Duffy Bear Leaving Soon?

[jhaig]

So you can't find Duffy merchandise at the parks?

 

[jhaig]

Shellie, huh? Hmmm interesting. The mystery deepens...

Duffy-gate

 

[Boski]

No Buffy gets a bad rap because THAT'S all he is for. every other cartoon character has been developed into a full fledge identity. Buffy has a lousy backstory, not developed and only introduced to try and capture some of the build a bear market share.

greediness not creativity is why it was launched.

Man you really hate that bear. I mean REALLY.

 

[tony609]

Duffy merchandise is still in the parks. I just thought it was interesting that his "signature" store across from him is not that anymore. Someone told on another board that the signs or art of Mickey with Duffy were even taken down from it. Can anyone confirm here. Another speculation is the merchandise will continue even though no meet and greet. But all this is rumor. As said before Duffy-gate continues!

 

[tony609]

People hate on Duffy for various reasons the biggest is he doesn't have a show? He doesn't have a movie? Whatever the reason. That's ok I will always love him. I have a soft spot for teddy bears and Disney anyway. People love figment and he doesn't have a movie or show either. I love figment tho so I won't hate on him!

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

I only recently learned about Duffy and was looking forward to purchasing him for my niece when I'm down there in November. sigh
And of course one for me to keep with me on solo trips. I hope I can still find him.
AND I would LOVE a Shellie May but I don't see me going to Hawaii anytime soon.

Hoping this is just a rumor and instead of tossing him out, there is more awareness of who he is and Shellie May comes to join him.

 

[disnut8]

People hate on Duffy for various reasons the biggest is he doesn't have a show? He doesn't have a movie?

I think that is part of the reason. I'm an "old school" kind of gal, being 53 years old and the "old" characters get to me, and I can say that some of them are not my favorites but to some, ALL of those characters are "Disney". Duffy is "Disney". Of the new.

But, I can tell this story of a trip my husband, two years older than me, went on a few years ago. We had joked that we always saw Duffy and after I explained the backstory (haters can look that up), he was OK with Duffy. In fact, that was a character my husband might want to meet - he has met one - but the line was always too long. But, on this trip, we were taking the monorail from Magic Kingdom over to Epcot and were going around the left hand side to get back to the platform and Duffy was walking to his greeting spot. We could just see Duffy and the handler coming out and my husband loudly shouted on the monorail, "Look! It's the Fuzzy Stuffy Bear I Like!!!!!!" So, Duffy is Fuzzy Stuffy to us and my normally conservative husband had a Disney moment.

 

[Magpie]

So you can't find Duffy merchandise at the parks?

It's definitely getting harder to find. I have a tradition of buying a new costume with every visit, and I've noticed many unique to WDW costumes have disappeared (including all the World Showcase ones). Meanwhile, his share of the shelf space in shops continues to shrink.

 

[tony609]

In fact, that was a character my husband might want to meet - he has met one - but the line was always too long. But, on this trip, we were taking the monorail from Magic Kingdom over to Epcot and were going around the left hand side to get back to the platform and Duffy was walking to his greeting spot. We could just see Duffy and the handler coming out and my husband loudly shouted on the monorail, "Look! It's the Fuzzy Stuffy Bear I Like!!!!!!" So, Duffy is Fuzzy Stuffy to us and my normally conservative husband had a Disney moment

Love this story

 

[tony609]

It's definitely getting harder to find. I have a tradition of buying a new costume with every visit, and I've noticed many unique to WDW costumes have disappeared (including all the World Showcase ones). Meanwhile, his share of the shelf space in shops continues to shrink.

I noticed a lot of repetition last year and not much new. I have now begun collecting the ones from Tokyo. Where Duffy is more popular. I have found a service on another chat board that helps Duffy lovers out so we don't have to pay the huge eBay prices. I also love his friends Shellie Mae and Gelatoni the cat!

 

[Magpie]

I noticed a lot of repetition last year and not much new. I have now begun collecting the ones from Tokyo. Where Duffy is huge! I have found a service on another chat board that helps Duffy lovers out so we don't have to pay the huge eBay prices. I also love his friends Shellie Mae and Gelatoni the cat!

Oh... can you pm me where to find this board?

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm 47 yr old and don't even remember him being with Mickey Mouse. Could you tell me better where at in the World showcase? I'm going next month and would like to see him

Coming in through FutureWorld, like you are headed towards Mexico, he would be on the left-hand side of the path in a gazebo overlooking the water area. Across from a coffee kiosk I believe, and the store there. If you hit Mexico, you went too far.

