DisneyStore Limited Edition 17" Dolls Discussion

[thewhitequeen]

Even though ugh ive never been to the expo, I can relate to that. When there was the Frozen toy shortage, my sister wanted the Disney store Elsa, so we had to wait in line early in the morning so we could get get them. So we're next in line, and this guy in front of us takes one of all the frozen merch including the last Elsa doll; so at that point my sister is in tears while my parents were mad that the Disney store had loads of Hans, kristoffs, and Annas, but only a few Elsas.

I hated those first few months after Frozen came out cause it was madness. If you wanted anything Elsa, which I did, it was just luck of the draw to get it. I had to pay for some stuff on eBay cause my local Disney store never carried those items again, but I was fortunate to acquire most of my collection at retail costs.

I really want the LE Elsa doll that's coming up, but I'm not sure it's worth the time and aggravation to go wait in line to get her. I'm hoping that someone on here would be willing to trade for or sell her for only a small profit. I wouldn't mind spending like $200 (plus shipping and paypal fees), but I really don't wanna go much higher.

 

[CanaDaLE]

I waited in line on Friday for the Minnie designer doll. A lot of people in line commented on the employee taunting us with everything that was selling out. After waiting over 3+ hours (due to some computer/till issues at the beginning of the day) when I finally got in the store they had nothing I wanted, however they said I could always try again tomorrow for the same merchandise. I don't know why Disney Store doesn't designate each day with certain merchandise like they did on Saturday - Art of Jasmine and Sunday with the Tsum Tsum releases. This way instead of releasing 1/2 of the merchandise on Friday and then the remaining merchandise on Saturday - people waiting ridiculous amounts of time in line might actually get what they want.

This was my third D23 expo and I found it to be the most unorganized of the bunch. In all honesty they've gotten busier each time with more people in attendance, however not enough staff to help direct patrons. We arrived later on Friday morning because we thought we would miss all the craziness but this plan back fired on us since we couldn't find a single employee/staff member to find out where to line up. Luckily people in line where helping to direct people to various lines. My husband had the worst time on Friday due to the lack of direction, long lines and pushiness of other people. We decided to try for Sorcerer packages for the next expo, its a lot of money but not having to spend all your time in line is worth something.

Disney did something right with the trading cards, it was nice to see people at the expo interacting trading trying to complete their sets. I hope they continue on this path for the next expo.

 

[StarJem]

Wow, I can't believe some stores still have Teal Jasmine! She's such a pretty doll; I can't believe she hasn't sold out yet.

I'm shocked too! Someone on one of the doll facebook pages said the one in our major city had 10 left. I was actually going to go downtown to that store and order another one, but I'm glad I got a call from my store. I hate going into the city. My store loves me. I found out today they apparently call me their honored customer because I'm always in for dolls/tsum tsums/random merch, etc. lol

 

[thewhitequeen]

Just got back from D23 and I didn't enjoy it much at all. Such a negative and greedy atmosphere over merchandise. People were pushing and shoving and cutting in line and the people working there didn't care or even try to do anything about it. I was able to get the Elsa/Hans set and red Jasmine but not the OUAT set. When I grabbed my red Jasmine in the store, some guy came up to me and said, "Hey, you know, these are selling for over $1000 on ebay." And I'm like, "Yeah, thanks for the tip, but I'm actually getting this for myself!" Ugh.

I was turned off by the entire experience-- not just the merchandise aspect of it, but everything. I didn't feel it was worth the cost of the ticket because you spend so much time in line that you are lucky if you get to do one or two things the entire day. Waiting in lines for hours for everything and having to rush to get in line for this or that and everything filled up or sold out or gone as soon as you got there. I didn't make it to any of the major panels because the lines were so long and only made it to a few of the smaller ones. And it was very frustrating to see everything you wanted but missed out on posted to ebay for hundreds and even thousands of dollars just a few hours later and with some resellers having four or five multiples of the item you wanted. They could and should have limited items to one per person for the entire expo not per day-- or per transaction, I should say.

