Corbisblue - Very well said. I think you articulated it perfectly. I bet you're 100% right - even if those of us who don't 'get it' yet don't realize it (it may be subconscious), it is probably largely due to the lack of emotional connection.
See, for me, I see the Pixar characters taking off like wildfire and becoming extremely popular because there are movies featuring the characters - and almost every one of those movies tugs at the heart strings. Who here hasn't had to discreetly wipe a tear or two from their eyes during any of the "Toy Story" movies...or "Finding Nemo"...or "Monsters, Inc."....or "Wall-E"...all of them, really?
The Pixar characters are so well-defined, witty, fleshed out and expertly animated - it's like they are human, almost. Those storylines evoke emotion. Hence, they are very well-loved and beloved.
With Duffy, all of a sudden, there he was in DCA. My friends grew up going to DLR but they don't follow message boards so they have no clue who Duffy is. I would bet it's the same for many people. They have no idea who this Duffy is or where he came from, but there he is at a photo op in DCA.
So I think a cartoon or movie would have been highly beneficial in getting some buzz going for Duffy in Anaheim and building a fan base. I'm sure he will grow on people - heck, I said in my first post that I got in photos with Duffy on my December trip. We all welcome new characters. Some of them catch on and some don't, but it helps if they have a movie or a running TV show to familiarize people with those characters.
I won't be buying into this particular schtick. Disney gets enough of my money anyway!
Actually he is pretty good quality for a stuffed animal (very soft and cuddly) and technically his clothes are much cheaper than American Girl doll clothes. 
