Disney's Stitch is in high demand

By Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today

Stuffed versions of Lilo, left, and her alien friend Stitch from Disney's new cartoon movie are hot items. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Disney's latest animated adventure "Lilo & Stitch" opens Friday, and consumers are itching to get their mitts on Aloha Stitch, a chatty, Furby-esque version of the destructive bat-eared alien who is adopted by a little Hawaiian girl named Lilo.

Depending on how you talk to the cuddly koala-ish creature, this version of Stitch ($30-$35) answers with one of 35 responses.

Ask if he's hungry, and he requests "Coconut cake and coffee, please." Inquire if he's rotten, and he cackles insanely. He burps, barks and, if you stop playing with him, snores and turns himself off.

Disney consumer products president Andy Mooney describes Stitch as "fresh and hip."

Stitch's voice is provided by the movie's co-director and writer, Chris Sanders. Obviously, this wee space traveler is not your typical kid movie hero. No one ever saw E.T. pick his nose with his tongue, for instance, or curse in galactic gibberish as Stitch does.

The toy has been selling "at an extraordinarily high rate" at Disney stores, says Mooney. "It's amazing to think that the movie hasn't debuted, yet we're already in a reorder situation."

Though the company won't release exact figures, Mooney says sales are 50 percent higher than for the products from Disney's fall smash "Monsters, Inc.", during the same pre-opening time period.

Along with the Web Blaster from "Spider-Man and the Jedi light sabers from "Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones", the talking Stitch and his mute plush cousins ($10-$16) are the "I want it, Mommy!" movie toys of the summer. The difference is, mere months ago, no one knew Stitch from any other slice of Disney kitsch because he's an original creation done just for the movie.

The studio's pitch for Stitch has been on the money, toy analyst Chris Byrne says.

"It speaks to the power of pre-opening promotion," he says. "Those trailers where Stitch disrupts traditional Disney cartoons like 'Beauty and the Beast' were so appealing to children's safe sense of mischief. He is mischievous but not mean. They established an identity for this misfit guy from the get-go."

In fact, Mooney says an animated TV series starring the rude blue dude is in the works. The secret to his appeal is simple.

As Byrne puts it, "People like the character, and he's cute."

Hawai'i stores have already prepped for the release of "Lilo and Stitch" with an ample — and relatively affordable — supply of movie-related merchandise.

The Disney Store's selection at Ala Moana Center is daunting. From Lilo's red floral dress ($18) and matching straw hat ($12.50) to a full-body Stitch suit ($34) to a movie-themed beach chair ($15), choices abound. There's even an aloha-print hula hoop ($8).

Lilo and Stitch wares so far are in fewer stores than Scoobie Doo or Spider-Man products, but K-Mart and other retailers were eagerly awaiting their shipments when contacted late last week.

Shirokiya got an early jump with an assortment of stuffed toys and collectible items, and Wal-Mart is carrying a Lilo and Stitch game for Game Boy Advance.

All of the major bookstores are also well stocked with "Lilo & Stitch"-inspired publications from Random House.

Advertiser staff writer Michael Tsai contributed to this report.