Snow White traveled a bumpy road to theaters, and critical reception to the movie has likewise not been without a few bumps either. But while audiences will get to see for themselves in theaters this weekend, there’s still some uncertainty hanging over Snow White, and it’s this: where’s all the merch?
Only a handful of retailers, including movie theaters, have been pushing out merch with the new Snow White’s likeness. Rachel Zegler’s performance simply exudes Disney Princess, and she also has the distinction of portraying the character who helped launch Disney’s enduring fairytale empire. So why has it been so hard to find tie-in merch—especially considering what we usually get from Disney’s big releases?
As an avid collector of princess goods, I’ve noticed a change from what was available to fans for Moana 2 and the live-action Little Mermaid. During the campaign for Mermaid, there were so many tie-in products for little girls and adults, including fashion and beauty collections, Loungefly bags, costumes, an extensive array of dolls, and more. Even more recently for Moana 2, there were options for Moana dolls aplenty, along with toys related to her story, like the adorable new kakamora Kotu sidekick.
Even Moana’s new songs from Barlow and Bear got their own shine; we loved the singing Moana dolls which featured the sequel’s big anthem “Beyond.” For grown-ups, there were collectible Moana 2 steelbooks perfect for the physical media aficionado, and Moana RSVLTS family button-ups for wayfinding theme park adventures.
Snow White follows Moana 2 as Disney’s latest major release, and it’s wild that there appears to be less merch available for the new movie—especially since Snow White has been one of Disney’s most prominent and popular characters for nearly 90 years.
Dolls seem like an obvious merch release. But Rachel Zegler’s Snow White has just two variants available so far, neither of them regular, play-friendly ones for kids—because these are definitely collector pieces from Disney and Mattel, respectively. The Disney Store version runs about $150 and is a limited run of only 3,900. The Mattel release is only slightly more affordable at $75.
That these are the only options is not ideal, considering there’s going to be tons of little girls, especially brown and mixed ones, hoping to get their hands on a Snow White doll that looks like them. In contrast you can still find an affordable doll for The Little Mermaid (2023) for the kid in your life who feels represented by Halle Bailey’s Ariel.
So what awaits fans of the first cinematic Latina Disney Princess? Aside from the expected popcorn buckets, Snow White product lines have launched in a few capsules from the Disney Store and boutique, women-led companies. You can find them if you dig a little deeper, though it’s perplexing as to why everything appears to be coming out in limited batches.
The earliest available was the collab between Unique Vintage and Snow White is now live on the retailer’s site. The collection is inspired by the looks in the film and the animated classic, with a stylish spin on iconic motifs that feature the Evil Queen and Snow White. What’s great about this collection is the range of sizes, which include plus and go up to 3X. Having to figure out sizing in a juniors fit is a pain and it’s so good to see a boutique really have options for anyone.
However it all seems very curated toward the adult Disney Princess fan over children. Don’t get us wrong, we’re definitely into the Disney jewelry collection from Kendra Scott, which consists of sweetheart looks for the Snow White fan, and gem-tastic Evil Queen pieces that are cute, sparkly, and evoke a vintage, old-Hollywood vibe. But again, it’s a bit pricey for kids to wear. At least RockLove came through with the movie-accurate version of Rachel Zegler’s Snow White heart necklace, a key keepsake given to the new princess by her father in the film, which could work for the older teen or cosplaying adult.
Kids can get their representation through Funko’s newly released Snow White Pops—though it’s odd that seems to be one of few affordable options at the moment.
In an interesting turn, my favorite merch might be coming out of AMC Theaters. There’s an oversized Dwarf mine cart popcorn bucket with giant gems in different colors that can lock into a train, which feels like something you’d expect from Disney Parks rather than a theater chain. AMC’s landing page for the Snow White merch is pretty bare, so your best bet is an in-person visit to the concession stand fandom stop when you go see the movie. There’s so much, from a red hooded cloak with the dress design printed on the inside which will make you feel like a recliner seat princess during your screening, to keychains, beanies, and more. It’s like they know people get cold in the theater.
My favorite release is the drink tumblers, which are beautifully designed and they aren’t plastic! They’re metal and durable in contrast to the usual themed fare you’d expect to find. I bought one and I plan on going back for the others.
Now the parks are a different story. When I went to Disneyland recently, there was a small selection of Snow White items from the Disney Store’s parks collection on hand. And it’s all very straightforward stuff like a mug and purse with a dress for adults which feature animated versions of the live-action characters. The new items haven’t hit the Snow White live-action shopping page online yet at the Disney Store (but keep checking).
For kids, there was only the usual selection of classic Snow White parks merch available including the classic costume, dolls, plushes, and clothes. But being a new mom to a young child from a Latina background, it was really disappointing because it reinforced that feeling that Disney preemptively prepared for the backlash this film would get by denying it the usual marketing and merchandise campaigns done for other films. There’s not a big selection of special themed food for Snow White. There was no in-park preview of the film like there was for the live-action Beauty and the Beast, which had merch around the parks and got a mainstay themed bar, the Enchanted Rose, in Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Hotel.
Snow White is in theaters today, and there’s currently seemingly no plans for a meet-and-greet “face” character at the parks for Zegler’s version of Snow White, like there has been for live-action interpretations of past characters (we’ve reached out to Disney for clarification about the company’s plans to support Snow White‘s release in the parks). It is already a pointed difference to how the studio and parks have approached prior adaptations—The Little Mermaid, for example, introduced a Black Ariel for guests to meet alongside her white, animation-inspired counterpart, and likewise, The Little Mermaid‘s attraction gift shop mixes merchandise from the live-action film and the animated original to this day. Snow White doesn’t even have so much as a popcorn bucket release.
It’s just another sign of all the ways Disney has tried to navigate potential reaction to this film in increasingly conservative ways. At the end of the day, the company will make money regardless—Snow White merchandise is Snow White merchandise, no matter who’s face is on it. But it’s disappointing to see the company’s continued capitulation to the current cultural climate ultimately means that kids excited to see a Disney Princess who looks like them can no longer guarantee it.
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