New Limited Lorcana Release Causes Fights And Disney Store Closure
Lorcana Special Edition Launch Ends With Scalpers Fighting And A Disney Store Closure
Art by Jules Cruse.Today’s launch of the very limited Disney Lorcana Curator’s Collection: Heroines Edition has caused a Disney store to close “until further notice” after unbelievably long queues.
As Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon seem to prove every other day, tabletop games are a bigger deal than they’ve ever been, with most new cards and special releases being more sought after. While that’s great for fans, it does have the significant downside of bringing in scalpers and those who just want to make a quick buck.
Sadly, Disney Lorcana is no stranger to this, as many of its rarest cards and limited-time releases have become a scalper’s paradise and fetch hefty sums online. The recently announced Heroines Edition of the Curator’s Collection is one such rare release that has caused a store to close due to an “uncontrollable” launch.
Disney Store In London Closed After Lorcana Launch Brawls
Lorcana Players Were Reportedly Waiting In Line For 12 Hours
This time last month, Ravensburger announced the Curator’s Collection: Heroines Edition for Disney Lorcana, a set of exclusive foil cards with brand-new artwork for Elsa, Jasmine, Ariel, Mulan, Anna, and Tinker Bell. The announcement confirmed that the release would have very limited quantities and only be sold at six locations in the world.
One such location was the Disney Store at London’s Oxford Street (the only place in the UK to sell the set), which saw “uncontrollable” 12-hour-long queues that had hundreds of people lining up to get their hands on the set. While many of those were likely actual Lorcana players who appreciate the game, it also drew the attention of scalpers who just wanted their hands on such a rare release.
Those scalpers reportedly tried to jump the queue for the set, resulting in “violent, aggressive behaviour”. Those few bad apples ended up ruining the whole launch for everyone, as the Disney Store cancelled the event in response to the “disruption”, which it confirmed in a post on its Facebook page.
We understand how disappointing this will be for those who were looking forward to the release, and we sincerely apologise to everyone affected. Thank you for your understanding. - Disney Store, London
The statement says that the “safety of our guests, cast members, and the local community is always our top priority” and that the overnight issues resulted in the store opening later than usual after an emergency closure. The set’s launch will no longer take place today, with further details being shared in the future. It's yet another reason why we can never hate scalpers enough.