Ah, Clever Disney...

Yesterday we went shopping for CARS figurines to use on Reagan's birthday party cake. (My girl is obsessed with dinosaurs, cars, firetrucks, trains, airplanes and fishing!) I was hoping to find Lighting McQueen and Mater in the $2.50 bin, but alas they only had ONE Lighting and a huge number of the Firetruck guy (which I just now realized didn't even come in the set I ended up buying *sigh*)

So, off I schlepped to the figurine section..they were on sale 2/$20 so why shouldn't I get those? She would get a bigger selection of the Car's figurines and maybe I could even indulge her in getting a Little Einstein set....and that's when I saw it.

Sure, there were the Car's figurines, exactly like I needed, with ONE HUGE exception. Disney had packaged Lighting McQueen separately from Sally, Mater and Doc Hudson--the other MAIN characters in the movie. (see here) So if you want to get the main characters for your kids (and who is going to want Lighting without Mater????), you have to buy TWO sets---and God help you if you even mentioned getting the Little Ensteins set before noticing the two separate Cars sets....because then you just might end up taking home THREE sets.

Great marketing Disney, but you know, that's not the best way to earn friends in the mommy kingdom.