Japan has a ton of plushie mascots like these ones, but did you know Disney Japan has its own exclusive plushie mascots? Duffy the bear was originally created not as a standalone character but just as Mickey Mouse’s teddy bear in the early 2000s, however he failed to gain any traction abroad. Despite this, in Japan he was an instant hit, leading Tokyo Disney Sea Resort to become his permanent home. Though you may still spot Duffy very occasionally at other Disney resorts across the world, his friends like Gelatoni are exclusive to their home at Disney Sea so are often sought after by avid collectors abroad. Its hard to go even a few hours outside in Japan without seeing Japanese people with Duffy and friends merchandise dangling from their bags or phones, they’re just that popular here! And here at YumeTwins we love Duffy and his friends too!! Now let’s learn a little bit more about each character~

Duffy is Disney Japans first original character after Japan promoting him from Mickey’s teddy bear to be a standalone character. His story goes that Mickey Mouse was about to go on a long boat trip by himself, so Minnie Mouse worrying Mickey would be lonely made Mickey a teddy bear full of her love! Mickey was extremely happy and put the bear inside of his duffel bag, and this is how Duffy got his name! Mickey then went traveling all over the world with Duffy who made Mickey happy wherever they went! Cute right? Duffy is undoubtedly the most popular out of him and his friends and it’s not hard to see why!

Shellie May was the next character to come along after Duffy’s success. Her story is that Minnie decided to make Duffy a new friend too so she created Shellie May and introduced her to Duffy. Duffy thought Shellie May was super cute and they soon became friends! You’ll often see people pairing Duffy and Shellie May together as boyfriend and girlfriend but officially they’re “friends”.

Next up is Gelatoni! And our personal favourite at YumeTwins! Gelatoni’s story is that one day when Duffy was out for a walk with Mickey, Duffy spilled his ice cream and it was then they came across Gelatoni, who used his paintbrush like tail to paint a picture using Duffy’s spilled ice cream. They both painted pictures with ice cream and showed them off! From then on they were friends. Gelatoni’s design is super cute and hard to resist! He’s only been around for a few years so far but he’s super popular too and you’ll often see his merchandise around Tokyo. Of course Gelatoni being a painter, most of his merchandise is themed as such, and we can’t complain as it’s super kawaii!

The latest edition to Duffy’s friend group is Stella Lou. Her story goes that one day Duffy saw a bunny practicing ballet and thought “She looks like shes gonna fall over! Is she okay?” Stella Lou then told Duffy she wanted to be a dancer. Stella Lou started dancing again and Duffy said that she looked like she was shining bright like a star. From then on they became friends! Like Gelatoni, Stella Lou is a dancer so almost all her merchandise is ballet themed and particularly popular with young girls.

Let’s take a look at some of their goodies only available at Tokyo Disney Sea~

Duffy M size plushie, 50cm tall when sitting 11,000 Japanese yen ($100)

Duffy slippers 3000 Japanese yen ($30)

Shellie May M size plushie, 50cm when sitting 11,000 Japanese yen ($100)

Shellie May coin purse 1,700 Japanese yen ($15)

Gelatoni M size plushie, 50cm when sitting 11,000 Japanese yen ($100)

Gelatoni plushie key chain 1,700 Japanese yen ($15)

Stella Lou S size plushie, 43cm when sitting 3,900 Japanese yen ($35)

Stella Lou tote bag 4,000 Japanese yen ($35)

Though some of the items are on the pricey side, they’re super cute right?! If you’re on holiday or going to the park for a special occasion it’s definitely worth splashing out on a few items so you have something to remember the trip by especially when you can only get these goods at Tokyo Disney Sea!

What do you think of Duffy and his friends? Would you like to go to Tokyo Disney Sea to visit them? Let us know in the comments!

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