The holiday season is upon us — and Disney wants to make sure that you’re spending your Christmas shopping budget on their products. On Tuesday, the company launched a special promo that will allow subscribers of the Disney+ streaming service to purchase special merchandise before it becomes publicly available.
Described as a “limited test,” the promotion begins runs from November 1-8, and allows any Disney+ user in the United States with a profile verified as being 18 or older to purchase select merchandise and products before their official retail launch. These products can be found on a section of the official shopDisney website, or through special QR codes in the details pages of related Disney+ titles.
Items on sale include tie-in merchandise and products related to franchises like “Star Wars,” “Frozen,” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. These products range from a $25 dollar “Wakanda Forever” themed jigsaw puzzle to a $375 dollar “Star Wars” lightsaber set. Two products — lightsabers and a doll signed by Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka from “Star Wars” — have already sold out on the website. In addition, the promotion features exclusive access to made-to-order t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies featuring designs from animated films “Lightyear” and “Frozen 2.”
“Special access to this curated collection of merchandise for the upcoming holiday season is the latest example of the many ways we experiment with how to improve the user experience on Disney+, which includes enhancing the benefits of being a subscriber,” Disney+ president Alisa Bowen said in a statement. “We’re excited to collaborate with shopDisney to explore how we can potentially better serve our audiences by expanding the ways they get to interact with the stories and characters they love on Disney+.”
“ShopDisney has all of the products to bring your favorite Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel and National Geographic stories to life,” Disney Global Retail EVP Naveen Seshadri added. “By providing our Disney+ subscribers special access to curated merchandise on shopDisney, we are uncovering new ways for our fans to shop and further connect content and commerce.”
This new promotion may be a savvy play from Disney to encourage more signups to Disney+, which has emerged as one of the largest streamers in the business behind Netflix and Amazon Prime, with around 152 million subscribers worldwide and roughly 45 million in North America. But those numbers also means continuous growth becomes difficult, with growing concern that the service has essentially maxed out its numbers in the U.S. — and then there is the possibility of a recession. Disney+ has previously offered promotions to Disney+ subscribers that have given them discounts at Walt Disney World hotels in Florida.
Below is a list of — and direct links to — the available products. To purchase, visit shopDisney.com/DisneyPlusSpecialAccess.
“The Mandalorian” DarkSaber Legacy Set
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi Battle of the Heroes Legacy Lightsaber Set
Doctor Strange Cloak
Scarlet Witch Ear Headband
Captain Carter Vibranium Shield
Black Panther Collectible Mask
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Artist Series Jacket
World of Wakanda Artist Series Puzzle
“Lightyear” t-shirts and hoodies
“Frozen” t-shirts and sweatshirts
