Disney & Goofy: A Rant
If you made it past the first word in this blog, I’ll assume you read the blog title and felt a mild itch of curiosity, there are few if any instances in which the words “Disney”, “Goofy” and “Rant” share a blog subject but I feel this must be said.
First let me preface this by saying I absolutely love Disney. Disney World is one of our favorite vacation destinations, Disney Land not so much, they rest their laurels on being the first park and with that comes a considerable lack of care about customer opinion. Sadly in many cases it seems WDW is doing something similar in their quest to monetize the Disney dream but I digress.
My favorite character, since childhood; has always been Goofy. Maybe it’s because it was my dads favorite, maybe it was something else. I’ve always had an affinity for Disney characters that are… in simple terms. Stupid, or simple minded. Think Hei Hei (Moana) or Gerald (Finding Dory). Goofy has always stood the test of time, when someone asks who my favorite Disney character is, I can and do always state it with pride. Even with so many great movies released in past years, it always goes back to Goofy.
We’re talking about one of the most consistently underrated Disney Characters in OG Disney. The character who as a single father raised a son on his own and sent him off to college. Who bore the brunt of so many misadventures with Mickey and Donald, coming through in the clutch. How does Disney repay him? When the rest of the Disney Characters have entire sections dedicated to their merchandise?
Goofy’s Candy Company (Only finds it’s ways into the hands of sticky-handed children, tragic!)
Goofy hats with floppy ears (Outside of Disney World or Disney land, this isn’t easy to wear)
Goofy plush (looks weird as an adult wandering around clutching a stuffed animal)
That’s it…
I’ll give Disney credit for the occasional mention on a hoodie with the rest of the Disney Cast. Maybe a coffee mug. But really?
My point is, when I first came to Disney World, I thought as the mecca of all things Disney I was sure to find an entire section dedicated to my favorite character, why wouldn’t I?
When I discovered this to be entirely opposite of what I expected, I resolved to stay the course; one day they would release more Goofy merchandise. One day turned to one year, turned to multiple years, and still my quest remains unresolved.
Is it too much to ask for a goofy ballcap that doesn’t have the floppy ears and teeth on the bill? Ya’ll did it with Mickey over and over. Hell I’ve seen ballcaps with the entire OG Disney cast but heaven forbid you give Goofy some time in the spotlight huh? Maybe a T-Shirt with just Goofy as the subject? Seriously, give me something. I think I’ll go scour The Magic Kingdom again. Rant Over.
(Note: I know it’s about what sells, and maybe goofy isn’t as big a merchandise mover as the other characters but I still reserve the right to be unnecessarily upset)
