Disney is marking 100 years of Winnie the Pooh with a full-year celebration spanning new products, a global brand campaign, publishing releases, and experiential events. The milestone marks the 1926 publication of A.A. Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh book, and Disney is rolling out the centennial across 2026 with collections from major retail brands, storytelling moments, and new content.
A Legacy Rooted in Animation
Pooh’s relationship with Disney stretches back nearly 60 years, when Walt Disney first brought the Hundred Acre Wood to audiences through animation. Disney Legend Mark Henn served as supervising animator for Pooh in the 2011 Walt Disney Animation Studios feature Winnie the Pooh, helping shape the character’s gentle, storybook-inspired personality that continues to resonate with fans today.
“Animating Winnie the Pooh has been one of the greatest joys of my career. His warmth, curiosity, and subtle expressions allow animators to explore some of the most heartfelt storytelling in the Disney tradition,” said Mark Henn, Disney Legend and animator.
The Walt Disney Archives is also spotlighting its extensive Winnie the Pooh collection as part of the centennial, with artwork, animation materials, vintage merchandise, and production ephemera chronicling the character’s evolution since the 1960s. Among the holdings are early 1960s plush toys created by Gund, one of the longest-running Pooh licensees.
New Global Brand Campaign
Disney launched a new global brand campaign inviting fans to revisit Pooh’s gentle wisdom through new content, creator-led storytelling, and experiential events. At the center of the campaign is a new brand spot available on Disney’s YouTube channel, offering a tribute to Pooh’s message of slowing down and savoring life’s simpler moments.
Experiential activations tied to the campaign are scheduled from April to May 2026 across Los Angeles, Japan, Singapore, London, Paris, and Poland, supporting new product collections from LEGO, Just Play, and Funko alongside new publishing titles.
New Products from Major Retail Brands
Disney is partnering with a wide range of global brands throughout 2026 to bring Winnie the Pooh collections into apparel, accessories, toys, home goods, beauty, and lifestyle categories. Several collections have already launched.
- Carter’s and OshKosh B’gosh debuted baby and toddler apparel featuring Pooh and friends, with soft pastels and classic designs.
- LEGO released two Disney Winnie the Pooh sets for the centennial: a buildable Pooh with a honey pot and the Piglet’s Birthday Fun set featuring Pooh’s house and the Hundred Acre Wood.
- Funko expanded its Pop Nooks line with three new Winnie the Pooh collectibles: Pop! Nooks Winnie the Pooh in Honey Tree, Pop! Pooh with Balloon, and Pop! Sleeping Winnie the Pooh.
- Just Play introduced the Happy Haul line featuring Hunny Crew blind-box figures and Hunny Hugs Capsule Plush, which debuted at New York Toy Fair.
- Loungefly launched a Pooh-themed mini backpack and micro mini backpack collection.
- Old Navy, GAP, and Primark each released Pooh-inspired apparel collections across adult and children’s sizing.
- Vera Bradley launched bags and accessories featuring Hundred Acre Wood patterns.
- Wet n Wild and Mad Beauty introduced Pooh-themed beauty collections, with Wet Brush’s Original Detangler brushes coming soon.
Additional launches are confirmed for later in 2026, including a kids’ footwear collection from adidas arriving in June, plus special collections from Squishmallows, Steiff, Little Words Project, and Pandora.
Disney is also releasing a Pooh and Piglet Spring Bucket as part of the broader centennial product push, available starting March 11.
New Publishing Titles for the Centennial
A new lineup of publishing titles is releasing throughout 2026 to celebrate Pooh’s 100 years. Confirmed titles include:
- Winnie the Pooh: Wonders of the Hundred-Acre Wood Treasury from Random House Children’s Books
- Disney: Winnie the Pooh: The Hundred-Acre Wood Cookbook from Insight Editions
- The Winnie the Pooh Book: A Centenary Celebration from DK
- Winnie the Pooh: 100 Mindful Moments from Penguin Random House, arriving September 22, 2026
The September title focuses on Pooh’s perspective on living simply and joyfully, with paintings by Gonzalo Kenny and Mike Wall and text by Nancy Parent.
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Source: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/winnie-pooh-100/
