If you are a Disney fan, then you know that every year, Disney comes out with hundreds, if not thousands of new toys. Those toys can range from anything to stuffed animals, board games, LEGO sets, and more. Disney not only creates toys based on fan-favorite Disney characters, but also toys based on characters and stories from Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars — intellectual properties they also own. This year, Disney created some truly great toys and games. So great, in fact, that 10 of the toys have been nominated for Toy of the Year from the Toy Association.
There are 17 categories in which toys could be nominated and, as shared by Disney Parks Blog, Disney toys were nominated in 10 of those 17 categories.
We are excited to share that several products from Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic and some of your favorite Disney franchises have been nominated as product category finalists for the September 2022 Toy of the Year Awards! The Toy of the Year Awards celebrate the best of the best within the toy and collectibles industry. Finalists in each of the 17 categories were revealed this morning through an official announcement from the Toy Association, with products from The Walt Disney Company being nominated for 10 of the 17 categories.
Star Wars
One of the most popular franchises that Disney owns is the Star Wars franchise. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope came out all the way back in 1977, but fans’ love of all things Star Wars has not slowed down. Its popularity has led to Disney making new films, creating new multiple new series — including The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett — and even building two new lands, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.
This year, Disney created several new Star Wars toys that were nominated for Toy of the Year. First up, the Lo-59 (Lola) droid, inspired by one of the newest Star Wars series on Disney+, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Lola droid has more than 45 different lights, sounds, and movements, which combine with several modes of play. Next up? The “Grown Up Toy of the Year” — Cal Kestis’ Legacy Lightsaber hilt, inspired by the video game, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. Last up on the list of Star Wars nominees is the Star Wars: Villainous board game. Disney has created a number of Villainous board games themed after classic Disney villains, Marvel villains, and now Star Wars villains.
Disney LEGO
Who hasn’t had a LEGO set in their life? Now, I’ll admit, when I was younger, you dumped out the random LEGOs and built whatever you could think of. Now, however, there are some truly incredible LEGO sets, and you can build nearly anything you can think of. Disney created a number of new LEGO sets this year, and two of them have been nominated in Toy of the Year categories.
Marvel fans are sure to love this first LEGO set, where they can build their very own Baby Groot. The popular Guardians of the Galaxy character will soon be getting his own series on Disney+, so they can build this in anticipation.
Disney couldn’t forget about Muppets fans, and they certainly delivered with these LEGOs. These minifigures feature 12 popular Muppet characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzi Bear, Beaker, Dr. Bunson Honeydew, and more.
Toys For Younger Fans
It wouldn’t be Disney if there weren’t a heavy focus on the younger audience. It’s in these categories where Disney received a number of nominations, including Preschool Toy of the Year, Plush of the Year, and Doll of the Year. For Preschool Toy of the Year, Disney created a fantastic Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Fun House Treasure Adventure Pirate Ship, which comes with 5 Mickey and friends pirate figurines.
One of Disney Junior’s newest shows is Alice’s Wonderland Bakery. In celebration of the success of that show and to recognize all of the young fans, Disney created Alice with her very own toy oven that lights up and makes sound effects. Disney also created the most adorable plush chimpanzee that kids can care for and take care of when it’s sick.
Rounding out this year’s Disney toy nominees are a Funko Game Ball that you can combine with other game balls, as well as 5 Surprise Mini Brands, which is the 4th in the series of Mini Brands