He usually meets twice a day. For example, today is 11:30 AM to 2:10 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM. But you would want to check the times in the app or the website before you go to make sure he is there.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/epcot/character-meet-duffy/

Have fun!!!

 

[ArwenMarie]

But, I can tell this story of a trip my husband, two years older than me, went on a few years ago. We had joked that we always saw Duffy and after I explained the backstory (haters can look that up), he was OK with Duffy. In fact, that was a character my husband might want to meet - he has met one - but the line was always too long. But, on this trip, we were taking the monorail from Magic Kingdom over to Epcot and were going around the left hand side to get back to the platform and Duffy was walking to his greeting spot. We could just see Duffy and the handler coming out and my husband loudly shouted on the monorail, "Look! It's the Fuzzy Stuffy Bear I Like!!!!!!" So, Duffy is Fuzzy Stuffy to us and my normally conservative husband had a Disney moment.

Aw cute! Love this story.

 

[eliza61]

Man you really hate that bear. I mean REALLY.

lol.
Nah, I hate when Disney promotes stuff not to enhance an experience but for simple greed.

Not sure how long you've been going to the parks but if it's been awhile do you remember those few years where Disney was shoving Hannah Montanna down our throats.
I mean she was every where and in places that totally made no sense. for example they took out a lot of merchandise in the space mtn gift shop and replaced it with Hannah, Star tours in MGM? Hannah. The really cool Villians in Vogue, yep you got it. Hannah.

I'm glad folks like Duffy, every time I see him in Epcot he's standing there without a soul in line and the cm handler is trying to drum up folks to take his picture but I'm equally as glad dude is getting the boot.

He's popular in Japan, so let him live long and prosper in Japan.

 

[lilclerk]

People hate on Duffy for various reasons the biggest is he doesn't have a show? He doesn't have a movie? Whatever the reason. That's ok I will always love him. I have a soft spot for teddy bears and Disney anyway. People love figment and he doesn't have a movie or show either. I love figment tho so I won't hate on him!

I could really care less about Duffy, I don't do meet & greets. But you can't compare him to Figment. Figment is a decades-old character with a great story and his own very popular attraction(s), and was the mascot of Epcot.
Duffy is a generic teddy bear solely created to sell you a bunch of outfits that they threw together a storybook for. Totally different, IMO.

Not knocking Duffy here. Really, if you like him, more power to you. But he's not a character like Figment. He's a generic stuffed animal.

 

[joannjoe]

Coming in through FutureWorld, like you are headed towards Mexico, he would be on the left-hand side of the path in a gazebo overlooking the water area. Across from a coffee kiosk I believe, and the store there. If you hit Mexico, you went too far.

He usually meets twice a day. For example, today is 11:30 AM to 2:10 PM and 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM. But you would want to check the times in the app or the website before you go to make sure he is there.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/epcot/character-meet-duffy/

Have fun!!!

I swear I have never seen him there. I remember the characters being in the middle signing autographs. I will have to bucket list him then Thank you

 

[crostorfer]

We aren't fans of Duffy, but if he is truly going away, then we will get pictures with him before the 3rd of October, and I will put them in my file of things I can no longer see at Disney.

 

[Peepster]

Sorry, but I would be happy to see Duffy return to the woods. Never "got" him and he never seemed seemed to fit in with the other characters. Seemed to us to be a marketing mistake. Just our opinion...respect yours.

 

[jhaig]

Kenny the Pirate has the same story:http://www.kennythepirate.com/2015/08/09/will-Duffy-the-Disney-bear-be-leaving-Epcot/

 

[Boski]

lol.
Nah, I hate when Disney promotes stuff not to enhance an experience but for simple greed.

Not sure how long you've been going to the parks but if it's been awhile do you remember those few years where Disney was shoving Hannah Montanna down our throats.
I mean she was every where and in places that totally made no sense. for example they took out a lot of merchandise in the space mtn gift shop and replaced it with Hannah, Star tours in MGM? Hannah. The really cool Villians in Vogue, yep you got it. Hannah.

I'm glad folks like Duffy, every time I see him in Epcot he's standing there without a soul in line and the cm handler is trying to drum up folks to take his picture but I'm equally as glad dude is getting the boot.

He's popular in Japan, so let him live long and prosper in Japan.

Luckily I wasn't going there during that time, I can only imagine. I'm not a huge Duffy fan but my wife (who has a lot of friends in Japan) and one of my boys are. I just hope if they do cancel poor Duffy that they replace him with a good meet and greet. I know he wasn't the most popular but he was in a pretty good location and would hate to see him removed to help squeeze a few extra cents for Disney to pocket.