On Sunday, they were giving out Frozen Fever lithographs but they stopped handing them out as soon as I got up to the line. I then tried to get in line for the Frozen Fever signing (where they were handing out the same lithographs) but they cut the line off and I was turned away. I left and find out that five minutes later they let more people into the line and then closed it again. I hung around for another 30 minutes as I was told they might hand out the remaining lithographs when the signing was over, but when it was done, they decided they weren't going to hand them out --- even though they had a huge stack and the expo would be ending in about an hour. It was these illogical, random decisions that really frustrated me (not to mention I wasted an hour of my time for nothing). If they had so many left and they had handed them out to other people, why couldn't they just give me one? I paid for my expo ticket just like every one else. I only wanted one to hang on the wall next to my Frozen dolls. Meanwhile, other people were walking around with two and three of these in their hands. And now, these free lithographs are selling on ebay for around $60-100.

D23 advertises all of these wonderful things to see and do and buy but it is just a set up for disappointment. I knew there would be lines and that I wouldn't be able to do everything but it was a lot worse that I expected. Disney breeds this madness and negativity on purpose and by the end of the expo I felt like a fool for getting sucked up into it. Maybe I'm just stupid and naive, but this sort of greed-driven frenzy is not what made me a Disney fan, and I was completely disgusted by it.

I feel like I missed everything. I didn't even know they had those Frozen Fever lithos, but I would've totally loved to get one and have it signed. Frozen actually means something to me, unlike the people who got them just to flip them. That's what's wrong with events like that. Most people see dollar signs and that's why they go and those of us who actually love it don't stand a chance at getting something we love.

 

[cxn4689]

Just got back from D23 and I didn't enjoy it much at all. Such a negative and greedy atmosphere over merchandise. People were pushing and shoving and cutting in line and the people working there didn't care or even try to do anything about it. I was able to get the Elsa/Hans set and red Jasmine but not the OUAT set. When I grabbed my red Jasmine in the store, some guy came up to me and said, "Hey, you know, these are selling for over $1000 on ebay." And I'm like, "Yeah, thanks for the tip, but I'm actually getting this for myself!" Ugh.

At least you got two of three. I think it worth all the efforts trying to get them at first hand. Others like me who have no chance to go to D23 have to pay 400+ to get a Helsa set (actually I paid 470).
Congratulation on getting them.

 

[Disneylover]

I hated those first few months after Frozen came out cause it was madness. If you wanted anything Elsa, which I did, it was just luck of the draw to get it. I had to pay for some stuff on eBay cause my local Disney store never carried those items again, but I was fortunate to acquire most of my collection at retail costs.

I really want the LE Elsa doll that's coming up, but I'm not sure it's worth the time and aggravation to go wait in line to get her. I'm hoping that someone on here would be willing to trade for or sell her for only a small profit. I wouldn't mind spending like $200 (plus shipping and paypal fees), but I really don't wanna go much higher.

Im going to try and get the new Elsa as a late birthday present. I don't think it will be that hectic in the store I go to, when aurora was released, I remember it was a nightmare just to get on the Disney website page, and when I preordered in person at the Disney store there's were still two or three Aurora dolls left, and that was one or two days after the preorder. Another thing I'm not worried about is the tsum tsum release on the same day as the frozen fever dolls since when I got the Inside Out tsum tsums, there were still a bunch left over and it was already sometime in the evening. When I first saw pics of frozen fever Elsa, I already made a plan on the possible outcomes, such as what time, what place in line, and approximately how many dolls there could be.

 

[TheDisneyFanatic]

Its so sad to hear all of these awful experiences from the expo. I have heard nothing but good things in terms of the panels and announcements, but sounds like the merchandise side of things was an entirely different experience. Going to the expo is on my bucket list for one of these years, and the panels are all that really matters to me, but I would probably avoid going until I was in a good financial position where I could afford a sorcerers ticket. It just seems like it makes things less of a hassle.

On the subject of dolls, I don't think I am going to go for the Frozen Fever dolls. While I do think they are absolutely stunning, I don't love the movie or characters nearly as much as other people. Not to mention that it is going to be hell on earth both in-store and online on their release day. I am fine with just my Peter/Hook and Aladdin dolls.

 

[amm3]

At least you got two of three. I think it worth all the efforts trying to get them at first hand. Others like me who have no chance to go to D23 have to pay 400+ to get a Helsa set (actually I paid 470).
Congratulation on getting them.

