ORLANDO, Fla. — If you've got shopping on the brain — and who doesn't this time of year? — Central Florida attractions are basically enablers for you. But let’s not go crazy. We can just browse a while as a Disney executive talks about what’s hot (How can Crocs still be an answer?) and a Universal Orlando leader explains the motivations of Earl the Squirrel.
The world of Disney merchandise
Ahead of the busiest part of the shopping season, I had a chance to chat with Karen White, director of merchandise for Walt Disney World. Topics bounced from customers eating up those Munchling plushes to Cosmic Rewind to ears, of course, and (say this in a stage whisper) Christmas 2023. Here are excerpts.
White on future Munchling characters: “I think you might see some of our traditional characters, but you might also see some characters you don’t see very often pop up here to kind of surprise and delight you and really make you take a step back and say ‘Who is this one? Why haven’t I seen them in a while?’”
On developing Munchlings as opposed to other food-inspired pieces of merchandise: “The difference this time is we’re bringing the chefs into the fold with us and having them help us to really inspire what it is that we create. And then, at magical intervals, you’ll see some similarities between the food that we sell highlighted along with the plush that we sell. You can stay tuned for seeing some of that down the road.”
On the creation of merch related to Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: “That was an interesting one where we didn’t lean into the co-branded, the ‘Mickey With’? We kept it really pure. And so by keeping it very pure, I think it hits a different demographic.”
On what’s next in WDW merchandise: “Of course, everything holiday right now is really where we’re focused. Again, when you think about that collectability we have some fun new Crocs coming in to celebrate the holiday. The Croc shoes continue to be really hot among all ages. There’s actually a newly designed one that looks a little more like a sandal this year as opposed to your traditional styled Croc.”
On what’s still hot with the teens and twentysomethings: “Loungefly continues to hit the mark as well as being the perfect size backpack to take to the parks.”
On men with Loungefly products such as those based on “Tron”: “You also see some ‘Star Wars’ ones. … Some are very female-heavy and some could skew more toward a male demographic. So we’ll see.”
On what’s hot for holidays in 2022: “The other thing that continues to be hot for gift-giving is pajamas. … This year we’re going with plaid pajamas. Our families always like to dress up in groupings, so you have to get the full family ensembles. Some people like to choose to do family photos with their pajamas on.”
On ever-present ears: “We have a new vintage collection coming in to support Christmas. … We are constantly bringing in new ear headbands because our guests absolutely love wearing those and celebrating both in the park as well as back home.”
On Disney World’s 50th anniversary merchandise: “We love the 50th and want to keep it around as long as possible.”
On future holiday seasons: “We are far out, so all of next year is already planned. We’ll take some key learnings here and be able to apply it to next year, but we are definitely, just like all retailers, ahead of the planning curve. … It takes a lot of time for our creative to happen. Just getting all the inspiration and the art styles and approvals and safety testing takes a long time to create merchandise.”
Earl the whirl
Walk into a certain room in the Tribute Store at Universal Studios and you’ll feel the kitchen-sink theme of the décor. That’s courtesy of Earl the Squirrel, the animated holidays mascot for Universal Orlando.
Rob Cametti, director of visual merchandising and store design, explains the thinking of Universal (and Earl).
“Earl loves everything Christmas. And if it lights up, and it shimmers, he’s going to hang it up. And so there’s really no rhyme or reason to the décor in there. It’s everything. Imagine going through a department store and grabbing every piece of Christmas trim, just one of each, and hanging it up. That’s perfectly fine in Earl’s point of view. So while most of us may decorate and try to match things that look good together, if it’s holiday and it’s Christmas, Earl is going to hang it up,” Cametti said.
There’s also an area of the store devoted to (groan alert) Earl-Lando, an attractions concept Earl is tossing about, Cametti said. Amid other paraphernalia, there’s a poster for Earl’s Looping Acorn Accelerator, a coaster with a nut-shaped maneuver a la Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit as well as the I-Soar, a sort of flying squirrel ride atop a tower that may just be ragging on a certain I-4 eyesore. (Alas, an Earl-Lando map was securely attached to the wall.)
“You saw a bit of a preview center for something that’s in his mind,” he said of Earl’s entrepreneurial thought processes. “It’s not just for me about the holidays. It’s not just about the store I have. I’d love to do a whole theme park and theme it around me.”
Topping the treats list
Sticking with the Earl theme, one of the best holiday edibles is Earl’s salted caramel acorn bomb, which I purchased at the stand at Universal Studios’ Battery Park.
The bomb is a nut-shaped chocolate container about the size of a child’s fist, and after you separate the halves, you can eat that bomb. Inside are a half-dozen or so mini-marshmallows and tucked among them in a sliver of tasty caramel. I wish I had torn that into two pieces to make it last longer. Nice and salty.
In fact, inside the bomb was more salt that propped up the second half of the chocoloate nicely. I wish I had known about the salt earlier, though to be fair, it is part of the title. Walk toward the salt.
It wasn’t quite as crazed or dense as I had hoped, considering it’s an Earl product. The menu says “caramel-filled,” but that’s not how I would describe it. The bomb was $5.99. It can be served with hot chocolate for $8.99.
Holiday happenings
—SeaWorld Orlando continues its Christmas programming, including the return of “O Wondrous Night,” a stage show with puppets, carols and camels on stage at Nautilus Theater in the theme park.
—Universal Orlando holiday festivities include a parade at Universal Studios and the “Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular” at Islands of Adventure.
—Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom is happening, but all evenings for the after-hours event are sold out for 2022.
—At Orlando Science Center, the “Dinos in Lights” show and holiday laser light shows in the Dr. Phillips CineDome are now in place.
—“Night of a Million Lights,” a walk-through display and fundraiser for Give Kids the World Village, continues nightly at Island H2O water park in Kissimmee.
—“Christmas Nights in Lights,” a drive-through holiday display, is now open at Dezerland Action Park on International Drive.
—The famed Marilyn Monroe gown that Kim Kardashian borrowed for the Met Gala is now on display at the Ripley’s attraction on I-Drive. Also, Ripley’s Mirror Maze has opened for business next door.
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