Update April 2025: It appears Disney and Ludo Studios came to an agreement in December 2024 for Bluey to come to Disney cruise ships in 2025. It also appears there will be a Bluey movie in cooperation with Disney in 2027 and potential for theme park involvement too. So Disney has not “bought” Bluey, this is an enhanced license deal beyond just having the show on Disney+.

If you have children you know all about Bluey (and probably if you don’t too). Bluey is the Australian cartoon about a dog family with sitcom level writing and humor both children and adults can appreciate. Bluey has been on Disney+ for years with some reports stating it is responsible for nearly 30% of the streaming on the service, but Bluey has not yet made an appearance at a Disney park. Have you wondered why?

Bluey debuted in Australia in 2018 and Disney acquired the international broadcasting rights in 2019. However, in that same year Disney apparently passed on the theme park and merchandising rights. Disney was instead focusing on homegrown intellectual property (IP) instead of licensed IP and at the time there was no guarantee that Bluey would become the mega hit it has. I was at Disney Springs earlier this week and there wasn’t a speck of Bluey merchandise to be found anywhere. However, Disney may now regret this decision to pass on these rights as it has been speculated that Bluey is now worth billions and potentially as much as Marvel and Star Wars combined! Disney could now be forced to try to buy Bluey outright in a transaction similar to when it acquired Star Wars for billions or see it potentially go to a competitor.

Is this perhaps like deja vu like when Disney lost Harry Potter to Universal? It’s also similar to how Universal has the Marvel theme park rights east of the Mississippi in perpetuity for many of the characters (with some minimum requirements to retain them) while Disney owns the movies, TV and underlying brand. Disney can use any new characters not in use at Universal which is why we have the great Guardians of the Galaxy ride as well as any character West of the Mississippi which is why we have an Avenger’s Land and Spiderman ride in Disney’s California Adventure. Of course most critics will tell you the Spiderman ride at Universal Island’s of Adventure is a masterpiece compared to the less impressive interactive shooting gallery dark ride at Disney in California. Universal also holds the Simpsons theme park rights until 2028 while Disney purchased the underlying brand through its acquisition of FOX several years ago. It’s expected these rights will not be renewed and I’ve heard of this area being turned into Pokemon! Perhaps this timing along with the opening of Epic Universe could also serve as a catalyst for some “horse trading” where Universal would give up the Marvel rights, like they recently did in Japan, and re-theme Super Hero Island at Islands of Adventure to something else in exchange for cash or other concessions from Disney.

We can’t be too hard on Disney though for passing on Bluey way back in 2019 as the future predicting business is hard. A year or two before Bluey debuted there was another Disney show called Puppy Dog Pals that was uber popular for a couple years with the toddlers. My son was 3 at the time and I remember marathoning the show and the Puppy Dog Pals merchandise at the stores. However, Puppy Dog Pals played its last episode last year and has largely faded from kid culture. Granted, many will say with its adult appeal that from moment one that you could tell Bluey was different, but kids are fickle and trends can be short-lived while theme park attractions typically stand for decades.

This summer it was shocking to see Bluey end up in several theme park related places with Disney competitors. Bluey characters had meet & greets at Sesame Place (owned by United Parks formerly known as SeaWorld and owners of Busch Gardens) as well as at Alton Towers in the UK (owned by Merlin Entertainment who also owns Legoland). The Sesame Place meet & greet was only a couple of days with Bluey as a “special guest”, but the Alton Towers promotion is ongoing and they even have Bluey themed hotel rooms! Disney does have a Bluey and Bingo event scheduled this month as part of D23, but it is important to note it is in the Disney+ pavilion at the Anaheim convention center and NOT at the theme park. Last year there was a Bluey scavenger hunt scheduled at Disney World’s Fort Wilderness Resort that was abruptly cancelled after 3 days. It appears someone at Disney didn’t get the “we don’t have a Bluey license” message?

There’s also the Bluey’s World opening this November in Brisbane Australia. Bluey’s World isn’t a theme park, but more of a standalone attraction. It’s a guided tour of the Bluey house that’s expected to take about 70 minutes. The details of it are below and you can only imagine how much merchandise something like Bluey’s World could move located at a Disney park?

Bluey’s World is a one-of-a-kind guided immersive experience, that takes you into the Heeler family’s iconic Queenslander home, backyard and beyond – for real life! Explore multiple rooms and play games from Bluey, as you embark on an interactive adventure with your guide through the vibrant and playful world of Bluey. This expansive, multi-sensory experience features real-life sets, recognisable scenes, and beloved characters and games from hit-show Bluey.

https://www.bluey.tv/blueys-world/

So what does the future hold for Bluey and Disney? There isn’t much public on the contract front and the future of Bluey itself has even been a bit fuzzy as well with leaks of a season 4 only coming in the last few months. This new season is rumored to come with the major change of Bluey growing up too. It’s hard to keep a TV show fresh and very few animated shows have had the staying power of a Sesame Street, The Simpsons or Family Guy. It’s often movie or video game franchises that can survive decades through limited periodic new content like Mario, Minions, Shrek, Frozen, etc. Will Bluey still be red hot in 5 years? It’s tough to tell, but the Heeler family show has a lot of heart and I wouldn’t bet against it.