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zapppop
11-29-2001, 09:15 PM
I was thinking about this lately.

Does this seem just a little bit insulting to you ? I never thought about it before but it does kinda bother me that more and more rides exit through or next to gift shops.

What do you think ?

Not Afraid
11-29-2001, 09:20 PM
I hate it when the ride exits into a tiny gift shop. This is not condusive to either shopping or getting the heck out of there. Small World comes to mind as an example. From a marketing perspective, I think its a great idea. From a customer perspective, being forced into a shop does not thrill me.

zapppop
11-29-2001, 09:24 PM
Speaking of It's A Small World, I don't remember exiting through a gift shop when I was a kid.

Not Afraid
11-29-2001, 09:29 PM
No, that was new to me as a adult.

zapppop
11-29-2001, 09:34 PM
It's such a small shop already and to be squishing even more people into it; eesh !

innerSpaceman
11-29-2001, 09:58 PM
Pirates has exited right next to a pirate-themed gift shop since time immemorial. Small World just continues this trend. I do not object to exits NEAR shops, just to exits THROUGH gift shops. So far, I think Star Tours is the only example of this in Disneyland.

That's really not too bad. I remember when the Luxor first opened in Las Vegas - they took the prize with four attractions, all of which exited directly into gift shops. It's a disgusting practice that totally turns me off as a potential consumer. I must be lured or charmed into a spending mood, not hammered into one.

SimpTwister
11-29-2001, 10:00 PM
Yes, exiting through a gift shop is terribly insulting.

I think I'll decide when and if I'm going to buy a souvenier, thanks.

It is your duty as a park patron to walk straight through the shop when exiting a ride, without giving the merch so much as a glance.

zapppop
11-29-2001, 10:07 PM
I say if you give them a glance, have fun doing it, if you know what I mean

Nigel2
11-29-2001, 10:45 PM
If you think its bad here just go to WDW. TT, Dino, Journey... and others exit into giftshop (some even have exhibits that pulls you into the gift shop) I think the ISW gift shop was put it when they renovated the ride and turned it pink.

SimpTwister
11-30-2001, 12:00 AM
Originally posted by innerSpaceman
Pirates has exited right next to a pirate-themed gift shop since time immemorial. Small World just continues this trend. I do not object to exits NEAR shops, just to exits THROUGH gift shops. So far, I think Star Tours is the only example of this in Disneyland.




I agree, that small distinction makes all the difference.

An exit that passes NEAR a gift shop is perfectly OK.

An exit that takes you directly THROUGH a gift shop is obscene.


It goes beyond the barrage of merchandise. It just doesn't feel right. Bad Feng Shui or something.

Crazytigger
11-30-2001, 02:16 AM
Just keep right on walking.

zapppop
11-30-2001, 04:39 AM
What I can't stand are the vendors along the parade route.

Every time I go to DCA to see the MSEP there's several vendors that don't leave until the Blue Fairy is about 25 feet away ! It's already dark, the music is playing and they're just barely leaving !

Get outta the freakin' way !

dizneyangel
11-30-2001, 07:23 AM
The Small World gift shop is the worst! Especially since I have a 7 year old who doesn't like to wait until the last day to get her souvenir Princess du jour Barbie! It makes it hard on us parents when we have to walk through a TOY STORE just to exit.:(

coronamouseman
11-30-2001, 07:32 AM
Exits through gift shops are simply a fact of theme park life .......

And now, with the trend to adding "ride photo shops" to the exit of each major attraction, it gets even worse ........

And more so now, as the parks attempt to get as much revenue as they can out of each guest, expect to see it even more ........

innerSpaceman
11-30-2001, 07:33 AM
Ok, now I'm confused. Please forgive me, but I only go on Small World once a year during its holiday phase. So please clarify - does the exit take you actually THROUGH the gift shop, or just so right alongside it that you are practically in it for all purposes?

MonorailMan
11-30-2001, 07:47 AM
This also makes me mad! I hate it when not only your exposed to shoping everywhere, but in order to exit, you have to go through a shop. IASM and POTC and ST come to mind, see just like everone else I don't care if it goes near a shop (A la Autopia), theres a hotel in Laughlin, where the elevators have a "Gift Shop" button, thats right on one floor the elevators dump out on to a gift shop, I don't mind this either, because I don't have to press that button. I also can't stand ODV every 2 feet at night, now that drives me crazy.

Ghoulish Delight
11-30-2001, 08:00 AM
Originally posted by innerSpaceman
Ok, now I'm confused. Please forgive me, but I only go on Small World once a year during its holiday phase. So please clarify - does the exit take you actually THROUGH the gift shop, or just so right alongside it that you are practically in it for all purposes?