Thanks. I know I am lucky I was able to get what I did and I'm grateful to have them. I was just disappointed in the expo overall, and it was a lot of money to spend on an event I found more stressful than fun. It is probably a better value for locals, but I flew across the country and feel that the trip would have been a total waste except that I got to go to Disneyland -- that was the best part!

 

[Disneylover]

Thanks. I know I am lucky I was able to get what I did and I'm grateful to have them. I was just disappointed in the expo overall, and it was a lot of money to spend on an event I found more stressful than fun. It is probably a better value for locals, but I flew across the country and feel that the trip would have been a total waste except that I got to go to Disneyland -- that was the best part!

You're so lucky to have the le red Jasmine! Even though I don't care for Jasmine that much, I really like the red version of her. I think it's refreshing to see a princess doll in all red.

 

[thewhitequeen]

Im going to try and get the new Elsa as a late birthday present. I don't think it will be that hectic in the store I go to, when aurora was released, I remember it was a nightmare just to get on the Disney website page, and when I preordered in person at the Disney store there's were still two or three Aurora dolls left, and that was one or two days after the preorder. Another thing I'm not worried about is the tsum tsum release on the same day as the frozen fever dolls since when I got the Inside Out tsum tsums, there were still a bunch left over and it was already sometime in the evening. When I first saw pics of frozen fever Elsa, I already made a plan on the possible outcomes, such as what time, what place in line, and approximately how many dolls there could be.

I would have to take off work and spend gas money to go to the store closest to me, not to mention crashing at a friend's house and getting up early. That, to me, just isn't worth it anymore. I guess that's why I'd look here to buy one after the fact. I don't mind paying a little more to avoid the hassle I went through getting the last LE Elsa that came out in the spring.

 

[amm3]

Its so sad to hear all of these awful experiences from the expo. I have heard nothing but good things in terms of the panels and announcements, but sounds like the merchandise side of things was an entirely different experience. Going to the expo is on my bucket list for one of these years, and the panels are all that really matters to me, but I would probably avoid going until I was in a good financial position where I could afford a sorcerers ticket. It just seems like it makes things less of a hassle.

On the subject of dolls, I don't think I am going to go for the Frozen Fever dolls. While I do think they are absolutely stunning, I don't love the movie or characters nearly as much as other people. Not to mention that it is going to be hell on earth both in-store and online on their release day. I am fine with just my Peter/Hook and Aladdin dolls.

I think people who had zero interest in merchandise probably had a slightly better experience, but as a collector it is REALLY difficult to ignore everything that is being released while you are there. I wasn't sure I was going to line up until I got there and saw that people had started to form a line before we even arrived at the hotel Thursday morning. I started to feel anxious and decided to go ahead and try for the dolls. Even if you aren't interested in merchandise you have to line up for hours for the big panels and even for some of the smaller ones you had to line up for the stage passes ahead of time. I didn't get into the line on Saturday or Sunday until about 7am and the line was so long by that time, it took us about 45 minutes to even get into the convention center after the doors opened. The people who probably enjoyed the expo the most were the ones who had no expectations for merch or panels and only wanted to walk the show floor. Now that I'm back home, I've started watching videos and catching up on all I missed. Seeing it all, I feel like I wasn't even at the same event! The only way I'd go again is if I got a sorcerers ticket, but the sorcerers package was very difficult to get this year, and I think it is going to be even harder to get next time.

 

[amm3]

You're so lucky to have the le red Jasmine! Even though I don't care for Jasmine that much, I really like the red version of her. I think it's refreshing to see a princess doll in all red.

Thank you! She is a stunning doll. I really thought she'd be sold out by the time I got into the store, so I still can't believe I was able to get her.

 

[Babybaby]

Just out of curiosity how do they allocate the sorcerer package? Does anyone know?

 

[popboy]

Out of interest (couldn't see whether this had been asked above - so forgive if its a repetition!) I have a little question...what are the European dates for Jasmine, Jafar, Alladin and the Frozen sisters. Are they 13th of October (Jas/J/A) and 3rd of November (E/A).

 

[missy.d]

I have a little question...what are the European dates for Jasmine, Jafar, Alladin and the Frozen sisters. Are they 13th of October (Jas/J/A) and 3rd of November (E/A).

Yup!

