Best of Disney at Toy Fair 2013: From ‘Monsters’ to Marvel and Princesses to Play-Doh (and Star Wars too)

in Disney, Events, Merchandise

Last week leaders of the toy industry converged in New York City for the annual Toy Fair convention featuring the latest and greatest new products from companies big and small. The show isn’t open to the public, instead intended for toy makers and distributors to make deals with stores for their upcoming product lines.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Throughout its four days, we scoured hundreds of booths to pick out the best new Disney products being shown off. Some exhibitors reveal their wares freely in open booths while others tuck them away behind closed doors, granting access only by appointment or invitation.

Disney is certainly one of the licensors at the show, offering up its familiar characters to many companies at Toy Fair to create a variety of unique, interesting, and fun products. Let’s take a look at some of the best…

Mattel

One of the biggest toy companies in the world, Mattel took over the fourth floor of the Javits Center with their private showroom. Only those approved to enter got a chance to look at what they’ll be releasing throughout 2013. We found our way in, spending a few hours exploring their upcoming products, Disney and otherwise.

(Today we focus only on Disney but check back soon for a wrap-up of non-Disney products including popular franchises like Ghostbusters, He-Man, the Wizard of Oz, Batman, and Monster High.)

Mattel offered us a private, thorough, and quite entertaining demonstration of all of the products they were debuting at Toy Fair. Take 15 minutes to watch it in the video below, followed by a few photos highlighting the toys from Sofia the First, Planes, Cars, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and impressive new interactive Disney Princess castle.

Video: Disney toy showcase from Mattel at Toy Fair 2013

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

These weren’t the only new products Mattel unveiled at Toy Fair – but they are the only ones we can show you. Within the highly secretive walls of their buyer showcase, additional products from “Planes” were on display along with plenty of prototypes from other properties. But those were for our eyes only. Rest assured, there are some fun things hitting store shelves from Mattel this year.


Hasbro

One of the other major players in Disney licenses is Hasbro, this year more than ever before. At Toy Fair they unveiled Play-Doh+ in their off-site Times Square showroom. This new Play-Doh compound is softer and more malleable, allowing kids of all ages to create more intricate designs.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Accompanying the new Play-Doh product is a series of Disney Princess play sets. Play-Doh+ makes it possible to create an intricate princess dress for Belle, for example, or give Rapunzel realistic long flowing hair, one strand at a time.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Two of Disney’s biggest-ever acquisitions are Marvel and Lucasfilm, both of which Hasbro holds the license for producing incredibly large arrays of toys, the newest of which were unveiled at Toy Fair, many already hitting store shelves since the event wrapped up.

In the world of Marvel, “Iron Man 3,” “Wolverine,” and “Thor 2” are the big product lines supporting the upcoming films, including quite a few role playing accessories that make noise, light up, and/or shoot tiny plastic projectiles, all demonstrated in the video below.

Video: Marvel toy showcase from Hasbro at Toy Fair 2013

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

The Titan Hero Series takes its look from classic Marvel with large-scale action figures that will surely appeal to nostalgic collectors.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

And then there’s Spider-Man, which has seen movies on top of movies over the last 10 years or so. Though Sony, not Marvel Studios, is responsible for creating those films, the toys are no less exciting with this year’s line relying on plenty of high-flying movement including stretchy tongues and webs.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

But the big change this year is in the world of Star Wars, now owned by Disney. Hasbro has been cranking out Star Wars products since purchasing Kenner in 1991. There have been thousands. Watch as Hasbro demonstrates all the latest Star Wars toys coming soon to a toy store near you.

Video: Star Wars toy showcase from Hasbro at Toy Fair 2013

This year’s line is particularly exciting for collectors with the new Black Series figures offering a larger scale and more detail on Star Wars characters than ever before.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Up close, the likenesses on these 6″ scale figures are striking, far better than the 3.75″ scale Star Wars figures have traditionally been released at. Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul, Darth Vader, R2-D2, and many more will be released at this new scale in sleek packaging just begging to be displayed.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Other fun new additions to the Star Wars line includes color-changing light sabers, from blue to red as Anakin transitions to Darth Vader.


Spin Master

Spin Master has been producing toys for Disney for a number of years, this year showing off their upcoming “Monsters University” products in a huge special event featuring filmmakers and voice star John Goodman. A few highlights are included below, including a toy demonstration from Spin Master, but be sure to click over to our full report from the event for more details and photos.

