Disney recently announced a new line of toys called Disney Appmates. These new toys and the iPad work in tandem to create a very new age play experience. Featuring the likenesses of characters from Cars 2, the Appmates are miniature figures with special sensors mounted on the bottom. The sensors work with the Cars 2 Appmates app to identify each figure when put against the iPad screen.
The Apple and Disney Stores will start selling Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile, and Holley Shiftwell in October. Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki will be launched in November and will made available exclusively through the Apple Store.
What is actually new here
The interesting shift is not “toys plus an app.” It is the iPad becoming part of the physical play space. The figure is not only a character. It becomes an input. Place it on the screen, and the app recognizes it and reacts. That is a different play loop than tapping icons, or watching a video, or playing a standalone game.
Why the Cars 2 character lineup matters
The character list makes the product strategy visible. Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile, and Holley Shiftwell anchor the launch. Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki extend the line later. The Apple Store exclusive adds a distribution edge for a toy that is, by definition, tied to an iPad experience.
What to borrow if you build connected experiences
- Make the physical object a trigger. The figure is the key that unlocks a specific interaction.
- Design for collecting and replay. Each character creates a reason to return to the app and try combinations.
- Align the channel with the behavior. If the experience requires an iPad, selling through Apple Store channels is a direct route to the right audience.
A few fast answers before you act
What are Disney Appmates?
They are miniature character figures designed to work with an iPad app to create a hybrid physical plus digital play experience.
How does the iPad recognize the figures?
Each figure has special sensors mounted on the bottom, and the Cars 2 Appmates app identifies the figure when it is placed against the iPad screen.
Which characters are available first?
Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater, Finn McMissile, and Holley Shiftwell are scheduled to start selling in October.
Which characters arrive later?
Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki are scheduled for November.
What is exclusive to the Apple Store?
Francesco Bernoulli and Shu Todoroki are made available exclusively through the Apple Store.