I believe (and it has been a while since I've been on SW, so I may be mistaken) that as you come down the exit ramp, if you know what you're doing, you can veer off and miss the little gift shop. However, you gotta be paying attention. If you just walk straigh ahead, voila, you're in the shop surrounded by Barbies.

dizneyangel
11-30-2001, 08:12 AM
Originally posted by Ghoulish Delight


I believe (and it has been a while since I've been on SW, so I may be mistaken) that as you come down the exit ramp, if you know what you're doing, you can veer off and miss the little gift shop. However, you gotta be paying attention. If you just walk straigh ahead, voila, you're in the shop surrounded by Barbies.

Most times when we've ridden it, those little exits off to the side are roped off and unless you climb over them, it's through the shop we go....

mad4mky
11-30-2001, 08:27 AM
Like it was said earlier...at WDW almost EVERY E-Ticket ride ends into a shop. Crazy. My kids wanted to buy in everyone because they were so excited after the ride.

And...that's there point of why they put it there....


Dosn't make me mad though. Some a very well themed. I love the way they did the Tower of Terror store at the end. Felt almost like I was in a hotel gift shop. But...that's only my opinion. Dosn't make me mad...its how they generate more of our Dollars. You just have to walk by if you don't want to spend. Or look.

Bill Catherall
11-30-2001, 09:02 AM
You just have to walk by if you don't want to spend.
Easier said than done. When we exit Small World (I've yet to see the "shop bypass") my kids become octopi...grabby hands everywhere. You can't get one thing out of their hand without them picking up something else. We always exit Small World with happy excited kids, and exit the shop with screaming, crying kids. I refuse to buy anything in that shop for that reason alone.

Star Tours isn't quite so bad because I get excited in that shop. It's my grabby hands all over everything. ;) But also because they have a wider isle (as I remember) to get out of there easier. The Small World gift shop makes you snake in and out of their isles to get through. Often "grabby hand kids" (that's mine) will completely stop traffic because they see something they just have to pick up to see better. The only solution...either blind fold and handcuff the kids...or nuke the shops.

mad4mky
11-30-2001, 09:07 AM
Originally posted by Bill Catherall

Easier said than done. When we exit Small World (I've yet to see the "shop bypass") my kids become octopi...grabby hands everywhere. You can't get one thing out of their hand without them picking up something else. We always exit Small World with happy excited kids, and exit the shop with screaming, crying kids. I refuse to buy anything in that shop for that reason alone.

Star Tours isn't quite so bad because I get excited in that shop. It's my grabby hands all over everything. ;) But also because they have a wider isle (as I remember) to get out of there easier. The Small World gift shop makes you snake in and out of their isles to get through. Often "grabby hand kids" (that's mine) will completely stop traffic because they see something they just have to pick up to see better. The only solution...either blind fold and handcuff the kids...or nuke the shops.

I'm laughing...I've got kids. You're right. It's easier said than done. At he end of Test Track at WDW, one of my kids went nuts. Took a while to get her out of there.
Disney...even though everyone complains about it....is number one in marketing and selling to us simple folk. (except they didn't do to well of a job trying to sell us on DCA...and that has TOO many stores in it!).

zapppop
11-30-2001, 09:28 AM
Originally posted by innerSpaceman
Ok, now I'm confused. Please forgive me, but I only go on Small World once a year during its holiday phase. So please clarify - does the exit take you actually THROUGH the gift shop, or just so right alongside it that you are practically in it for all purposes?

Yes; it goes right through the gift shop.

EandCDad
11-30-2001, 09:43 AM
I'm going to join the group that says you have to go through the shop for iasw. I belive any other avenues are roped off or blocked. Our daughters are the target market for that store. Barbie freaks. But they have gone through it so many times without ever buying anything that although they like to look around, they don't get too bummed about leaving. The gift shop is way, way too small though. The one at the end of Star Tours is much easier to get through.

SimpTwister
11-30-2001, 01:28 PM
Originally posted by Bill Catherall
We always exit Small World with happy excited kids, and exit the shop with screaming, crying kids.


That is HORRIBLE. That right there is reason enough to abandon the whole exit-through-shop concept.

SimpTwister
11-30-2001, 01:36 PM
Originally posted by mad4mky

Disney...even though everyone complains about it....is number one in marketing and selling to us simple folk.


Sorry, but that's pathetic.

We all love many of the things that Disney has to offer, and we are more than willing to pay for them without being coerced, tricked, or misled.

Leave the cheap tricks to the carnivals.