From the Disney Parks Blog and written by: Jenna DePellegrini
We are excited to share that several products from Star Wars, Marvel, National Geographic and some of your favorite Disney franchises have been nominated as product category finalists for the September 2022 Toy of the Year Awards! The Toy of the Year Awards celebrate the best of the best within the toy and collectibles industry. Finalists in each of the 17 categories were revealed this morning through an official announcement from the Toy Association, with products from The Walt Disney Company being nominated for 10 of the 17 categories.
The first round of nominated finalists come from a galaxy far, far away… with the Star Wars L0-LA59 (Lola) Droid Animatronic Edition action figure from Hasbro, nominated for Action Figure of the Year. Inspired by the Obi-Wan Kenobi live-action series streaming only on Disney+, the Lola Droid-themed animatronic figure comes with more than 45 different light, sound and movement combinations through three modes of play, making her the perfect droid companion! Fans of Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order will be excited to hear that the Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt has been nominated for Grown Up Toy of the Year! Arriving at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities this past March, this Legacy Lightsaber Hilt is inspired by the hit video game, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and was the winner of the first fan vote Legacy Lightsaber Challenge, held right here on the Disney Parks Blog! This Lightsaber collectible comes with a dual lightsaber adapter, so you can recreate the original double-bladed design reminiscent of when the lightsaber was owned by Cal’s Jedi Master, Jaro Tapal, when you purchase a second hilt. Rounding out our finalists from the Star Wars galaxy is the newly released Star Wars: Villainous board game from Ravensburger, nominated for Game of the Year. Using the award-winning Villainous game system with added elements to fully immerse players in the Star Wars galaxy, this board game allows players to play as an iconic Star Wars villain as players manipulate the field to fulfill their dark destiny.
Is it a muppet or is it a LEGO building set?
It’s both! Nominated for Collectible of the Year, the LEGO Minifigures The Muppets building set is the first of two LEGO items to be nominated as Toy of
the Year Awards finalists. Featuring 12 nostalgic collectible minifigures,
including Animal, Beaker, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Fozzie Bear and more, each LEGO
minifigure comes in a sealed ‘mystery’ bag with one or more accessories and a
collector’s leaflet, making a great collectible gift that will put a smile on
anyone’s face. And the lovable and mischievous toddler Groot featured in the LEGO Marvel I am Groot building set has been nominated as a Construction Toy of the Year finalist! Fans can build their own play-and-display Groot that is
easy to position and pose however their heart desires.
Moving to toys for younger audiences, the Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Funhouse Treasure Adventure Pirate Ship has received a finalist nomination for this year’s Preschool Toy of the Year. Inspired by Disney Junior’s “Mickey Mouse Funhouse” series, this playset features Funny the Funhouse as a pirate ship, complete with Windy the Weathervane, 5 pirate Disney figures and lots of fun accessories. And receiving a finalist nomination for the Doll of the Year Award category is the Disney Junior Alice’s Wonderland Bakery Alice & Magical Oven Set, which features a light-up oven with phrases and sound effects.
Wildlife enthusiasts will be excited to learn that the National Geographic Chimp Care & Nurture Set is a finalist for Plush Toy of the Year! Kids will love snuggling with this irresistibly super-soft 10-inch chimpanzee plush made with recycled fill and can learn more about chimps and other African animals by scanning the QR code on each item. Rounding out the last of the finalists are the Disney Kingdomania Series 1 Game Ball from Funko, allows you to combine multiple Game Balls for more players and collect dozens of cute Disney figures, and the 5 Surprise Disney Mini Brands Series 4 from Zuru features perfect replicas of favorite Disney toy characters and over 50 miniatures to collect. Both have been nominated as Collectible of the Year finalists.
So cast your ballot now as beginning today through Sept. 2, 2022, fans can vote for their favorite franchise toys to win a 2022 Toy of the Year Award. Winners for the 17 categories will be announced at the TOTY Awards Ceremony on Sept. 20 in Dallas.
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