Disney Expands Cars Property

Disney*Pixar Cars 2 was ranked the No. 1 U.K. toy property in September, driving the overall growth of the toy industry that month, according to NPD.

Disney outlined plans to support the Cars franchise through additional branded content and consumer products. Additional content in development includes new Cars Toons shorts that will appear as bonus features on DVDs as well as on Disney Channel, Disney XD and other digital platforms. Some shorts will run during previews in theaters.

Since the release of the first Cars film, more than 200 million die cast vehicles have been sold. New product offerings include the recently launched AppMATes mobile application toy for iPad, allowing children to use the tablet's screen as a virtual interactive play mat.

This summer, Disney Parks & Resorts will open Cars Land, a 12-acre attraction featuring three

"Not only have we continued to benefit from the popularity of Disney's core evergreen brands, but this year's big entertainment property, Disney*Pixar Cars 2, has gone from strength to strength, becoming our largest toy line yet with over 300 new toys offering something for everyone and a year-round opportunity for retail,” says Marianthi O'Dwyer, vice president of merchandise licensing for The Walt Disney Company U.K. and Ireland.