If you LOVE Disney, there’s a very good chance that you’re also a fan of a little store called Target. Ever heard of it? Yea, we thought you had. 😉

When we’re not keeping up with everything Disney-related, we’re probably in our local Target saying we’re just there to buy laundry detergent then walking out with a cart full of stuff. 🙂 Disney knows that if you’re a fan of all things House of Mouse, there’s a good chance you also love Target (more on that in a bit). Over the past year, Disney and Target have joined forces in ways we’ve never seen before, and we’re getting more and more Disney and Target collabs almost every day!

So why is it that recently Disney and Target seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly? Let’s break down all the ways we’ve seen two of our favorite brands join forces.

Disney Fans are also Target Fans

Disney and Target know that those of us who love Disney also love Target. In fact, Disney Parks CEO Bob Chapek stated to CNBC that there’s about a 90% overlap between Disney customers and Target customers. That’s no small number!

This explains why Disney continues to not just maintain its special relationship with Target, but they’ve been GROWING it in big ways, especially in the past year.

Disney Merch in Target Stores

Over the past year, we’ve seen a TON of new Disney merchandise at Target! And it just seems like the merch just keeps on coming! Recently, we’ve even seen Disney face masks turn up at our local Target.

We even recently spotted a line of sleepy Cuddleez plushes practically taking over a section of our local Target. :: Quietly adds a Cuddleez to cart. Struggling to remember why we came to Target in the first place::

We’re not just talking a couple shirts or a plush here or there. Take a walk around your local Target and you might be shocked by just how much Disney gear, much of it exclusive to Target,  has slowly appeared on the shelves! Even a quick look at Target’s website shows an entire storefront devoted to all things Disney.

The page looks more like you’re on shopDisney than you are Target! That’s some pretty serious brand synergy.

Disney Store IN Target

Perhaps one of the biggest signs that Disney knows we’re into Target is the fact that Disney developed a store-within-a-store concept that puts a pop-up Disney Store INSIDE select Target locations! So there’s now about 750 sq. feet in many Targets that is devoted to being full-fledged mini-Disney Stores.

Why? Because Disney knows we’re going to head to Target ANYWAYS and then head straight to the Disney stuff INSIDE Target. It’s like they’re reading our minds! And the best part? These shops-within-shops actually have a lot of exclusive Disney gear, too!

Learn more about Disney Store in Target

Exclusive Disney Theme Park Gear at Target

Speaking of that exclusive gear, perhaps the most telling sign that Disney knows we’re TOTALLY into Target is some of the theme park-branded merchandise. A few years back, we couldn’t have never imagined our local stores (far away from the Disney Parks) stocking Disney World and Disneyland merch! On a trip to buy said laundry detergent (among 80 other things) we can now grab Disney Park gear at Target!

Disneyland Resort is still mostly closed this year, but Disney dropped Disneyland 65th Anniversary gear AT TARGET. We rarely see official Disney Parks stuff outside the parks at all — even Disney Stores are somewhat limited in Park branded items. This is a big change.

Disney has a lot of faith that we’re going to want this merch and that we have no problem going to Target (or Target.com) to get it! 

Learn more about Target’s Disneyland 65th Anniversary Merch

But that’s not the only theme park gear that has ended up at Target. The two companies also teamed up to create The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Trading Post to sell new and exclusive merch inspired by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney World and Disneyland. It was odd and wonderful at the same time to be browsing the aisles at our local Target and spot exclusive Galaxy’s Edge gear we previously would only expect to spot on Batuu!

Target even offered some pre-order access for some of the hottest Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge-inspired toys, including a Hyperdrive BB Unit that looks a LOT like the droids over at Droid Depot! Disney totally would have not trusted Target with these special items unless they knew Disney fans would jump all over them (and they did).

And the DisneyTarget collab doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon. Disney continues to push merchandise through Target — we’ve even seen Disney-branded hand sanitizer there! Granted, WE are the market they are hoping loves this synergy, and, of course, they hit the nail on the head for us. We already spend far too much time and money at Target and with even more of a Disney inspired reason to visit and shop? It’s no wonder we’re walking out of Target with a cartload of Mickey Mouse Christmas shirts, Minnie Mouse face masks, Baby Yoda sanitizers, and posters from Batuu. Oh, and of course in our excitement, we forgot to buy our laundry detergent we ACTUALLY went there to get so guess we just need to turn around and go back. How do you do this to us, Target?! If they start putting Disney rides in the back of the stores, we’d just move in. 😉

The BEST Disney Merchandise You Can Get At Target RIGHT NOW

Have you purchased any Disney merch from Target? Let us know in the comments!