D23 and Walt Disney Imagineering Deepen Their Friendship Through Duffy and Friends

On the first weekend of May, D23 sprang into spring with a special Duffy and Friends Spotlight Series event with Walt Disney Imagineering. Gold Members celebrated 20 years of beloved characters starting with Duffy in an unimaginably perfect way with fellow fans from around the world!

Though the sky was gray and overcast, D23 Members were overjoyed to be amid a sea of Duffy-bounders and a parade of plush friends — with some donning outfits of their own creation! Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, StellaLou, CookieAnn, ‘Olu Mel, and LinaBell were represented in an array of ingenious pastel stylings. Passionate fans also made indelible memories taking advantage of life-sized and plush-sized photo ops prepared exclusively for the occasion. Halfway through the event, we captured a group photo including over 125 fans and dozens of plushes all representing countless cuddly memories!

D23 Members smile and pose in front of the Grand Central Air Terminal for a fan photo opp. Many hold up Duffy character plushes like LinaBell, ‘Olu Mel, and Duffy, and are dressed in Duffy-inspired outfits.

A D23 Member poses with a plush-sized photo op at the Duffy and Friends event. The photo op features a green forest backdrop, small white rocking chairs, and a pink picnic blanket. Plushes of ShellieMay, Gelatoni, LinaBell, Duffy, and ‘Olu Mel occupy the photo op.

At the historic Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California, attendees were also treated to a special panel presentation on the everyday magic of Duffy and Friends, including storytelling principles and techniques, character “deep dives,” and even scientific evidence on why Duffy and Friends can make you feel joy! Duffy and Friends Creative Lead Charlie Watanabe, Concept Designer Lead Laura West, Senior Concept Designer Xiao Qing Chen, Senior Manager of Franchise Planning Eva Lee, and Disney Live Entertainment Costume Development Producer Trevor Rush shared their perspectives and anecdotes as they relate to Duffy and Friends.

From left to right, D23’s Jessica McDonald, WDI’s Eva Lee, Laura West, Charlie Watanabe, Xiao Qing Chen, and Disney Live Entertainment’s Trevor Rush pose onstage with Duffy and LinaBell performers.

A close-up photo of a guest’s Duffy plush dressed in an orange beret, blue pants, and an ‘Olu Mel backpack sitting on a chair in the presentation room. It is surrounded by guests wearing Duffy and Friends-inspired outfits.

And of course, Mickey’s of Glendale provided fans with a variety of merchandise to consider, including items to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Duffy and Friends. To conclude the oodles of fun, D23 Members also got a sneak peek into what Imagineers were noodling on during an exclusive walkthrough experience of the Walt Disney Imagineering Preview Center, including the Circle-Vision camera, 3D camera rig, and Disney Villains costumes from Disney Live Entertainment. D23 Members connected with fellow fans and highlights of Walt Disney Imagineering. What they experienced was more than fluffy — it was Duffy (and Friends)!

Want to see the presentation for yourself? Stay tuned for a special encore presentation of the D23 Spotlight Series on 20 Years of Duffy and Friends during D23 Gold Theater this June! Explore upcoming D23 events right here.