Does anyone else just not get Duffy....

[JeffryK]

Only thing i didnt like about Tokyo Disneyland. Couldnt buy a t-shirt anywhere unless you were a brown bear, then you could buy a wardrobe that would make Ken jealous.

 

[Sparkly]

I think Duffy is adorable! I've always had a soft spot for teddies though- it was even my first word

He was all alone at his meet and greet when we were in Epcot in Feb

 

[eliza61]

I think Duffy is adorable! I've always had a soft spot for teddies though- it was even my first word

He was all alone at his meet and greet when we were in Epcot in Feb

LOL. He's always all alone. When I was there in August it was just him and his handlers. I think it maybe time for Orlando Disney to let this one go. with so many kids attuned to build a bear and with so many great characters for disney to push, seems a waste of resources to keep trying to hawk poor Duffy.

 

[bytheblood]

I know the story behind it, but being that it has nothing to do with Mickey/Minnie history, I think it is weird.

 

[Fantasmiss]

I like Duffy, but I don't like that we don't get the stuff to hang on the colouring-Duffy. How about making that part of the story, Duffy travellng around the world collecting souvernirs?

 

[mad madam mim78]

Not a fan of Duffy here.

 

[jsmcarvalho]

I didn't know Duffy until our trip last year... But when my DS (6) saw the bear, he simply fell in love with him!!! He hugged that "unkown" bear and didn't want to release him... After that, I searched for the character in the internet... But I like Duffy? Well... As a mom, I like all that make my child happy...

 

[nansmama]

We didn't know who Duffy was until we Googled him on our trip in February. My teens now think it's hilarious to shriek in fake terror and yell "Ahh! It's a man-eating bear!" whenever they see him. I tried to get them to take a picture (there was no line) but they wouldn't do it even for the sake of a joke.

 

[mrjef]

I am in agreement with the OP. I feel like we are wasting time that could be spent at the countries or riding rides when my kids are decorating Duffy.

 

[kakiegirl]

My family is not a big fan of Duffy either. There is no point in him other than a way to try to make more money for Disney. Now Pal Mickey I'm still sad he is gone, we loved buying the different outfits for him. I have noticed in some stores at MK they have Duffy's outfits on Stitch instead, I wonder if that is a way to try to sale the outfits. I used to love the masks they had at World Showcase, my DD has a couple of those but I personally see no use in going around coloring a bear.

 

[TDC Nala]

I have Duffys on a stick disguised as Darth Maul (I didn't draw that one, it was done for me), Dr. Who, and Jimmy Buffet. I'm no kid, but it's something to do.

It's still summer, so it's worth noting that Duffy on a stick makes a great hand-held fan.

 

[Albytaps]

I know he's getting pretty popular but is there anyone else out there that just not get the Duffy thing???

I guess I'm a Disney purist so when I see some random bear and they make a big hype over it, it just kind of kills the magic for me a bit!

It's like i'm zapped into any other generic theme park looking at this dumb bear. I know they have created a whole back story about it in Japan but keep him there!

I guess if there was actually some movie clip from years back showing Mickey with a bear that resembled Duffy I could try to get over it but he just irritates me! lol! anyone else? your thoughts for or against Duffy?

Help me not feel alone or share your reasons why you like him and help me try and accept him into the Disney family.

Since I started seeing him I thought maybe they were bringing him back from old Mickey cartoons or something so it didn't bother me. My kids dislike him and my wife makes fun of him. Now I understand he's just a new character that sucks.

 

[CampbellScot]

I wonder if those who do not like Duffy because he's not an "original" feel the same way about Elmo on Sesame Street?

I love Duffy. He's certainly not intended to replace Mickey, so I'm not worried about him

I always thought Elmo was a twerpy little upstart stealing the thunder from Grover. Then I watched the documentary about Elmo and his "handler". I couldn't help but love him after that. I still think he's a bit twerpy...but in a lovable kind of way.

A few years ago, pre-Duffy, I found a book called "The Story of Disney Bear-A Day at the Magic Kingdom". It was a very sweet story about Mickey being lonely and unable to sleep one night and took his bear to Magic Kingdom to wait for the sun to come up so his friends would wake up and join him. Then Tink arrives and sprinkles some Pixie Dust and when Mickey hugs "Disney Bear" the shadow of Mickey's head appears on Disney Bear's face and stays there. He and Disney Bear have a great day going on all the rides etc...and that was that. Disney Bear and Mickey brought together by love and Pixie Dust. No story about Minnie making the bear for Mickey as he goes off for parts unknown.

It was a sweet story. I bought the book b/c I work with kids it's always nice to have a sweet story of friends playing nicely together and having a good time.

Then Disney Bear was renamed Duffy and had a whole back story. At that point I already liked Disney Bear, so it was hard to hate on Duffy. He's a teddy bear. He's cute. He has a fun wardrobe. Just the Disney machine trucking along.

 

[PrincessAurora]

I'm totally with you OP on the Duffy thing. I got mine when he was just Mickey's teddy bear. I thought it was cute, he was hella soft and squishy and I just call him Mickey Bear.

Then here comes the Mouse Marketing Machine.... Japan goes nuts for him, they change his "back story" and Duffy is off to the races! I don't even think the Duffy version is as soft, fluffy or cute.

If other people want to get on the Duffy train, I don't care even though I think it's odd (outside the Disney pantheon) but to each his own. Personally I take my Mickey Bear with me when I travel to the World but Duffy... that bear can suck it!

 

[LilMommyBug]

As for my kids..the consensus was "Oh, that bear is cute. Who is he??"

 

[figmentedpixie]

I may be ion the minority here but I don't have any problem with Duffy. I think he's kinda cute. I loved it when EPCOT first introduced Figment & he wasn't attached to any disney movie or character and I love Figment too! I kinda think of Duffy as something similar to that.

Figment is actually the main reason I dislike Duffy. I find him annoying and generic and just...don't get it. And the fact that he is everywhere drives me up a wall. But the nail in the coffin was when they started trying to push Duffy as the mascot of EPCOT/the World Showcase. After that...Duffy and I were DONE. We would never be friends. NEVER.

EPCOT belongs to Figment. Always has, always will. Why can't you sell different versions of Figment? Why can't HE go around the world? Why do you need this generic looking Build-A-Bear?

 

[TGaines107]

I tell ya this, the genius who came up with him must be in a VP position somewhere in marketing! A whole new character sell. Another thing, the greatest genius of all time (next to Walt himself) is the guy who came up with the idea to make pins of everything you could ever imagine and charge $5-$10 each. That guy should be CEO.

 

[Missus Toad]

Duffy is lame. Feels like he wandered off the pages of a dollar store generic brand coloring book. He just doesn't fit with the Disney character aesthetic.

 

[PrincessAurora]

OK, now I'm back in my sad, ranty Duffy place. Just so you know I'm not a total head case - here is a picture of my "Mickey Bear" which you have to admit is a higher quality bear than what Duffy has evolved into.

I've found that Disney merchandise tends to hit the skids in quality from it's original release in sooooo many ways. Example: the first Ariel doll they made had a normal face and natural red hair. About 6 months later she had fire engine red hair and a cartoon face.

 

[Keepee]

I think the look of Duffy is what kills me on him...he's just so...plain. Not Disney. The "generic build a bear" comments come close, but I actually find those way cuter. If I'm in the world and I want to drop money on something, I'm gonna spend it on Tigger or Stitch- not some plain jane teddy bear I can find at my other favorite world- Wally World! (Walmart).