By ‘Sunnyside is a place of ruin and despair ruled by an evil bear who smells of strawberries’ – Mr Pricklepants
Lotso may be an evil monster, but he is also a cute and cuddly strawberry scented hugger! Who wouldn’t want to bring him home? Without a doubt, the Thinkway Toys Lots-O’-Huggin Bear is the most movie accurate version of the character BUT it is getting more and more difficult to find as time passes, and more and more expensive. The Disney Store Lotso Scented Plush is a wonderful alternative to the Signature Collection Lotso as it’s affordable, accessible, and adorable.
The Disney Store Lotso Scented Plush has been around for years and is still available on the Disney Store website at the time of this post. There are a number of different Lotso plushes available on the website varying in size and style so do have a browse. This post is going to focus on the medium Lotso plush which is about 15 inches in height and retails for $26.99 or £23.99 in the UK (see links below).
The Plushie
The Disney Store Lotso is made from polyester fibre and there are plastic pellets in the heels of his feet. He is in a seated position and is about 12 inches in height when seated. The full length of the plush is just under 15 inches. Unfortunately he cannot stand on his own, especially as he does not come with any cane accessory.
Whilst this Lotso plush is not 100% movie accurate, he very much looks like the Lotso we see in Toy Story 3. The plush is very soft with textured fabrics which are intended to give a vintage look. His body is a darkened pink colour, his large nose is even darker, and his snout, belly, feet, ears, and palms are all light grey. The eyebrows are very thick, dark pink, and protrude out from his head. The left eyebrow is slightly raised to give Lotso his villainous, evil expression. Lotso also has hazel eyes like he does in the movie which are embroidered on to the plush. He also has an evil sideways grin which is also embroidered on to the plush.
A fantastic feature of my Lotso plush is the embroidered ‘Disney Store Genuine Original Authentic’ stamp which is on the bottom of the left foot. Previously, most of the Disney Store character plush toys would have this Authentic Disney Store stamp, but looking at the website, it appears this is no longer the case for the Lotso plush. As an alternative, there is an option to personalise the plush on the UK website for an additional £2.95.
The Strawberry Scent
One of the main selling features is of course that Lotso actually smells like strawberries. The strawberry scent is in the belly and the smell is very much concentrated at the belly. It is a very nice strawberry scent and it does last for a very long time. I have had my Lotso plush for 5+ years displayed openly on a shelf and scent has lasted all these years, albeit it has faded over time. There is even a strawberry shaped tag on the left side of his chest which says ‘I smell of Strawberries!’ with a Lotso Logo at the top. Even though there was no tag on the chest in the movie, it definitely adds to the plush and is a great way to advertise that he actually smells of strawberries.
Movie Accuracy
At first glance, this Lotso plush looks very movie accurate. It is a great alternative piece for Toy Story/Pixar collectors who are not able to get their hands on the Thinkway Toys Signature Collection version. In some ways it is more film accurate than the Signature Collection version in that it is just a plush toy that smells like Strawberries. The Signature Collection version looks more movie accurate but it also has features (e.g. he talks and he’s interactive) that Lotso does not have in the movie.
The biggest movie inaccuracies of the plush itself are the eyes and the colouring of the plush. Instead of plastic eyes, the eyes are embroidered. This does take away from the innocent animated look of the character which is a shame. A change in the eyes would bring it to life a little more. The colouring is also quite dull and dark compared to the colouring we see in the movie. If the pinks and the greys could be lightened and brightened a little, the plush would really pop and look more movie accurate.
The ‘I smell of Strawberries’ tag on the chest is also not something we see in the film. I love the tag and I think it adds to the cuteness of the plush but it does take away from the movie accuracy. A great addition would have been a little white tag on his bum like he has in the movie but that is a big ask for a plush that is intended for everyone including little ones, not just collectors.
Geekkie Opinion
Whilst this Disney Store Lotso Scented plush isn’t the most movie accurate Lotso, it does tick a lot of boxes for all kinds of Toy Story fans. It’s a wonderful soft, cuddly toy for younger Toy Story fans and it is also a great replica for Toy Story collectors. For collectors, it may be worth picking up even if you do have a Signature Collection Lotso so you can keep your Signature Collection Lotso safe in the original packaging and display the Disney Store Lotso plush with your other Toy Story toys. It is very readily available for a reasonable price.
Disney Store Links
American Disney Store: Lotso Scented Plush – Toy Story 3 – Medium 12” | shopDisney
UK Disney Store: Disney Store Lotso Large Soft Toy | shopDisney
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