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View Full Version : What axe the Disney Stores?



Nephythys
11-06-2003, 09:47 AM
I have been seeing some rumblings of rumors and even desire to see the Disney Stores close. Why?

It's a breath of Disney-fied air just to go there. There is music and a Disney atmosphere without attractions. For alot of people it is the only way they can get those Disney items.

Why would you want them closed?:confused:

Iceman
11-06-2003, 04:26 PM
Uh-oh... You asked for it... ;)

Once a certain population at MousePad finds this thread, you'll be inundated with replies that basically say the Disney stores are a sad shadow of their former selves. Some people claim that merely going into them makes them weep at the memory of how great the stores used to be.

While I generally disagree with the crowd that makes such claims, in this case I am inclined to grudgingly concede that the Disney stores seem to have lost a lot of their magic over the years. The merchandise selection is a lot more limited (mostly kiddie stuff now), the decor has gone downhill (more K-Mart, less unique and whimsical design), and the customer service isn't what it used to be (Disney Store employees no longer seem up to the standards of true cast members).

That being said, I don't think that shuttering the whole concept is the answer. Instead, a newly reinvigorated management could fairly quickly revive the concept and turn those mall shops once again into bastions of Disney magic!

Darkbeer
11-11-2003, 11:46 PM
There is a great Disney Story article by Jim Hill today...

"Disney's New York flagship store has run aground"

http://www.jimhillmedia.com/main/index.htm




Eventually, the three of us found ourselves back outside in the cool night air. We had explored the entire 5th Avenue Disney Store from top to bottom in just under 30 minutes ... And yet we hadn't seen a single thing that any of us wanted to buy.

This may explain why the Walt Disney Company is having such a problem finding someone to buy its 300-plus Disney Stores. For -- sometime over the past six years -- the Mouse has lost its once-legendary hold on consumers. That that warm, fuzzy feeling that we all used to feel about Mickey and the products that the Disney corporation churned out has been replaced by this vague feeling of unease. That sense that -- whenever the Mouse is about -- you'd best be keeping a hand on your wallet. That Mickey isn't really all that interested in making us smile anymore. That this soon-to-be-75-years-old rodent is far more interested in finding yet another way to separate us from our hard-earned dollars.

wdtv
11-13-2003, 02:22 PM
I, for one, would rather see TDS get axed than watch it barely hang on as a gap with princess outfits, cheaply made plush and Mickey ears.
Just like I'd rather see DL shut down than become a cheap kiddie playground with outrageously over-priced plush and plastic shops.
But, you know, I don't feel like writing a humongous essay right now; so I'll just leave this alone. I think almost everyone here knows my feelings and the reasons behind them, anyway.