Dooney & Disney: Similar Names Make a Great Match

By Scott | May 26, 2010 at 6:00 am | 6 comments | Merchandise | Tags: disney cruise line, disney parks, disneyland, disneystore.com, dooney & bourke, exclusive, handbag, nike, precious moments, tag heuer, walt disney world

Disney Merchandising has started making a concerted effort to have more merchandise that cater to adults. Sitting atop of the adult-oriented merchandise totem pole is the Dooney & Bourke handbag line created for Disney Parks and Cruise Line. Women in the Parks go wild for these handbags, and Disney recently added the bags to DisneyStore.com, creating an outlet for women to get their Dooney fix whenever they please.

It’s a smart move; combine a well-known and loved brand with Disney characters and icons and watch sales soar. Precious Moments also figured out Disney characters work well in their brand; many Precious Moments figurines with Disney characters can be found in Hallmark and other stores, and Disney Parks also have exclusive figurines not found in other stores.

Deals with manufacturers of other quality goods will prove lucrative for Disney in selling goods to adults. Imagine a TAG Heuer watch with a gold Mickey silhouette on the face. Disney has a careful line to toe here, however; blue Donald Duck shoes with Donald Duck riding the swoosh aren’t going to sell well.

The moves Disney has made thus far with adult merchandising efforts have been smart. Are you a Disney Dooney freak? Have a bookshelf full of Disney Precious Moments? Think all these merchandise crossovers are a bad idea? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

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I only have one Disney Dooney, but that's because of the price. I would have more if it were feasible. I think Disney's doing a really good job in this area. They definitely know, for the most part, what works and doesn't work. And the Dooneys definitely work.
http://twitter.com/AxlRose330 Bryan Norton
I have bought my mom several of the Disney Precious Moments(she has been collecting Precious Moments for as long as I can remember). I like the idea of “adult oriented” Disney Parks merchandise. Dont get me wrong I like stuffed animals and mickey ears as much as the next guy but it never hurts to have a wider variety for older individuals. If done properly I think that a Disney infleunce in other things could work.
http://disneybiz.com Scott
We have several of the Disney Precious Moments figurines. My wife has been a Precious Moments fan since she was little, and the Disney additions make a perfect match.
Personally, I've moved away from the “normal” souvenirs for myself in favor of items from The Art of Disney and elsewhere. Last trip my primary souvenir was a Mad Tea Party poster.
http://disneybiz.com Scott
Yes, the prices of the Dooney purses are expensive, but really they're not out of line with normal Dooney handbags nor handbags from similar brands. I'm sure both Dooney and Disney are making good money off of these bags.
http://disneybiz.com Scott
We have several of the Disney Precious Moments figurines. My wife has been a Precious Moments fan since she was little, and the Disney additions make a perfect match.
Personally, I've moved away from the “normal” souvenirs for myself in favor of items from The Art of Disney and elsewhere. Last trip my primary souvenir was a Mad Tea Party poster.
http://disneybiz.com Scott
Yes, the prices of the Dooney purses are expensive, but really they're not out of line with normal Dooney handbags nor handbags from similar brands. I'm sure both Dooney and Disney are making good money off of these bags.