Jazwares and Pixar timed their newest Squishmallows collaboration to build anticipation for Toy Story 5 ahead of its June 19, 2026 premiere, releasing eight new plush characters across two separate retail exclusives. Forky, Woody, Jessie, Zurg, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, Bullseye, and a green alien make up the initial lineup, split between Amazon and Five Below with different sizes and price points for each retailer.
The Amazon-exclusive versions — the alien, Forky, Rex, and Zurg — are the larger of the two formats at 12 inches, priced at $19.99 each. The Five Below-exclusive versions — Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Buzz Lightyear — are smaller at 8 inches and considerably cheaper at $6 each, making them a more accessible entry point for casual collectors or fans buying for kids rather than display purposes.
Retailer-exclusive splits like this are a common strategy for high-demand plush collaborations, spreading demand across multiple sales channels rather than concentrating it entirely on one retailer's inventory and website traffic. It also lets Jazwares offer two distinct price tiers and size formats simultaneously, giving budget-conscious buyers and larger-format collectors both a way into the line without one segment cannibalizing the other's appeal.
The lineup leans heavily on established, universally recognizable Toy Story characters — Woody, Buzz, Jessie — alongside two more recent breakout favorites, Forky and the alien, both of which have proven to have strong standalone merchandising appeal since their respective film introductions. Notably absent from this initial wave are characters more specific to whatever new plot elements Toy Story 5 introduces, suggesting Jazwares is leading with fan-favorites first and likely holding newer characters for a follow-up wave closer to or after the film's release.
Squishmallows collaborations tend to move quickly through retail once a themed line generates buzz around a major film release, and a Pixar tie-in timed directly to a legacy franchise's fifth theatrical entry is exactly the kind of release that draws both dedicated Squishmallows collectors and casual Toy Story fans simultaneously — a combination that often leads to faster sell-through than a standard seasonal Squishmallows release.
Given how Jazwares and Pixar have handled other film-tie-in Squishmallows launches, it's reasonable to expect a second wave closer to or following Toy Story 5's actual June premiere, likely introducing new characters specific to the film's plot rather than repeating the established cast from this initial announcement wave. Collectors who want to display a complete, film-accurate lineup eventually may want to hold off on assuming this first wave is the whole collection, and instead watch for additional retailer announcements as the release date approaches.
Since this line launched several weeks ahead of Toy Story 5's actual June premiere, initial retail stock had time to build before the film-driven demand spike typically hits opening weekend. Collectors who haven't picked up their preferred characters yet should still check both retailers soon, since film-tie-in merchandise demand tends to climb sharply as a premiere date approaches and then again during the film's actual theatrical run.
For a full Toy Story Squishmallows lineup on display, the EVORETRO Acrylic Modular Case gives enough flexible interior space to display multiple plush characters together while keeping dust off their surfaces. The EVORETRO 4-Step Acrylic Display Stand works well for spotlighting a single character, like Forky or the alien, in a tiered arrangement.
The size and price gap between the two retailer exclusives makes them suited to different gifting scenarios — the smaller $6 Five Below versions work well as stocking-stuffer-style gifts or party favors, while the larger $19.99 Amazon versions read as a more substantial standalone gift. Buyers shopping for a specific occasion should factor that distinction in alongside which specific characters matter most to the recipient.
The 12-inch versions (alien, Forky, Rex, Zurg) are Amazon exclusives; the 8-inch versions (Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, Buzz Lightyear) are Five Below exclusives.
$19.99 for the 12-inch Amazon versions, $6 for the 8-inch Five Below versions.
Late April 2026, ahead of Toy Story 5's June 19, 2026 premiere.
No — the line is split evenly between the two retailer exclusives, not sold together at either location.
This is a smart, accessible entry point into Toy Story 5 merchandise ahead of the film's release, and the retailer split gives both budget shoppers and larger-format collectors a way in. Worth watching for a possible follow-up wave introducing new Toy Story 5-specific characters closer to or after the film's premiere.
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