Downtown Disney's United World Soccer closing to be replaced with a Disney operated Marvel store

[Tigger1988]

Somehow I'm not surprised that a soccer store wouldn't be a good long-term bet in an American shopping mall.

I know, I know, we were all so Soccer-crazed for about three minutes last July during that world championship thing that no one really knew about beforehand.

It was such a trendy, fun game to pretend to be interested in that summer, wasn't it kids?

It's fairly obvious a Marvel store will have more customers in it than those photos of empty aisles displaying soccer balls.

Pretty sure this very website reported that the soccer store was never intended to be a permanent fixture in DTD.

Facts though, who needs 'em?

 

[George]

Pretty sure this very website reported that the soccer store was never intended to be a permanent fixture in DTD.

Facts though, who needs 'em?

It was too small. Not enough stuff to be a permanent store. However, my family had fun browsing around for 15 minutes and my son found an FA Cup Arsenal soccer ball that he bought. So we did enjoy its brief existence.

 

[xdan0920]

It was too small. Not enough stuff to be a permanent store. However, my family had fun browsing around for 15 minutes and my son found an FA Cup Arsenal soccer ball that he bought. So we did enjoy its brief existence.

Is your son an American? Does he know soccer is a fad?

 

[George]

Is your son an American? Does he know soccer is a fad?

Yes. I told him at the age of 15 he must declare the game boring.

 

[xdan0920]

Yes. I told him at the age of 15 he must declare the game boring.

Not enough scoring.

 

[George]

Not enough scoring.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.....I told you not to bring up my love life in public.

 

[Bolt]

Pretty sure this very website reported that the soccer store was never intended to be a permanent fixture in DTD.

Facts though, who needs 'em?

Love it. Anything temporary becomes permanent I thought...

 

[George]

Love it. Anything temporary becomes permanent I thought...

Are you saying the cleaning of the BAH is done and it will now be re-assembled?

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Love it. Anything temporary becomes permanent I thought...

Tell that to the hat that used to be in DHS

 

[jakeman]

Love it. Anything temporary becomes permanent I thought...

I believe Captain EO would like a word...

 

[RunOrlando]

Who says that the decor is not already being made off site? It's not like that's something they'd do on location and this change to a Marvel store could have been in the works for quite some time.

My one question: is the store big enough that it could feature a M&G? I think conceivably they could have a M&G in DTD without violating the contract with Uni. That would allow them to promote the latest Marvel film at WDW even if it can't be done in the parks.

I wish.

My thinking is if they could legally have a M&G, they would have already had one.

 

[RunOrlando]

Yes, much better that the store is themed to something Bob Iger bought than something the Walt Disney Animation Studio created.

Anyway, at least the Marvel junk will be sold in DD rather than in the Magic Kingdom. Thank God for that.

Disney has bought other characters like Winnie the Pooh, & Mary Poppins. Most of the other characters were in the public domain.

 

[Ignohippo]

For the love of Gawd!!! You're creating a Marvel store – the only thing Marvel that can be built on property – and you make it a store within a store!?

From what I can tell, the new Disney Springs is severely lacking "headline stores". Why not make the Marvel Store one of them? Why not make it the most amazing Marvel/Comic Book Store you possibly can?

Another perfect example of Disney completely missing the potential.

 

[BrerJon]

Somehow I'm not surprised that a soccer store wouldn't be a good long-term bet in an American shopping mall.

It's fairly obvious a Marvel store will have more customers in it than those photos of empty aisles displaying soccer balls.

The soccer store wasn't for aimed at an American audience, but a Brazilian one - the exact same demographic the mall side of Disney Springs is being built to target, and who frequent the similar store in Florida Mall in large numbers.

Brazilians love to shop, and Disney loves people who love to shop, so concentrating on areas where they can turn WDW into Disneyland Rio really is a win-win option for them financially.

 

[roj2323]

If they want it ready for May 1, I don't think they'll be able to do much theming.

that's what they said about Wandering oaken's and I think that turned out pretty good for a 2 week turnaround.

 

[Next Big Thing]

I wish.

My thinking is if they could legally have a M&G, they would have already had one.

They did Iron Patriot M&G's before the release of Iron Man 3 in DTD.

 

[Next Big Thing]

Oh, and I can't say much more, but the store name will NOT include the word "Marvel" and it WILL be open in a timely manner.

 

[TP2000]

Soccer isn't growing by leaps and bounds in this country. You're right. That type of opinion doesn't make you appear out of touch at all.

I'm out of touch on a lot of things in this bizarre future decade of the 2010's. But one example, I still call them "stewardesses". They honestly don't seem to mind, and I still get a wink and an extra nice smile when they bring me a Scotch, and they always check up on me throughout the flight. Try it sometime, it's the only way to fly.



As for soccer, I get it. It's hip. I've been to a couple Timbers games up in Portland the last few years, and it doesn't get any more hipster than a Timbers game in Portlandia. In drizzle. Wearing a scarf. And for the last one I stayed in the Ace Hotel the night before the game. Try to out-hipster that.

But I'm also old enough to remember the fashionable soccer-is-breaking-through! talk at WASPy upper-middle class dinner parties in the late 1970's. Soccer was really going to become America's Game back then. It was going to happen. Also the Metric System. Neither happened.

The TV ratings for soccer games in this country continue to drift somewhere below Real Housewives of Orange County, yet above reruns of Match Game '74 or that evening's Rachel Maddow Show. I think it was probably wise for TDO to close the temporary soccer store in Disney Springs.

 

[Next Big Thing]

The TV ratings for soccer games in this country continue to drift somewhere below Real Housewives of Orange County, yet above reruns of Match Game '74 or that evening's Rachel Maddow Show. I think it was probably wise for TDO to close the temporary soccer store in Disney Springs.

So you know for sure that there aren't plans to make more of a permanent store in the Town Center like there is at all of the other malls around the area?

Also, Orlando just got an MLS team. So in the same way that the store appeals to Brazilians, it could easily be a good opportunity to take advantage of those wanting Orlando City SC merch. You know, locals.

 

[wdwmagic]

Somehow I'm not surprised that a soccer store wouldn't be a good long-term bet in an American shopping mall.

I know, I know, we were all so Soccer-crazed for about three minutes last July during that world championship thing that no one really knew about beforehand.

It was such a trendy, fun game to pretend to be interested in that summer, wasn't it kids?

It's fairly obvious a Marvel store will have more customers in it than those photos of empty aisles displaying soccer balls.

Did you read for the article? It's expected to reopen permanently in Disney Springs. The store was a 1 year temporary popup store. I hear it did really well.