Tsum Tsum Tuesdays: The Experience

On the first Tuesday of every month, a new Tsum Tsum mini plush collection is revealed. This past Tuesday was shining, shimmering, and splendid for one of Disney’s most anticipated collections, Aladdin! The set included eight mini plush characters: Aladdin, Jasmine, the Sultan, Jafar, Abu, Rajah, Iago, and of course, Genie.

Aladdin Tsum Tsum Collection. via @DisneyTsum

I flew on my magic carpet to Plaza West Covina’s Disney Store for the release. This was my first time going on the day of a release and I didn’t know what to expect from the crowd. Little did I know, people get pretty excited over Tsum Tsums.

I started to wait in line around 9:30 a.m. since the store opened at 10 a.m. and I didn’t think the line would be too long. Boy, was I wrong! There were about 40 people ahead of me and the first person in line had waited since 7:45 a.m.

The cast members did a cute skit to have everyone help open the store. We rubbed our hands together and said, “Genie, I wish to be let in,” three times. Everyone rushed into the store as soon as we got our wish; however, everyone’s mood quickly changed when a cast member announced that the only mini plush they didn’t have was Aladdin himself! Sounds of disappointment filled air with groans from the crowd and some saying aloud, “that’s not fair!” Some customers even decided to get out of line.

Those who decided to stay in line, including myself still wanted the other characters. It was nerve-wracking to be waiting in line because you start thinking to yourself, “what characters are available?”, “what if they run out?”, or “will I get mine in time?” The experience intensified after hearing cast members announce one by one, which Tsum Tsums were sold out followed by more disappointed groans of the people waiting in line. I knew I started getting a little nervous because I only wanted Genie.

After waiting for 25 minutes, I finally got to the cash register and noticed only six Genie plushes left from the entire collection! I was so relieved to see that the one character I wanted was still there and bought him right away. Others didn’t feel the same way I did. Some were upset and left to try another store location while some purchased Genie just because he was left. Within half an hour, the entire Aladdin collection was sold out in the store.

I was pretty lucky for how my first time attending a Tsum Tsum release turned out. It was quite an experience noticing everyone’s reactions. Some were excited with their plushes, and some were either disappointed or angry about the ones they could get or even couldn’t get. However, I couldn’t blame anyone for being upset because they were not able to purchase Aladdin.

Next time, I’ll consider waiting in line earlier than half an hour because in this case, the early bird gets the diamond in the rough.

Genie Tsum Tsum

***

Before the store opened, a cast member made a few announcements that I thought would be useful to know in the future.

How to be prepared for upcoming Tsum Tsum releases:

• All Disney Stores receive different amounts of the collection and of each character on release day.
• Some stores do not receive every single character from the collection.
• The store is not in charge of the amount they receive. They only bring out whatever is given to them.
• Only two mini plushes can be purchased per guest.
• If a character is sold out, you can ask a cast member to search online. They can offer you free shipping and send it to your home if the character is available.
• Please be mindful of the other customers when purchasing, everyone else is trying to buy a character too.
• Instead of going to a store on release day, you may purchase the characters you want at midnight on that day at disneystore.com.

These may not apply to every Disney Store. Ask a cast member at the store just in case.