There was a little bit of Disney magic happening at Build-A-Bear Workshops across North America this past weekend, and my eight-year-old daughter and I dropped in at our local store to check out the festivities.
To celebrate the new Disney Princess bear, which was released on Friday, Build-A-Bear invited girls to learn to curtsey and join a crowning ceremony, while boys learned to properly bow and then could be knighted. Children also were offered the opportunity to decorate a paper crown with jewel stickers to wear and then take home.
Of course, the new Disney Princess bear and costumes were on display for those wanting to take home a furry friend. The bear, which is priced at $23, comes with an attached sparkly crown and its bottom paws have an image of the Disney Princesses on one side and a crown pattern on the other.
Build-A-Bear Workshop has long carried a line of Disney character costumes that fit most of the store’s 16-inch plush animals. During Princess Weekend, new outfits in the collection were introduced, most costing about $16. I’m amazed by these tiny outfits, which often remind me of my kids’ past Halloween costumes. On this visit, I really loved the miniature versions of hats we see at Walt Disney World — Pirate Mickey ears, Goofy ears and a Pluto cap.
It’s a two-way street, though, because not only does Build-A-Bear sell licensed Disney products, but the Orlando theme parks have modeled merchandise after the popular dress-up plush animals. At Disney Parks, Duffy the Disney Bear has his own line of clothing with costumes representing the countries at Epcot and the various seasons and events celebrated at the resort. The Duffy line costs more than Build-A-Bear, with the plush Disney bear priced at $30 and most costumes at $20. Duffy is widely available throughout Disney properties.
At SeaWorld Orlando, guests actually can make plush animals, helping a team member with the stuffing just like at Build-A-Bear. My daughter was thrilled to find a dolphin among the many sea and land animals for sale. (A Build-A-Bear team member said the store last featured a dolphin about seven years ago.) In addition to the unique selection of marine animals, SeaWorld offers the best prices: $20 for each plush and $13 for each outfit. The Wild Creations workshop is located inside The Shops at Waterfront.
This new “princess bear” is very cute. We took DD6 to “adopt” one this weekend. The new princess line of clothing is very nice and it seems to match the new line of princess costumes for girls. Needless to say Princess will be coming to WDW this summer with us (shhh! it’s a suprise trip)