Monsters University Toy Fair event

Video: Tour of “Monsters University” toys at Toy Fair 2013

Spin Master also showed a few coloring products featuring Disney characters.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products


Other Disney

Beyond these major players, many more exciting Disney products were revealed at Toy Fair this year, big and small. Much of what is seen at the show is in various stages of development. Some are final products. Some are prototypes. Some are early sculpts and packaging. Below is an assortment of the most interesting Disney products throughout the rest of the convention.

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Figurines are common and always popular collectibles.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
These impressive little figures are from a company called Beverly Hills Teddy Bear, producing them for just about every Disney character imaginable.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
They showed off many of their original sculpts, more of which can be seen in the gallery at the bottom of this post.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Funko featured a huge booth of hundreds of their highly-popular POP! Vinyl products, including an extremely large number of Disney characters.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Randall was revealed here as a returning character for Monsters University, alongside Mike and Sulley.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
The slideshow at the bottom of this post features all of the Disney POP! Vinyls, but here are a few highlights, like Merida and the Rocketeer.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Wall-E and Eve are particularly cute.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Funko also moved its unique style into the plush world.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
These blind boxed Disney figures feature a different look than the standard POP! Vinyls. These are called Mystery Minis.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
There’s the new Disney Cupcakes series of vinyl collectibles as well.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Square-Enix debuted new highly articulated Kingdom Hearts figures from the popular Disney video game series. Here are Sora and Riku.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
The most exciting of the Kingdom Hearts figures are new Tron outfits for Sora and Riku, as seen in the Dream Drop Distance game.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
They each come with a variety of key blades.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Four new Play Arts figures are being borrowed from Japan representing scenes from Kingdom Hearts. There’s The Little Mermaid, Halloweentown from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Tron.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
NECA unveiled a small portion of their line-up of toys for The Lone Ranger, including two scales of action figures. These smaller figures feature Tonto, the Lone Ranger, and the film’s villain.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
The main characters come with detailed horses.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
The most stunning products were the larger scale figures from The Lone Ranger.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
A closer look at Tonto, portrayed by Johnny Depp, shows how lifelike this sculpt is.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Armie Hammer comes out with guns a-blazing as The Lone Ranger. In addition to these figures, NECA has hundreds more products in the line including accurate prop replicas of masks and, yes, even Tonto’s headwear with a bird on top.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
This Captain America figure from NECA was equally impressive.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
As was this Iron Man.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
NECA’s HeroClix game is expanding into Activision’s Skylanders territory with a new base that links these pieces into a video game. Marvel is included among the properties.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
The Lone Ranger will also get the HeroClix treatment.
LEGO also revealed a new line of kits based on The Lone Ranger to debut in April.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Diamond Select Toys also featured a variety of Star Wars items, including these spot-on busts from The Clone Wars.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Also from Diamond Select Toys, these Star Wars bottle openers are shipping soon, perfect for those in need of an intergalactic drink.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
The world of collectible trading cards is huge and Panini is a major player in that industry. They have the license for Disney Princesses and Monsters University, among others.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Playhut showed off their Avengers Assemble line of fun vehicles.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
HULK USE FISTS TO TRAVEL IN CAR.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Though the Beanie Babies craze may have ended years ago, Ty is still cranking out popular products like their Beanie Ballz with many a Disney and Marvel character.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
JAKKS Pacific is producing the merchandise for Oz the Great and Powerful with these dolls leading the line.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Sofia the First has been a big seller for JAKKS Pacific.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
JAKKS Pacific also produces shiny and sparkly Disney Princess dresses, which have been updated to meet Disney’s new Princess look.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Sometimes Toy Fair produces a few surprises, like bumping into the company that produces character pens for Disney’s theme parks.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
These fluffy pens are newcomers in the line.

Not Quite Disney

Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Though technically not directly connected to Disney, this new line of dolls called Once Upon a Zombie grabbed attention for taking the world of Disney Princesses in a fun direction.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
Many artists have customized Disney Princess dolls over the years to create creepy or undead versions, but Once Upon a Zombie is the first to make it official, using Disney’s own Princess names: Cinderella, Belle, The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. They say they have Disney’s blessing.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
They’re aiming this doll line at a slightly older demographic who wants to move beyond simple plastic dolls. These feature glass eyes to go with their blank stares.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
They’re highly poseable.
Toy Fair 2013 Disney products
And just the right amount of creepy.

That’s a look at some of the best Disney-related products that debuted at Toy Fair 2013. But there’s much more to come, so check back soon for another “best of” wrap-up of everything else seen at the show, including more product demos and, of course, plenty more photos of new and exciting toys.

More photos of Disney products at Toy Fair 2013:
(Photos by Michelle Moss and Ricky Brigante)

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