film solves that issue. It is my hope and belief that many companies will want to be in the Muppet business after the film hits. They'll want exclusive licensing rights to certain toys. Such rights are likely expensive coming from Disney. That's why boutique stores like FAO (even though it's a subsidiary of TRU now) usually handle low volumes of higher priced Muppety items. There's been a tradition with that. I think this project will break the mold and the Muppets will receive the kind of toy store placement they used to have when i was a kid.

 

[beaker]

i REALLY hope a grown man such as yourself IS KIDDING about getting "sick" over a dumb kids movie!?? (I myself dont care for "Happy feet" movies...but Cooooome onnn!)

Actually, while Dr Tooth and I generally agree on a lot of stuff, I have to say I liked Happy Feet...and not just because Im a Robin Williams nerd. Though not sure I'll see Happy Feet 2. I loved Surfs Up as well...ok I might as well fess up, I'm a big penguin lover.

The only other thing I will disagree on is regarding Hugo Cabret, which to me looks visionary(unlike Nutcracker 3d and City of Embers, which were dreadful...tho this could be dreadful as well)

But the lack of Muppet merchandise to me, if anything, just feels a little odd given Disney clearly has confidence in marketing it to the point of ridiculous over saturation. Im on underground anime forums and I see the animated ads everywhere.

@Frogboy: its not about no toys, but just lack of anything. Theres literally only a few large plushes(which, some are amazing like Pepe and Walter), some FAO puppets, a couple shirts(why cant they sell the we fine and threadless in stores? Those would sell well I bet) and then a couple of early reader books. Thats about it.

 

[beaker]

I don't really think that anyone knew how the film would turn out and products take a long time to develop and license. Disney arranges for some items to be made in their stores, but the rest have to be licensed and that means companies have got to want to make them. There really hasn't been a strong market for Muppet stuff so they don't see too many people wanting to buy them. A successful film solves that issue. It is my hope and belief that many companies will want to be in the Muppet business after the film hits. They'll want exclusive licensing rights to certain toys. Such rights are likely expensive coming from Disney. That's why boutique stores like FAO (even though it's a subsidiary of TRU now) usually handle low volumes of higher priced Muppety items. There's been a tradition with that. I think this project will break the mold and the Muppets will receive the kind of toy store placement they used to have when i was a kid.

Ok I kind of see what you mean...a trial balloon, canary in the coal mine dealy-o. Dr Tooth has a theory that a lack of purchasing power with some of Disney's other toy saturation efforts(Ratatoui, G Force, etc) led to a reluctance to release that much Up merchandise. I agree with Dr Tooth that some of the most special and amazing kids films of recent films hardly get any merchandise, like Up...or in the case of Rango, no merchandise.

We all remember 2002-2004, when it was a muppet fanatic fantasy walking into Suncoast, Barnes and Noble, etc. Palisades, Sababa, Fun4All, etc were working overtime to bring us the best and coolest Muppet merchandise we had not seen since the 1980's. (I call it the "Ken Lilly" factor or push) So I agree that companies need to see some indication of where the buying power and market is for this stuff.

Im sad tho, that the nitpicky parents groups won out and slowly but surely the era of the kids meal is dying off...with Disney no longer allowing kids meal toys made(the 90s and early 2000s was an unbelievably amazing time for Mcdonalds Disney toys)

 

[SorcererDonald]

To put it as succinctly as possible: Disney's product research/development department is clueless. Especially when it comes to the Disney Store end of things.

For the latest example, I point towards the Princess Designer doll fiasco of late August-Oct. 17th of this year. Really nice collectible dolls, mugs, clothes, etc. for ADULTS. Sadly adult merch is something they have very much run away from in the stores, with the excuse that it doesn't sell. Absolute chaos ensued for that entire line because Disney did not believe there would be much of a demand for any of it and didn't make enough of most of it.

The Muppets, sadly, are no different. Someone in the bean counting department thinks that stuff like G-Force is a profit machine waiting to happen, but they thus far do not see the potential with the Muppets. Sad. I hope that will change, but then again, they still haven't been able to buy a clue and realize that there is a huge demand for Tangled merch, and not so much for Princess and the Frog merch.

When Ulta (a makeup store/salon in the U.S.) has a huge display for the OPI Muppets nail polish right when you walk in the door, but the Disney Stores have their Muppets "display" in the back, that alone shows the sad state of affairs at the WDC. (The OPI polish has been a MASSIVE hit around here, btw; almost an instantaneous sell out each time a truck comes in.)

 

[frogboy4]

Even the Henson Company bean counters knew that Muppet merchandise works best when backed by a popular project. People misunderstand Palisades. While the figures were fantastic, critically acclaimed and popular in a lot of circles, the profits couldn't sustain the series. This of course has no bearing on the marketing or quality. It's just that ultimately there wasn't enough interest or demand for the characters to support that sort of item. After the film there will be. At least, I'm placing my faith in that.

 

[Muppetboy09]

It looks as if there WILL be a swedish chef plush. If you go to the UK disneystore site, each plush has a group picture that includes the swedish chef....

 

[DannyRWW]

Went to the Disney store on Saturday for their muppet craft (paper bag puppets that you could glue on cardboard what not parts) and it was packed with kids doing the crafts (They let me and the kids take home some extra punch out sheets of parts). It certainly seemed interest was high for the craft and muppet merchandise.... if you build it they will come type philosophy I think.... but I guess there is an audience for it if you put it out there.