It's a bit early to say it, but maybe 2020 will turn out just fine, considering there's The Mandalorian Baby Yoda toy coming to Build-A-Bear. The news was announced during the ICR Conference (an investment conference featuring public and private companies) in Orlando, Florida by Build-A-Bear CEO Sharon Price John. And (wait for it) she even held up a prototype of the Baby Yoda Build-A-Bear. Squee! Check out the very blurry pic snapped at the conference below.
There's no release date for The Child Build-A-Bear, but expect it sometime in the next few months. For context, most of the other Baby Yoda merch we've seen isn't shipping out until the springtime (I would know, as I ordered a bunch of the Hasbro merch that's not coming until May). And there's no confirmation that you'll be able to build your baby with soundbites from the show, but I wouldn't be surprised, as Build-A-Bear already has official Star Wars sounds available for your cuddly buddy including the theme song, Darth Vader noises, and Wicket the Ewok clips.
The magic (or horror) of Build-A-Bear is choosing and stuffing your very own stuffed animal, and if you were a child between the years of 1997 and now, you've probably been to the Workshop, even if it's just to window shop. I'm quite certain the Baby Yoda Build-A-Bear will result in long lines and wild eBay resales, and I'm fully prepared to stand toe-to-toe with a six-year-old over the last Baby Yoda plushie.
Here's The Mandalorian Season 2 first look.
