Join us as we meet a sombrero-wearing Duffy the Disney Bear at Tokyo DisneySea!
Duffy Character Greeting at Tokyo DisneySea
The story behind Duffy is that he was created as a companion for Mickey Mouse, with Minnie Mouse hand-sewing him before he set sail on an adventure. Over the years, Duffy’s popularity grew and in Tokyo DisneySea you can take a photo with him.
The Duffy character greeting occurs at the Saludos Amigos Greeting Dock, located in the Lost River Delta Section of Tokyo DisneySea. According to the official Tokyo Disney Resort website, the greeting is offered daily from 9:30 a.m. JST through 8:00 p.m JST.
The Saludos Amigos Greeting Dock is inspired by “Saludos Amigos,” a 1942 Disney film that blends live-action and animated filmmaking in a series of four anthology shorts. The film attempts to explore the cultures of several Central and South American countries. Goofy appears as an Argentinian gaucho and Donald Duck appears alongside José Carioca, a Brazilian parrot who again appears with Donald and the debuting Panchito Pistoles in the film’s 1944 sequel “The Three Caballeros.”
Greetings friends!
Beautifully bright flowers welcome guests.
The queue that guests wait in to meet Duffy is themed after a “Tienda de Musica” or “music shop” in Spanish.
Different musical instruments and posters line the walls.
Guitars of all different colors, shapes, and sizes line the path as well.
There are even some vinyl records that complete the theme as you wait in queue.
A sign written in Spanish welcomes guests to a special showtime with exciting music, magnificent dancing, and colorful costumes.
When your wait is over, Duffy the Disney Bear is waiting for you!
Duffy is wearing a sombrero, and the backdrop for your photo features many of the same musical instruments from the queue.
Duffy asked us for a high five.
You can check out the video from our interaction with Duffy below:
We last experienced this character greeting in December 2020. Check out our YouTube video documenting that experience below:
Duffy & Friends
Duffy the Disney Bear was originally introduced in 2002 as a plush available at Walt Disney World for the opening of the Once Upon a Toy shop in Downtown Disney (now Disney Springs). Finding little success in the U.S.A., Duffy was adopted by The Oriental Land Company in 2004 and became a popular Tokyo DisneySea character. Over the years, the Asian Disney Parks have introduced several different characters to the Duffy & Friends franchise.
Here is the current Duffy & Friends lineup:
- Duffy himself: a special sailor teddy bear Minnie Mouse created for Mickey, with the hope that Duffy would provide “happiness and luck.”
- ShellieMay: a tan female teddy bear with a green bow and a seashell pendant, made by Minnie Mouse for Duffy.
- Gelatoni: an artistic and creative green Tuxedo cat with a blue beret who sees beauty in everything
- StellaLou: a lavender rabbit with a blue flower, a tutu, and ballet shoes.
- CookieAnn: a yellow dog with a chef’s hat who loves to combine different things to come up with unique recipes and ideas.
- ‘Olu Mel: a shy turtle who loves making music with his ukulele
- LinaBell: a smart pink fox with a purple orchid who loves to solve problems and mysteries by finding clues using her trademark magnifying glass.
The group can be seen in Tokyo DisneySea during the dining show “Duffy & Friends’ Wonderful Friendship,” an upcharge experience that replaced the free “Duffy & Friends.” Read more details.
The characters also make appearances at Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort. In 2020, Shanghai Disney Resort released a stop-motion Duffy & Friends short.
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