Paige Aldrich is the kind of sophisticated consumer the Walt Disney Co. loves. A few days after seeing "The Lion King," she's shopping for movie merchandise, asking by name for a stuffed doll based on the lion cub Nala.
She selects a $10.95 doll and leaves the Disney Showcase store - in her stroller. Paige is 4 years old.With a plush lion toy here, an African earring set there and thousands of other transactions across the globe, Disney expects worldwide "Lion King" merchandise sales to exceed $1 billion - bringing the company considerably more than $50 million in profits.
One analyst estimates Disney's consumer products division made $63 million in profits on "Aladdin" merchandise, and Disney says "The Lion King" should exceed that figure. "The Lion King" is projected to be the highest-grossing animated film of all time. But the popularity of the animated musical cannot be measured by ticket sales alone.
"The Lion King" is spinning a merchandising cyclone. While a handful of licensees say their "Lion King" merchandise isn't moving, most manufacturers are enjoying strong demand.
Burger King says that its "Lion King" kid's meal promotion (a $1.99 burger meal with a "Lion King" toy) was so popular the fast-food restaurant exhausted its entire supply of 30 million action figures early, spokesman Michael Evans says. For comparison, Burger King gave out 20 million figures for its "Aladdin" promotion.
"The consumer reaction to `The Lion King' has been incredible - it's No. 1," says Michael Brown, director of licensing for Beach Products in Kalamazoo, Mich. Beach makes "Lion King" party decorations, including plates, cups, table covers and door banners.
"The products are not being bought just for birthdays. People are using our `Lion King' (merchandise) for everyday use," Brown says.
El Segundo's Mattel Inc., one of the largest "Lion King" product suppliers, began developing themed merchandise in March 1993, when the movie was a work-in-progress. Confident the film would be popular, Mattel developed a wide array of toys, anchored by stuffed animals.
"The action figures have been flying off the shelf and the ($10-$15) plush (stuffed animals) are very popular," says Michelle Greenwald, a Mattel vice president.
In 1992, Disney merchandise generated worldwide wholesale returns of $275 million for Mattel, and that climbed to $330 million in 1993. In 1994, Mattel is projecting Disney-related merchandise to climb to $400 million.
"We keep coming out with broader and broader lines. Disney is not that risky," Greenwald says. Greenwald herself has not escaped the "Lion King" excitement: She bought her 6-year-old daughter "Lion King" pants and a shirt and her husband a "Lion King" towel.
Disney has made millions from products linked to "The Little Mermaid," "Aladdin" and "Beauty and the Beast."
"This will end up being the biggest one yet," says Keith Cohn, whose Spectra Star Industries in Van Nuys makes five "Lion King" items, principally kites. He is hopeful spring product sales next year will be boosted by a potential "Lion King" home video release.
Unlike most movie-related merchandise, which appeals mostly to children, some "Lion King" goods are being bought by adults. The product line includes gold-plated jewelry, ties, throw rugs and quilts. Where the younger buyers of "Little Mermaid" merchandise were mostly girls, many boys want "Lion King" keepsakes.
By releasing the film in the summer (unlike "Mermaid," "Beauty" and "Aladdin" - all released in the fall), Disney has guaranteed strong sales through Christmas.
"You have a kids' film that appeals to the whole family - and it's a very huggable lead character," says Ira Mayer, publisher of the monthly Licensing Letter trade magazine.
Disney has gone to great lengths to promote "The Lion King" and keep it in the public consciousness.
The videocassettes for both "Aladdin" and "The Return of Jafar" (combined sales of 34 million tapes) carried a "Lion King" preview. The movie's soundtrack is the best-selling album in the nation, the first for Disney since 1964's "Mary Poppins."
And with Disney's assistance, Burger King and Toys "R" Us have created prominent campaigns to plug the movie and its merchandise. To keep up the interest and capitalize on the momentum, Disney's home video unit is considering a direct-to-video "Lion King" sequel, just as "Return of Jafar" followed "Aladdin."
At Disneyland, where Paige Aldrich and her 2-year-old sister, Madison, got their dolls, the theme park has unveiled an elaborate, twice-daily "Lion King" parade. To the songs "I Just Can't Wait to be King" and "Circle of Life," scores of performers - some dressed in wildebeest and zebra outfits - offer up interpretive dance routines.
Park officials say it's Disneyland's most popular current attraction.
There are more than 1,000 different "Lion King" products in the United States alone - almost double the number for "Aladdin." More than a year ago, Disney began approaching manufacturers about making "Lion King" merchandise, working closely with them to make sure artwork and construction were up to Disney standards.
The licensees pay Disney a royalty of about 10 percent on wholesale proceeds for the chance to make "Lion King" paraphernalia. Most say it's a good deal.
"It's a little early to tell, but it's shaping up as a good property," says Keith Wood, the marketing manager for Durham, N.C., trading card maker SkyBox International, which makes 90 "Lion King" cards. "I think anybody who has anything to do with it will be very happy."