Disney Debuts New Franchise Extension with Launch of Disney Princess Palace Pets App and Toy Line

Disney Princess Palace Pets Named Among TimetoPlayMag.com’s Prestigious “Most Wanted List” of Coveted Holiday Toys

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Disney Princess Palace Pets Furry Tail Friends (Photo: Business Wire)

GLENDALE, Calif.--()--Disney Consumer Products (DCP) introduces the newest arrival to the Disney Princess kingdom: Disney Princess Palace Pets. Inspired by the love for animals the Disney Princess characters display in their classic stories, the Disney Princess Palace Pets app and product collection enable children to play with, nurture and love their Palace Pets, just like their favorite Disney Princess characters.

The Palace Pets were first introduced in the Disney Princess Palace Pets app, a wildly popular, free iOS app from Disney Publishing Worldwide that launched in June 2013 and reached more than 1 million downloads in its first seven weeks. The app shares the story of how the Palace Pets met the Disney Princess characters and includes activities such as an interactive royal salon where children can wash, brush, groom, accessorize and treat the pets to snacks.

“Our new Disney Princess Palace Pets line is an immersive addition to the Disney Princess world and gives children the opportunity to extend the stories of their favorite characters while naturally tying into girls’ play patterns of nurturing and pampering,” said Chris Connolly, senior vice president of licensing for Disney Princess, Disney Consumer Products. “Disney is uniquely positioned to extend these classic fairy tales in an authentic and engaging way and introduce a new franchise extension by leveraging companywide synergies, namely the talented team at Disney Publishing Worldwide who has created a runaway hit with the Palace Pets app.”

The Palace Pets toy line is now available at retailers nationwide and includes figures, “plush” stuffed animals and playsets created in collaboration with licensee, Blip Toys. Disney Princess Palace Pets have received early industry buzz by being recognized on TimetoPlayMag.com’s “Most Wanted List,” which identifies the hottest toys set to top kids’ holiday wish lists. The Disney Princess Palace Pets each belong to their own Disney Princess character and include: Cinderella’s puppy, Pumpkin; Aurora’s kitten, Beauty; Snow White’s Bunny, Berry; Belle’s puppy, Teacup; and Ariel’s kitten, Treasure.

“The Disney Princess Palace Pets combine two popular girls’ play patterns – Princesses and Pets,” said Jim Silver, toy expert and editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com. “That dynamic combination coupled with the popularity of the Disney Princess franchise will put Palace Pets at the top of young girls’ wish lists this holiday season.”

“Disney Princesses hold a special place in the hearts of kids and kids at heart, and we’re thrilled to offer our tiara-touting customers a new addition to their playtime adventures with Disney Princess Palace Pets,” said Melody Young, vice president, general merchandising manager, Toys“R”Us, U.S. “Since these adorable Palace Pets arrived in our stores this summer, we’ve seen excitement building, and expect it to continue well beyond the holiday season.”

Highlights from the Disney Princess Palace Pets product offering include:

Figures, Plush & Playsets

  • Furry Tail Friends (MSRP $5.99 each): These adorable pets come with sparkly removable tiaras and styling brushes to groom their tails.
  • Talking & Singing Pets (MSRP $12.99 each): These dazzling figures come to life as they speak and sing several phrases with the press of their locket. The fall collection includes Pumpkin (Cinderella’s Puppy), Berry (Snow White’s Bunny) and Treasure (Ariel’s Kitty).
  • Pamper Me Pretty Plush (MSRP $24.99): Soft, sweet and stylish – the Pamper Me Pretty plush stuffed animals are perfect for grooming and snuggling! Available as both Pumpkin (Cinderella’s Puppy) and Beauty (Aurora’s Kitty), these pampered pets come with extra-fluffy tails and beautiful accessories.
  • Pamper & Beauty Salon (MSRP $29.99): The Pamper & Beauty Salon is packed with tons of primping accessories like a blow-dryer, mirror, barrettes and more. Rapunzel’s kitty, Summer, is included with magical color-change features that make her pink nails and pretty makeup appear and disappear with water.

(To download images of the Disney Princess Palace Pets product collection, including the items listed above and additional products such as the Beauty & Bliss Playsets, Royal Carriage, Glitter & Glitz plush and more, please visit http://bit.ly/PPimages - this link is case sensitive).

Digital & Print Content

  • Disney Princess Palace Pets App (free): Users can meet the pets and learn how they met the Disney Princess characters in a narration featuring character voices and music. Other activities include an interactive salon, styling section and photo sharing of the styled pets with the app’s photo-saving tool. Users can also enjoy a big reveal showcase of all of the styled pets.
  • Disney Princess Magazine (MSRP $4.99): Disney Princess Palace Pets are also currently featured in Disney Princess Magazine, which hit newsstands Aug. 13. The magazine provides an introduction to all of the pets, complete with special activities and games.

The Disney Princess Palace Pets app is available in the App Store, and the magazine is available at all major retail outlets nationwide. Additional products and categories are planned throughout 2014, including eBooks launching this October and a print publishing program in summer of 2014.

About Disney Consumer Products

Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that delivers innovative and engaging product experiences across thousands of categories from toys and apparel to books and fine art. As the world's largest licensor, DCP inspires the imaginations of people around the world by bringing the magic of Disney into consumers' homes with products they can enjoy year-round. DCP is comprised of three business units: Licensing, Publishing and Disney Store. The Licensing business is aligned around five strategic brand priorities: Disney Media, Classics & Entertainment, Disney & Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Princess & Disney Fairies, Lucasfilm and Marvel. Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books, magazines, and digital products and also includes an English language learning business, consisting of more than 40 Disney English learning centers across China and a supplemental learning book program. DPW's growing library of digital products includes best-selling eBook titles and original apps that leverage Disney content in innovative ways. The Disney Store retail chain operates across North America, Europe, and Japan with more than 350 stores worldwide and is known for providing consumers with high-quality, unique products. Disney's official shopping portals online are www.DisneyStore.com and www.DisneyStore.co.uk. For more information, please visit Disney Consumer Products www.DisneyConsumerProducts.com or follow us at www.YouTube.com/DisneyLiving, www.Facebook.com/DisneyLiving, www.Twitter.com/DisneyLiving and http://www.Pinterest.com/DisneyLiving.

About Disney Publishing Worldwide

Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) is the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines with over 700 million products sold each year. DPW consists of an extensive worldwide licensing structure as well as vertically integrated publishing imprints, including Disney Book Group in the U.S., Disney Libri in Italy, and Disney Libros in Spain. DPW publishes a range of children's magazines globally, as well as Disney kids magazines in the U.S. Disney English is DPW's English language learning business, which includes Disney English learning centers in China and a worldwide retail-licensing program. DPW's digital products include bestselling eBook titles as well as original apps. Headquartered in Glendale, California, DPW publishes books, magazines, and digital products in 85 countries in 75 languages.

Contacts

Nidia Caceros
Disney Consumer Products
818-544-0399
nidia.caceros@disney.com
or
Liz Virji
Disney Consumer Products
818-544-1926
liz.virji@disney.com
or
Laura Cirigliano
Disney Publishing Worldwide
818-544-0829
laura.a.cirigliano@disney.com

Release Summary

Disney debuts a new franchise extension with the launch of Disney Princess Palace Pets app & toy line.

Contacts

Nidia Caceros
Disney Consumer Products
818-544-0399
nidia.caceros@disney.com
or
Liz Virji
Disney Consumer Products
818-544-1926
liz.virji@disney.com
or
Laura Cirigliano
Disney Publishing Worldwide
818-544-0829
laura.a.cirigliano@disney.com