📌 This event has ended (closed August 31, 2026). Looking for what’s open in Seoul right now? See our Best Pop-Up Stores in Seoul Right Now guide.
TL;DR: “THE FIRST FAN” is a collaboration pop-up between G-Dragon’s fashion label PEACEMINUSONE and Disney’s Toy Story, running in Seoul’s Seongsu-dong through August 31, 2026. Entry requires downloading the PLAY IN THE BOX app and showing a QR code at the door — no reservation, but no walk-in without the app either. Merchandise ranges from an ₩58,000 plush keyring up to a life-size figure pre-order with a ₩10,000,000 deposit, so there’s something for a casual visitor and something for a serious collector.
Disney collabs with streetwear brands aren’t rare anymore. What made this one worth a special trip was the story behind it — G-Dragon’s PEACEMINUSONE (often written PMO) paired up with Toy Story around a concept called “THE FIRST FAN,” built on the idea that our childhood toys were the very first supporters cheering us on before anyone else believed in us. It’s also Disney’s first collaboration with a K-pop artist, timed around the release of Toy Story 5. I’d heard a pop-up had opened in Seongsu and went to see it in person.
Where it is and the basics
Location: THE FIRST FAN, 27 Yeonmujang-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul (near Seongsu Station Exit 4)
Dates: July 1 – August 31, 2026
Hours: Daily, 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Admission: Free to enter, but you need the PLAY IN THE BOX app — sign up and pull up the QR code on the app’s home screen to get in
Parking: No dedicated lot; budget for a nearby paid public lot, standard for this part of Seongsu
You need an app to get in — set this up before you go
There’s a sign right at the entrance laying out the process: install the PLAY IN THE BOX app, register an account, and bring up the QR code from the icon in the bottom right of the home screen to get scanned in.
If you show up without the app, you’ll need to register on the spot before you’re let in — so doing this ahead of time from your hotel Wi-Fi will save you standing in line fumbling with an app store download. Centralizing entry and identity through one app is a smart operational call on the venue’s part — it cuts down on the usual pop-up confusion of not knowing who arrived when.
The line outside was long when I visited, and everyone was using umbrellas and parasols to block the sun — but the queue kept moving, which told me the wait was being managed reasonably well despite the crowd.
Two ways to buy: pre-order in the app, or grab it in person
One thing that tripped me up at first was the purchasing structure — it’s split by product type.
- Shippable items: Pre-ordered through the app. The app lists items under something like “pop-up pre-order (in-store purchase only)” — you add to cart in advance, then pay once at the counter.
- In-store exclusives: Limited figures and small-batch goods you buy on the spot after seeing the physical item.
What caught my eye in the app was the deposit listed for full-size Woody and Buzz figures — ₩10,000,000 (roughly $7,400). That’s essentially a collector’s raffle item rather than something the average visitor is buying. It’s a strategic move, though: putting an extreme high-end piece at the top of the lineup signals “limited-edition art piece,” not “mass-market merch,” even though most of the actual revenue almost certainly comes from the mid-tier items — brooches, caps, keyrings, and so on. This kind of price anchoring is a pretty standard luxury-collab move.
The layout: 2nd floor first, then 1st floor
THE FIRST FAN runs across two floors, but the visitor route is a little unusual — you’re guided up to the 2nd floor “TOYSCAPE” section first, and come back down to the 1st floor “THE FIRST FAN” space afterward.
TOYSCAPE functions as a showroom-meets-sales-floor. The walls are packed with shelving, organized by character — Woody, Buzz, Rex, and the Aliens each get their own section. It was genuinely crowded, hard to browse at a relaxed pace, but that crowding is itself a sign of how much interest this collab has pulled in.
Coming down to the 1st floor space, the tone shifts from shopping to atmosphere. It’s built around a room of yellow daisy-print wallpaper and mirrors, with the line “TO THE ONES WHO WALKED WITH US FIRST” etched into the glass — so the text keeps reflecting and layering as you move through the room. This floor felt more built for landing PMO’s brand message than for selling anything.
The centerpiece: a life-size Woody with 10,000 crystals
The centerpiece of the 1st floor is a life-size Woody statue — but not a plain one. Pinned to his chest is an oversized daisy brooch set with roughly 10,000 crystals, catching light from every angle and functioning as the pop-up’s main photo spot on its own.
