Special Feature - Disney

The most magical plush on earth

Gill Archer, VP Hardlines & Food+ at Disney Consumer Products EMEA, tells Toy World readers how the studio’s beloved properties lend themselves to immortalisation in plush form and details the major new lines its licensees are launching both this year and into 2026.

In your opinion, what’s behind the enduring popularity of plush as a category?

Plush holds appeal across multiple generations and a wide range of demographics, offering a tangible connection to beloved characters. Their combination of comforting and nostalgic properties make them cherished by children and, increasingly, adults.

Within the Disney portfolio, which characters and brands lend themselves particularly well to plush toys?

Characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Stitch lend themselves particularly well to plush toys, thanks to their cute characteristics and familiarity. These characters also have strong emotional resonance with audiences, making them ideal for the nature of plush product - as we've seen with the phenomenal reception of the live-action Stitch plush from Simba. According to Circana, Lilo & Stitch was the No. 1 gaining property in total Plush across EU5, with sales up +164% year on year (YTD May 2025).

Outside of this, we also find newer characters such as Grogu are popular thanks to their innate cuteness and, of course, the popularity of the Mandalorian franchise.

What major plush lines are your licensing partners introducing for 2025?

Our licensees are introducing a variety of plush lines in 2025 and following the success of the live action Stitch theatrical merchandise, this includes Stitch shoulder sitters and seasonal holiday plush. We’re also building out the ultra-cute non-traditional plush assortment with Disney Beanie Bouncers from Ty and Disney HugMees from Squishmallows.

In 2026 we’ll be leaning heavily into our incredible film slate, including new plush for fan favourite Grogu, plus we’ll be celebrating some very special anniversaries too.

When it comes to this category, have you observed any new and interesting consumer trends?

The plush category is one of the fastest growing categories in the toy market, driven by a number of trends and emerging audiences.

Recently we have seen a lot of food related plush, which has traditionally worked very well with Stitch. The next evolution of this is the new Disney Snackles from Zuru. For 2026 we’re also looking into more nature-inspired designs featuring plants and floral elements. Weighted plush has been incredibly popular for some time now, thanks to the sensory experience they offer, so this area is something we continue to build out in 2025. Everyone will be aware of the popularity of blind box product, so in the coming months we’ll also be working on new tactile blind box plush.

Finally, we’re delighted with the success of both the Wow! Stuff Disney Stitch Puppetronic by RealFX and Many Moods Stitch from Just Play. Both toys have been so popular that we’ve now seen the introduction of Wow! Stuff’s RealFX Angel Puppetronic and Just Play’s Ultimate Stitch interactive plush. The latter was only recently launched, but has already been awarded Interactive Plush Toy of the Year at the Grand Prix du Jouet.

There’s lots more to come in the category, so watch this space.