The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland recently hosted its bi-annual meeting for licensees and retailers at Vue Cinema, Westfield, London.

The spring/summer 2013 event showcased new content from Disney/Pixar, Walt Disney Studios, Disney Junior, Marvel and more, and highlighted Disney’s continued support for its ‘evergreen’ franchises including Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Disney Princess through integrated marketing and retail opportunities which leverage cross-company platforms.

The company also highlighted new properties which have originated from less traditional channels, such as Where is my Water? (an app) or Club Penguin.

"A great opportunity to see Disney's stunning slate for next year - more varied, dynamic and future-proof than ever before," said Lucy Williams, category director, toys, sports and nursery, Tesco.

New content highlights included:

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Where’s My Water? stars Swampy the Alligator, Disney’s first original character for mobile, in a physics-based puzzle game. Since launching on the App Store on September 22nd, 2011 Where’s My Water? reached the number one spot on the App Store in 30 different countries, creating new merchandise opportunities for licensees as Swampy’s popularity grows  

Club Penguin is the number one global virtual world for kids which has grown to a community of 150 million registered users in six years. The popularity of Club Penguin has led to the development of Club Penguin video games and a mobile app titled Puffle Launch, all creating opportunities for licensees to extend kids’ Club Penguin experience through merchandise  

Sofia the First, a new film which will be followed by an animated TV series airing on Disney Junior and Disney Channel in 2013, Sofia is Disney’s youngest princess yet and will provide new product opportunities for licensees to develop product for pre-school girls

Marianthi O’Dwyer, vice president, licensing, the Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland commented: “The strength of the Disney and Marvel brands, combined with our integrated approach to all aspects of how we do business, make us different from other licensing companies in the marketplace today.

"Our unmatched storytelling, well-loved characters and the reach and frequency of our brand in the fabric of everyday life truly sets us apart. We look forward to working closely with our licensees to leverage Disney’s exciting new content, retail and promotional opportunities for spring/summer 2013."

Following the formal presentations, licensees were invited to a special Muppets-themed reception to celebrate the upcoming release of The Muppets on February 10th. A preview screening of the film followed.