Disney To Retire Mickey Mouse Next Month, New Icon Taking the Spotlight

Move over, Mickey Mouse – there’s a new icon in town.

For nearly a century, Mickey Mouse has served as the icon of The Walt Disney Company. Created by Walt Disney (who originally voiced the character) and Ub Iwerks, he made his first appearance in the short film Steamboat Willie, which helped establish Mickey as an animation legend – and positioned Disney as a major force in the entertainment industry.

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Originally designed as a replacement for Disney’s earlier character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse has long since outshone his predecessor. Earlier this year, there was outrage as copyright for the original version of the character entered the public domain, with the copyright previously extended by the Mickey Mouse Protection Act expiring as of January 1.

However, versions of Mickey seen outside Steamboat Willy still remain Disney’s intellectual property. That includes the numerous short films in which he appears alongside pals such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy, and the TV shows such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse—plus any imagery created for Disney’s theme parks, where he’s also become a mainstay.

Whether you’re visiting Disneyland Resort (the OG in Anaheim), Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, or Shanghai Disneyland, you’re sure to find traces of the animated mouse around nearly every corner. Mickey’s Toontown, found in both Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland, offers a whimsical, interactive environment where guests can explore Mickey’s house and meet the character in person.

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Meanwhile, recent additions like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, a trackless dark ride that debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and later in Disneyland’s aforementioned Toontown, bring Mickey Mouse into the spotlight with cutting-edge technology and immersive storytelling, showcasing his timeless appeal.

A huge amount of the resort’s entertainment also stars Mickey as the main character. For example, “Fantasmic!” – the nighttime spectacular featured at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios – stars Mickey in a battle between good and evil, using water, lights, and pyrotechnics to bring his imagination to life.

Despite all this publicity, Mickey Mouse isn’t necessarily the biggest character at Disney’s theme parks. At Disney’s international locations in Asia, he’s often outshone by a newer rival: Duffy the Disney Bear.

The bear’s rise to fame reads almost like an accident. Duffy the Disney Bear began his journey at Once Upon a Toy in Disney World’s Disney Springs (then known as Downtown Disney) in 2002. Initially introduced as a limited-edition item to draw visitors into the store, Duffy quickly garnered attention from The Oriental Land Company, the operator of Tokyo Disney Resort, which was eager for new attractions for its parks.

Recognizing Japan’s cultural fondness for teddy bears, Duffy became the ideal candidate. Just two years after his launch in Florida, Duffy made his way to Tokyo Disney Resort, where he was heavily promoted to the public.

In just a few years, Duffy transformed from a simple walk-around character at Tokyo DisneySea into a cultural sensation. The park’s “Old Cape Cod” area was revamped to feature more of Duffy’s charm, even leading to the replacement of Donald Duck in Cape Cod Cook-Off Theatre with the Duffy-centric stage show “My Friend Duffy.” The craze grew so intense that lines would snake around the park whenever a new Duffy costume was released, prompting Tokyo Disney to enforce purchase limits.

Duffy’s popularity wasn’t confined to Japan. He received an equally enthusiastic welcome at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland, which spurred the creation of an entire Duffy universe. The current universe consists of ShellieMay (the Minnie to Duffy’s Mickey), Gelatoni the Cat, StellaLou the Bunny, ‘Olu Mel the turtle, LinaBell the fox, CookieAnn the dog, and TippyBlue the seagull.

Meanwhile, in Disney’s domestic parks, Duffy’s popularity dwindled. He was removed from EPCOT in 2015 and scrapped from both Disneyland Park and California Adventure, since only making sporadic appearances, such as at Disney’s Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios.

Considering how much money Duffy generates in Disney’s Asian parks (as per an investors summit in 2023, he rakes in $500 million per year), it should come as no surprise that they’ve toyed with the idea of the bear taking Mickey’s place. While we very much doubt that’ll ever happen on a permanent basis, he does routinely replace Mickey at the park’s entrance (where Mickey’s normally represented by a flower planter), and the park’s entertainment schedule is reangled towards Duffy-centric events.

That’s the case this September at Shanghai Disneyland. The park has just announced the return of Duffy Month – a month-long celebration that runs from September 1 to September 30.

This will include the daily show Enjoying the Moon with Duffy and Friends, which sees Duffy characters dressed in a brand-new wardrobe inspired by China’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Taking place in front of Enchanted Storybook Castle, this will involve Mickey and Minnie – albeit reduced to cameos, with Duffy and co. taking center stage.

In partnership with the Shanghai Huju Opera Theater, from September 15 to 17, 2024, the final “Enjoy the Moon with Duffy and Friends” show of the day will feature a special performance to celebrate the holiday. A young actress from the Shanghai theater will take the stage to perform the Duffy Month theme song, “Let’s Get Together.”

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The park will also be decorated with Duffy-themed decorations and celebrate LinaBell’s third anniversary on September 29. As the Grand Marshal, the beloved fox will lead Mickey’s Storybook Express parade down Mickey Avenue, the park’s equivalent of Main Street, U.S.A.

In true Disney style, there will also be Duffy and Friends-themed snacks and merchandise dotted around the park. If history has taught us anything, it’s that you can expect long lines for the latter. In March, Shanghai Disneyland guests waited for up to eight hours to try and get their hands on new backpacks shaped like Duffy and CookieAnn.

According to local reports, some guests suffered fainting episodes while waiting in line, and others tried to rush the store to grab a bag for themselves. Security was ultimately called in to control the line situation, which many pinned on scalpers trying to purchase as many items as possible to resell online.

Are you Team Duffy or Team Mickey?