What’s interesting is that the same design comes in an actual sellable version — smaller daisy brooch pins in two sizes, priced at ₩320,000 for the larger one and ₩58,000 for the smaller (roughly $237 and $43). The “10,000 crystals” detail on the statue isn’t just a marketing exaggeration — it’s a scaled-up showcase of a real jewelry line, and it tells you exactly where the brand put its design effort.
The rest of the merch: figures to everyday pieces
Beyond the centerpiece, the lineup covers a wide range:
- Crystal Buzz figure — a translucent crystal-material Buzz Lightyear with a daisy on the chest, priced at ₩1,980,000 (about $1,470), part of a limited, numbered collector line.
- Standard action figures — Woody in his daisy-brooch cowboy outfit, and Buzz with “SPACE RANGER” branding and a PEACEMINUSONE-engraved plate, boxed with the line “THAT FRIENDSHIP MADE TODAY POSSIBLE.”
- Bullseye figures — smaller versions of Woody’s horse, several displayed holding a daisy in their mouth, marked “please look with your eyes only” given how easily damaged the display line is.
- Photo frame service — visitors can get a photo taken and framed in one of two designs (an art-style frame or a drawing-style frame) as a keepsake.
- Blankets, tote bags, and caps — a Woody-and-daisy pattern blanket, a “SEOUL”-logo tote bag, and an embroidered “SEOUL” cap in multiple colors (green, white, navy, gray).
- Plush keyrings — mini plush versions of Woody, Buzz, and Rex, sold individually at ₩58,000 or as a set of six for ₩348,000. These aren’t blind-box — you pick the character you want, which makes them an easier gift option than a lot of collab merch.
Why Toy Story, and why does the pricing span so wide?
Walking the full space, the collab’s logic came into focus. PEACEMINUSONE already has a track record of pairing streetwear sensibility with classic, nostalgic objects. Layering in Toy Story — a character set that basically everyone on earth had some version of growing up with — pulls in two different audiences at once: PMO’s fashion-driven fanbase and general Toy Story nostalgia.
The pricing structure backs that up. From a ₩10,000,000 full-size figure deposit down to a ₩58,000 keyring, the range is deliberately wide — low enough that almost anyone can walk out with something, high enough that serious collectors have a genuine “I own a piece of this” option to chase.
The one real downside: the space stayed crowded the whole time I was there, which made it hard to look closely at anything, and the pieces with the most visual impact (the full-size and crystal figures) were mostly just admired from a distance rather than bought, given the price. If I went back, I’d aim for right after opening, when the crowd is thinner.
One more thing worth mentioning for anyone planning a Seoul trip around K-content and pop culture: while I was browsing, I noticed a genuinely international crowd — English, Chinese, and Japanese all audible around me. Seongsu-dong has clearly moved past being a local hotspot and turned into a must-stop for visiting tourists too.
If you liked the original Toy Story films, or you follow G-Dragon and PEACEMINUSONE, there’s a real overlap here worth the trip. It’s an easy add if you’re already building a Seongsu-dong pop-up itinerary.
FAQ
Q: Do I need the PLAY IN THE BOX app to get in?
A: Yes — you need to install the app, register, and show the QR code at entry. You can register on-site if needed, but doing it beforehand saves time in line.
Q: What’s the price range for merchandise?
A: From ₩58,000 for a plush keyring or small brooch pin up to a ₩10,000,000 deposit for a full-size collector figure — most items fall in the ₩50,000–₩350,000 range.
Q: Is this an official Disney/Pixar-run store, or a fashion brand collab?
A: It’s a licensed collaboration between G-Dragon’s fashion label PEACEMINUSONE and Disney, not an official Pixar-run experience — Disney’s first collaboration with a K-pop artist.
Q: What’s the best time to visit to avoid crowds?
A: Right at the 11:00 AM opening — the space was consistently crowded every time I checked throughout the day.
Bottom Line
“THE FIRST FAN” is a strong stop if you’re a Toy Story fan, a G-Dragon/PEACEMINUSONE follower, or just enjoy well-executed pop-up design — the life-size Woody centerpiece alone is worth the visit for photos. Set up the PLAY IN THE BOX app before you go, expect a crowd, and go in with a sense of your budget, since the range from casual souvenir to serious collector piece is wide enough to tempt an impulse buy. It pairs naturally with a broader Seongsu-dong pop-up and cafe day if you’re building out a full itinerary in the neighborhood.