With Disney•Pixar’s “Brave” arriving in theaters on June 22, I set out on my own adventure to find merchandise inspired by the film. My travels took me to the princess room at World of Disney, where I found several items near the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, including the shirt pictured above. That girls’ shirt was developed by the Disney Theme Park Merchandise team and can only be found at Disney Parks.
Interestingly, the majority of merchandise items we offer in stores are developed by the Disney Parks team and only found at Disney Parks. But for major film releases such as “Brave,” the Disney Parks team partners with the Disney Stores division to share development. So, you will see some similar items being offered at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort that you may also find in your local Disney Store or online. I personally thought the plush bears developed by the Disney Store were adorable (maybe it’s their blue eyes).
Vinylmation is one category where we’ve been sharing development with the Disney Stores. The Vinylmation – Brave set I first discussed in May is currently being sold at Disney Parks, Disney Stores and via the Disney Parks online store. I asked Disney Design Group Artist Ron Cohee about any hidden details on the Vinylmation figures.
“There are hidden details on the ears of the Merida figure,” explained Ron. “The designs are called ‘runes’ and one image is found on her bow. The other is the symbol for her family.”
Ron spent several years working as an animator with Feature Animation. He worked on a variety of motion pictures, including “Pocahontas,” “Mulan” and “The Princess and the Frog.” He recently joined the Vinylmation team, and I love the figures he designs (just wait until you see the two-figure set featuring a young Carl and Ellie from Disney•Pixar’s “Up”!).
Finally, there are pins we created that you will only find at Disney Parks. We have released an open edition pin featuring Merida and a four-pin set with additional characters from the film. The limited edition “Opening Day” pin has an edition size of 2,000 and will be released on June 21 at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.
Read more news about merchandise at Disney Parks in the posts below:
- VIDEO: A Look at Summer Fashion in TrenD at the Downtown Disney Marketplace at Walt Disney World Resort
- New D-Tech Cases for Android Phones and More Arriving This Summer at Disney Parks
- A Shopper’s Guide to Disney California Adventure Park
Choosing Merchandise from Disney•Pixar’s ‘Brave’ at Disney Parks by Steven Miller: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog
