Tokyo Disney Resort to Debut 20th Anniversary "Duffy & Friends Colorful Happiness Liner" Monorail this Spring
Don't forget to bring Duffy along for your Tokyo Disney adventures.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Duffy & Friends, Tokyo Disney will operate a special themed monorail decked out with the adorable characters starting this Spring.
What’s Happening:
- Tokyo Disney Resort is decking out one of their Resort Line monorails to celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of Duffy & Friends.
- Shared on X by the resort, the design is titled the “Duffy & Friends Colorful Happiness Liner" and features a colorful and bubbly design with characters like Duffy, ShellyMay, Gelatoni, and Lina Bell.
- The themed monorail is set to debut on April 8th with no end date announced at this time.
- It’s possible fans will find a limited edition themed train ticket at the Tokyo DisneySea station in line with the anniversary celebration, so keep an eye out for any information regarding specialty merchandise, tickets, and more for the 20th anniversary celebration.
A History About Duffy:
- Duffy The Disney Bear made his original debut in 2002 for the opening of Once Upon a Toy at Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney. Originally dubbed as “The Disney Bear," the limited time character caught the eye of executives at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
- In 2005, Duffy debuted at Tokyo DisneySea’s Aunt Peg’s Village Store. Imagineering, who created the original design for the character, gave Duffy a new name to tie in with the Cape Cod section of the American Waterfront area of the park.
- In the short story created for the character, Minnie Mouse created Duffy to accompany Mickey on all of his sea adventures. The homemade gift was given to Mickey in a duffel bag, inspiring the name Duffy.
- Tokyo DisneySea guests loved Duffy, and the plush character would often sell out at the park, with guests often buying multiple of the character, giving the bears unique names and costumes.
- Imagineering decided it was time to give Duffy some friends, debuting ShellieMay. Duffy’s new best friend debuted on January 22, 2010, and quickly gained popularity for her sweet appearance.
- Around the same time, these characters began appearing at different Disney Parks around the world, including Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.
- The first non-bear character, Gelatoni, debuted at Tokyo DisneySea on June 30th, 2014. The green tuxedo cat became friends with Duffy during a trip to the Palazzo Canlas in Mediterranean Harbor.
- Three years later on March 23, 2017, StellaLou made her first appearance at the park. The lavender rabbit is determined to become a dancer, always decked out in her tutu and ballet shoes. She calls the New York area of the American Waterfront her home.
- A handful of Duffy & Friends characters have been created for other Disney resorts around the world, including Olu Mel for Aulani, CookieAnn for Hong Kong Disneyland, and LinaBell for Shanghai Disneyland.
- Olu Mel the turtle, CookieAnn the dog, and LinaBell the fox also make appearances at Tokyo DisneySea.
- Even 20 years after Duffy’s release, Tokyo DisneySea still sells a ton of Duffy & Friends merchandise, with the characters having several dedicated stores throughout the park.
- While the characters haven’t made appearances at the US Disney Parks in quite some time, Disneyland fans can look forward to Duffy and ShellieMay’s return as a part of the park’s 70th Anniversary Celebrate Happy Cavalcade.
Read More Tokyo Disney Resort: