The sound of the cashiers ringing up “Star Wars” merchandise came as quickly as R2-D2’s computer voice.
A red cross shaped light saber. Beep. A large Stormtrooper action figure. Beep. A couple of pins. Beep. Beep.
“Star Wars” fans came out in full Force just after midnight on Friday. About 300 people, who had pre-registered for the midnight Black Friday-like Force Friday shopping event, converged at the World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney to gobble up the first wave of “Star Wars: Force Awakens” merchandise, including light sabers, T-shirts, plush’ dolls and tumblers.
Another 200 people waited – many since 6 p.m. Thursday – at a nearby Disney parking lot for their turn to shop in the store, which would not be until 3 a.m.
Steven Sievers dressed in all black as Darth Vader Mickey and carried a red light saber.
“I grew up a ‘Star Wars’ fan,” said Sievers, 35, of Fountain Valley, who was waiting to buy “Star Wars” pins, toys and a shirt. “This is part of my childhood.”
The store at Downtown Disney and Once Upon a Time at Walt Disney World joined Walmart, Toys ‘R’ US, and Target by opening at 12:01 a.m. on Friday to release the newest line of merchandise based on the new movie, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”
Each store had different promotions and exclusive merchandise for customers. The World of Disney Store had more than 30 exclusive merchandise options, including a plush BB8 round droid, 1st Order Stormtroopers Helmet Banks and Millennium Falcon shirts.
Holding a $100 four-foot tall Storm Trooper action figure, Kevin Hassett, 31, of Mission Viejo, said he and his wife, Erin, had to be among the first to purchase the new merchandise.
He also had one of the most popular items in another bag – a Bluetooth-enabled remote controlled BB8 Droid – that flew off the shelves once the store opened.
The price was $200 here, about $50 more than what other retailers charge. Some customers openly complained to Disney officials about the marked-up price.
“Different retailers have different prices,” said John McClintock, a Disneyland spokesman.
The higher price didn’t deter the Hassetts.
“They do it because they can,” Kevin Hassett said.
“We’re annual pass holders, so we get a discount which offsets the higher price,” Erin Hassett said. “Yes, the price is higher here but it’s here, it’s in our hands, so we’re getting it.”
The Force Friday merchandise hype began Wednesday afternoon when Disney Consumer Products hosted an 18-hour live-stream on YouTube dubbed a “global unboxing event” to highlight some of the merchandise that would be available to customers on Friday.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The seventh installment of the epic space opera is slated to premiere in December. It is the first of six “Star Wars” movies The Walt Disney Co. is developing after purchasing Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012.
The movie will continue the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo and introduces new characters Finn, Rey and bad guy Kylo Ren.
The popularity of “Star Wars” merchandise ranks second globally behind Disney’s “Frozen” franchise, according to The NPD Group, an industry research company.
Tim Nollen, a senior media analyst at Macquarie Capital, believes the new “Star Wars” movie will gross $2 billion at the box office and merchandise from the film could generate $5 billion in sales in its first year of release.
“This would easily net Disney around $500 million in licensing and retail revenue by our estimate,” Nollen recently wrote in an industry report.
Carrying bags of BB8 toys, Roger Yamashita, 54, an engineer from Yorba Linda, said the Force Friday merchandise event proves Disney did the right thing when they purchased Lucasfilm.
“This explains the marketing strategy,” Yamashita said. “With the new movie and merchandise, Disney will market and do more than what George Lucas did.”
Contact the writer: 714-704-3764 or jpimentel@ocregister.com
