Some collect cars. Others, postage stamps, coins, and if you ask artificial intelligence, among the weirdest collections are celebrity chewing gum and hot sauce bottles. Collecting toy figurines is no different.

In the ‘90s, there are those who collected angel figurines. Today, the craze is on collectible toys that captivate even adults like Julius Casalan and Paolo Maranan.

“Happiness,” Julius simply said when DAILY TRIBUNE asked him why he collects characters from Chinese toy company Pop Mart, which started with the viral Labubu that now has been collected even by celebrities such as Kathryn Bernardo, Heart Evangelista and Anne Curtis.

In fact, Julius and Paolo even flew to Bangkok, Thailand to meet and greet Chinese artist Lang, designer of another highly-popular Pop Mart character, the emotion-driven art toy Hirono.

Clad in their Hirono shirts, carrying a Hirono bag and with their Hirono plush keychains dangling on their pants, Julius and Paolo were among the first Filipinos to visit the Philippines’ first ever Pop Mart Store dedicated to the dreamlike character Dimoo, in Glorietta, ahead of the permanent Pop Mart store opening in October.

The Dimoo store’s highlight is the collaboration collection with Disney Pixar, which pairs the beloved character with some of Pixar’s most iconic stories.

Pop Mart, in a statement, said that while Labubu charms with playful mischief and Skullpanda captivates with bold artistic expression, Dimoo invites people into a quieter world — one filled with dreams, imagination and childlike wonder. Created by Chinese artist Ayan Deng, Dimoo is known for his shy smile and “Cloudie” or cloud hair with a face. The Disney and Pixar collaboration collection reimagines Dimoo in character as Woody and other characters in Toy Story; as the red fluffy panda in Turning Red; as the guitar-playing Miguel in Coco, and many more, in formats ranging from bag tags to plush keychains and figurines — in Pop Mart’s signature blind box format, except for the one-off and larger art toys.

The launch event runs in the Glorietta Activity Center until 25 July, while the Dimoo store is until 23 September. Besides Dimoo, the pop-up store offers other characters and collaboration collections from the Pop Mart universe.

Disney-themed party packages

Since their Disney collaboration from years back was a success and with several Disney, Marvel and Pixar movies showing in cinemas nowadays, led by Moana and the upcoming Spider-Man, family entertainment center chain Timezone believes that now is the right time to renew a collaboration with Disney through the amusement park’s Disney-themed celebrations, Rafael Ramon “Raffy” L. Prats, Jr., president and general manager at Timezone Philippines, told DAILY TRIBUNE in an interview during the collaboration’s relaunch in Timezone Glorietta last week.

According to him, what makes their party packages different from other Disney-themed parties is that it is offered within their family entertainment center setting, where arcades, KTV rooms and bowling lanes can also be enjoyed by guests. He noted that their bowling alleys have been customized just for them — with shorter lanes and no bowling shoes needed for easier play. Likewise, unlike in other Disney-themed parties, at Timezone, any Disney character or characters of one’s liking can be the theme of the party, Prats noted.

Apart from Disney-themed styling, merchandise and prizes, making the party more fun are Disney-themed arcades and photo booth, crafted by Timezone’s Australia parent company, where one could take pictures with beloved Disney, Marvel and Pixar characters.

The collaboration will be available across 14 premier Timezone venues in the Philippines for party experiences, with Disney-themed merchandise available at 33 prize shop locations nationwide.

Food is usually advised to be catered by the mall’s tenants, but outside catering and other add-ons can be negotiated, Prats said. While their parties are becoming more popular for corporate events, he stressed that beer and liquor are not allowed at parties to keep the venues wholesome and family-friendly.

“We’ve always focused on bringing people together and enjoy meaningful time with family and friends,” Prats added in a statement. “Through our collaboration with Disney, we’re able to bring familiar stories into our venues and offer new ways for guests to celebrate and connect.”