Hong Kong Disneyland Resort presents Duffy’s newest friend StellaLou

HONG KONG, August 10, 2017 – This August, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL) welcomes StellaLou, the newest friend of Duffy the Disney Bear. This little lavender-colored bunny, with cute ears and starry eyes, dreams of dancing on the Broadway stage. She will now share her dream of becoming a dancer with fans at her new home in the theme park.

Today, 40 fans of Duffy and Friends from all around world gathered at HKDL to welcome StellaLou and give her encouragement. From August 11, guests can be the first in the world to meet StellaLou at Main Street Cinema: My Journeys with Duffy – presented by FUJIFILM, discover over 150 upcoming exclusive Duffy and Friends merchandise items and enjoy all-new themed snacks and drinks.

Duffy and Friends winning over fans around the world

Duffy came to HKDL in 2010. He was joined by ShellieMay in 2014 and then Gelatoni last year. Since then, they have been gaining fans far and wide in the world, including America, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Mainland China. Their newest friend StellaLou, who loves to dance, will become another beloved Duffy and Friends icon.

Duffy and StellaLou first met on an American waterfront. While practicing in front of the S.S. Columbia, StellaLou stumbled and Duffy called out to her in concern. StellaLou then told Duffy her dream of becoming a dancer.

Justin Chan, merchandise operations integration manager at HKDL, said, “Our Duffy and Friends Collections are extremely popular with our Guests, second only to our Mickey and Minnie assortments. And since Duffy first joined the park in 2010, the collections have been increasingly popular and sales increased tenfold by 2016. The initial assortment has grown from only 20 items to nearly 300 Duffy and Friends themed items in a wide variety of categories such as plush, consumables, pins, accessories and apparel, and more than 85% are exclusive to HKDL. The plush items are the most popular—having sold more than 200,000 since launch.”

Whenever new collections are presented by the park for festive programs, Duffy fans from China, Taiwan and even Japan visit HKDL to shop for exclusive items. Some will even bring along their favorite items from their own collections to take photos with Duffy, ShellieMay and Gelatoni.

Global Fans come to Hong Kong to meet StellaLou in person in world’s first greeting

40 Duffy and Friends fans from around the world gathered at Hong Kong Disneyland today. They carried StellaLou plush toys and joined many Disney friends, including Duffy, ShellieMay and Gelatoni, to welcome StellaLou and give her a welcome card.

Following her debut, StellaLou will take her place at the photo zone of “Main Street Cinema: My Journeys with Duffy – Presented by Fujifilm” and share with fans her dream of becoming a dancer!

Satomi Iwano, a fan from Japan, remarked, “I often travel from Japan to HKDL to buy different exclusives and this is the only park where I can meet Gelatoni and StellaLou in person. I’m very happy I could join this magical moment to welcome Duffy and Friends’ adorable new friend StellaLou and meet other Duffy fans from around the world. I believe StellaLou will further attract more fans from different countries.”

Keith Wong, a fan from Hong Kong, added, “I have been a fan of Duffy and Friends since Duffy was introduced and have collected more than 10,000 Duffy and Friends items. I’m delighted that StellaLou is finally here in HKDL. It gives us more opportunities to collect StellaLou merchandise, taste Duffy and Friends delights and, most importantly, meet StellaLou in person. It is an experience only available in Hong Kong.”

Exclusive StellaLou assortment at HKDL for fans to build their collections

To welcome StellaLou, HKDL will introduce nearly 40 new StellaLou items this year, including plush toys, stationery, daily essentials, phone cases, purses, accessories, apparel and pins, with most being exclusive to HKDL.  More Duffy and Friends merchandise items are on the way this year to ensure fans bring home lots of Duffy goodies!

Guests and their friends will find colorful Duffy and Friends summer delights at some of the resort’s restaurants. Do not miss “Duffy Brings Love Apple Pie and Vanilla Ice-cream,” “Duffy Romance,” and “Gelatoni’s Palette” served at Main Street Corner Cafe Hosted by Coca-Cola. There is also the new “StellaLou the Ballerina” and the “Duffy and StellaLou Souvenir Mug with Blueberry Short Cake.” Crystal Lotus at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel will introduce a “StellaLou Steamed Sweet Purple Potato Bun” in end August to delight the taste buds this summer.