EDITORIAL: Why I think ‘Finding Dory’ Is The Next Play Set For Disney Infinity 3.0

DisneyInfinityFindingDory

“BUT SWIMMING ISN’T READY YET!”

Just hold your opinions until the end.

I’ve spent several days racking my head to what could possibly be the next play set releasing in Disney Infinity 3.0.

If you’ve been following my website for a while, you know I’ve been stating for a while that there will be at least one more play set beyond the Marvel Battlegrounds Play Set for Disney Infinity 3.0. But what could it be?

I’ve come to one conclusion…. Finding Dory.

As I stated earlier, many will object instantly saying that swimming /water mechanics aren’t available for Disney Infinity 3.0. But let’s work through my thought process.

What franchise is the Play Set going to be based from?

This can be a key when figuring out what the Play Set is from. So we essentially have three main categories: Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney (and it’s many sub-categories).

Star Wars? — I just can’t see them releasing a fourth play set already for Star Wars. More Star Wars content is going to continue to be released in future Disney Infinity releases, so why rush another Star Wars play set?

Marvel? — For the big push they’re making Marvel Battlegrounds, would Disney release another Marve Play set? While it’s entirely possible, but I feel they’re focussing all their Marvel attention to Battlegrounds.

Disney? — This seems like the most logical answer to me. The only Disney Play Set we received in 3.0 was Inside Out. And remember, we didn’t get ANY Disney Play Sets in 2.0. So a Disney themed Play Set has to be coming soon, no? Whether it’s classic, modern, Pixar, etc. Plus we know there are more Disney figures to come (and it sounds like more than just 1 or two).

What specific show or movie could the Play Set be from?

Disney has a wide range of history. So there are 1,000,000 different answers to this question. But the key to understanding Disney Infinity  is to remember one thing….

Disney Infinity is a marketing machine for the Walt Disney company

What I mean by that is, Disney Infinity is just as much as a marketing machine or marketing arm of the Walt Disney company. There are decision makers above the Disney Infinity staff who can heavily influence what the team decides to do.

That doesn’t mean EVERYTHING is becuase of marketing. Thanks to fan push, we got Mulan, Tron Figures, and obviously Darkwing Duck is coming (let’s be honest… it’s going to happen).

But as far as Play Sets go, it has to be really hard for them to get the commitment from the “decision makers above” on something that would provide some kind of current Marketing advantage for the company as a whole. I know for a fact that many people at Disney Infinity would love to make a Disney Afternoon play set or other classical / fan favorite play set. But again, it’s going to be hard to get those approvals.

Is it impossible? No. But definitely harder to get to happen.

So let’s look at some upcoming Disney movies coming out in early/mid 2016: Zootopia, The Jungle Book, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Finding Dory, The BFG, Pete’s Dragon

Zootopia is already getting figures, BFC and Pete’s Dragon I could see Power Discs coming but not really figures.

So Jungle Book, Alice, and Finding Dory.

Jungle Book is getting pushed as this incredibly beautiful and technological achievement in alive action CGI movie. Just doesn’t feel like something Disney would then turn back into the Disney Infinity art style.

Alice through the Looking Glass? It’s definitely possible. But again, I just don’t see Disney devoting an entire play set to it (though maybe that’s just me?).

So that leaves us with one thing… Finding Dory.

How much do we know about Finding Dory? Still not an incredible amount. We just got the first trailer in November. So it would make sense for Disney Infinity not to talk about the Play Set yet. You’d want to announce it, and be able to talk about it.

And let’s not forget what I said earlier…. “Disney Infinity is a marketing machine for the Walt Disney company”. Finding Dory is going to be HUGE for Disney in 2016. Absolutely huge. So how much do you think Disney (and Disney Infinity itself) would want content for Disney Infinity? I’d say a lot. And not something they’d necessarily have to wait months later to debut.

We know Marvel Battlegrounds is coming out in March, and I can’t see the mystery Play Set launching before that (or really close to that). In addition we know Peter Pan is coming for Disney Infinity 3.0 in August / September, so it’d make sense to still launch a Play Set somewhere in between the two. A June release of a Play Set would make a lot of sense!

“BUT SWIMMING ISN’T AVAILABLE YET!” — Alright, I know, I know… time to answer that question.

But how can we get Swimming if it’s not available in Disney Infinity 3.0?!

Obviously everything can hinge on this question. No swimming = no Finding Dory.

But let’s remember one thing about this Play Set, it’s very very likely going to be DLC (like the Marvel Battlegrounds Play Set is). So no matter what, Disney would have to patch/download ANY Play Set in for Disney Infinity 3.0. So if you’re already doing that, you can patch in swimming.

And I’ve mentioned it before, but let’s take a flash back the whole way back to Toy Box Summit 204 and listen to what John Vignocchi and John Blackburn said regarding the introduction of swimming into the Disney Infinity Universe….

Let’s read those final quotes pretty carefully (and look at their body language)

Blackburn “We’ve definitely thought a lot about it [swimming/water]. We know how we will handle it. If we do that [introduce swimming], …. it’s probably going to come in as a play set I would guess if that’s going to happen.

JV: When swimming does come into the game it will be integrated, perhaps, as a play set, but when it makes sense. When something very exciting that potentially is about water may be coming out. 

I mean, come on.

Could that reference something else, like Moana or something? Sure no doubt. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a Moana play set as well. That film is going to be HUGE for Disney as well. But again, it’s going to come in as a play set, introduced as a play set, etc.

So I really don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility to introduce swimming in a 3.0 Play Set. They don’t necessarily have to have all the Toy Box functionality done yet, that could come out in whatever Disney chooses to do in the fall of 2016.

And again, John Blackburn said “they know how they will handle it”. So although it may not have been ready for 3.0 launch (or purposely withheld). They knew when they needed to have it done.

Any hints recently regarding the release of Finding Dory? Nothing really.

You can never trust any JVisms, but they’re fun to look at in different contexts 😉

Conclusion

Could I be 100% wrong? No doubt. But figured it was something to think about.

Let me know what you think of my theory. It’s far from perfect, but hope you can at least follow my train of thought.

If you have other theories, I’d love to hear them… but be sure to back them up! Not just “I think it’s Gravity Falls”. Let me know why you think that!