 

[bookhugger]

Just out of curiosity how do they allocate the sorcerer package? Does anyone know?

First come, first serve

 

[Matthewlondon]

So guys I'm trying to get Elsa/Hans and the Frozen fever dolls but I'm undecided if I should get the kristoff/Anna set to have a set, and I will be at the store anyhow for the FF dolls or should I get Jasmine? So undecided and I can only get four sets/dolls. I kinda prefer Jasmine but I have no one to display her with whereas the Anna designer set I can put with the FF dolls and the Elsa designer set.

 

[cambridge1066]

Just got back from D23 and I didn't enjoy it much at all.

I'm really happy you were able to get Red Jasmine and the Helsa set, but also bummed that your trip to the expo wasn't as magical as Disney advertised. I didn't go, but after reading (and watching) everything from the unhappy customers this year it really does seem like the Sorcerers were the only ones who stood a slight chance at getting everything they wanted. And I can't imagine why there was no card and/or electronic system for the Cast Members to enforce a purchase limit, especially on Red Jasmine and the OUAT dolls.

I hope Disney will hear all of these stories (and if they don't, then at least read all of the negative news articles) and actually DO something about it. Then hopefully if you decide to go back in 2017 these issues with the staff, scalpers, and lines (hopefully) won't exist.

 

[amm3]

I'm really happy you were able to get Red Jasmine and the Helsa set, but also bummed that your trip to the expo wasn't as magical as Disney advertised. I didn't go, but after reading (and watching) everything from the unhappy customers this year it really does seem like the Sorcerers were the only ones who stood a slight chance at getting everything they wanted. And I can't imagine why there was no card and/or electronic system for the Cast Members to enforce a purchase limit, especially on Red Jasmine and the OUAT dolls.

I hope Disney will hear all of these stories (and if they don't, then at least read all of the negative news articles) and actually DO something about it. Then hopefully if you decide to go back in 2017 these issues with the staff, scalpers, and lines (hopefully) won't exist.

Thank you. I did enjoy the panels I was able to make, even though most of them ended up being from my third choice list and were not the things I wanted to see the most. I attended the OUAT panel, which I enjoyed despite it being such a hassle to get into, and the Silly Symphony concert, which I thought was awesome. So, there were some good things about it, but for me personally, the hassle and frustration and cost far outweighed the highlights.

 

[ethanwa]

I was a Sorcerer in 2015 (this year) and 2013. As everyone else has stated, Sorcerer's get first grabs at it all and I got everything that I wanted at nearly all the stores AND got to see every major panel up front in the first ten rows front and center.

It's so worth the money... but costs a ton...

For 2015 there were 350 tickets at $2000/each. Sold out in about 10 seconds.

In 2013 there were 300 tickets at $1500/each. Sold out in about 10 minutes.

I will not go to the Expo unless I am a Sorcerer, period. The lines are just not worth the effort for me. I'd rather stay home and go to WDW instead and just see all the news and merch online. If I had to pay a premium on eBay, so be it I guess. I really feel bad for everyone who had a crappy experience... I have heard a lot of horror stories.

 

[lordofanime]

I was bored, so I edited the new dolls into the image i made a few months ago:

Bonus:

 

[Gumdrop Detective]

Whoa. It's actually pretty crazy when you think about there being four LE dolls of each Anna and Elsa.

 

[amm3]

Whoa. It's actually pretty crazy when you think about there being four LE dolls of each Anna and Elsa.

And two sets this year alone! I do love the way the Frozen Fever dolls look --- soooo much better than the ones released earlier this year.

I'm still not crazy about the tinsel in the hair but at least they aren't shiny!

 

[Matthewlondon]

The thing that annoys me the most about the March Elsa is that her hair is so much more golden than the others! In love with the FF set

 

[Amarian]

Off Topic: D23 Sorcerer Package: "For 2015 there were 350 tickets at $2000/each. Sold out in about 10 seconds."

Why would Disney do anything to make the fan experience any easier when they make $700,000 in 10 seconds? They really have a lot to learn about conventions.

On Topic: I love all the Frozen dolls, but I wish they could work a little harder, and perhaps at least give us some new face molds. I want a whole new limited edition doll, not just a new outfit. I want to be more wowed.