Are all Disney Stores UNmagical?

[TwoTigersMom]

We stopped at the Disney Store in Mobile, AL this weekend while driving through. I was a little disheartened when I couldn't find any pins at all! What was worse, was when I asked the lady if I was just missing them, she pointed out a PEN on the counter! I said Oh no thats not what I'm looking for, she said oh you mean the kind you wear on your shirt? They never get any of those in. Is this normal for the stores?

 

[cj2me]

The Store where I lives is Magical, I have to go into it everytime I am in the mall. I just love it. But to answer your question, I have never seen pins in the store.

 

[Ella's Mommy]

The Disney Store never sells pins. You can get them online, ebay is a pretty good source:wave:

 

[Tigger1988]

Most Disney Stores today suck. They used to be so much better until the late 90's - now. The cast members arent as friendly. And they havent sold pins since 2000 I believe.

 

[cindy_k]

Remember they are not owned by Disney any more, they are actually owned by The Children's Place clothes stores.
Expect even less other stuff and more clothing to start showing up in the stores.

 

[drew81]

The Stores did sell pins at one point, but not any longer. I know that to be a fact because I was a CM at one.

 

[joshwill]

The Disney Store never sells pins. You can get them online, ebay is a pretty good source:wave:

they used to sell pins. i beleive the store in nyc still does. they stopped about a year ago, i guess.

 

[drew81]

The stores really have lost the magic, which is very sad. When they were sold to Children's Place it really went down hill.

 

[BJMidget]

the last time the Disney Store sold pins was for the 100 Years of Magic. the NYC World of Disney only has NYC World of Disney pins.

 

[GoofyInOhio]

The Disney Store hasn't sold pins in a few years. They weren't selling in the stores like they were at the parks or even online. You can get some of the pins through the Disney Ebay site from the DisneyWorld, Disneyland and the Online only pins.

The stores aren't what they used to be. If you want a mans shirt forget about it. They carry about one a season. Even the kids stuff isn't what it used to be. Remember when they used to sell watches in the store? How about the little glass figures?

I still love to go there for some reason though. I mean it's still Disney Merchandise (Even if Disney no longer owns it).

 

[Merlin]

Remember they are not owned by Disney any more, they are actually owned by The Children's Place clothes stores.
Expect even less other stuff and more clothing to start showing up in the stores.

While I'm sure the sale to Children's Place probably didn't improve things, the truth is, the Disney Stores were already on a major decline anyway. From 1987 until 1993, they were a wonderful, magical place. What began the decline in 1993 was a major mistake that Disney made about a year before....they hired Cynthia Harris to run the stores. I worked at the corporate office at that time, so I can tell you first-hand that she was horrible. She was an outsider who only understood retail, not Disney culture. She imposed sales quota, began a massive expansion which oversaturated the market with Disney Stores, and began taking away little touches like having a greeter at the front of the store and having CMs constantly keeping the store clean.

 

[dazzle_em55]

I was just in one on Monday and they didn't have any clothing for adults

 

[gbruenin]

A careful look around the stores these days shows only some toys, dvds, plush animals and kids clothes. Nothing all that special. All the things that us grown-up kids bought ('cause we actually have the cash) are gone.

 

[Ringo8n24]

Disney Direct's new merchandise

The Disney Direct catalog has some great items in their new issue. I love the desk set with the monorail stapler and the teacup paperclip holder. I usually do my "Disney" shopping there. I do like the smell of the Disney stores because it smells like the ones at WDW. It must be the merchandise and where it is stored that carries the familiar smell.

 

[MissM]

A careful look around the stores these days shows only some toys, dvds, plush animals and kids clothes. Nothing all that special. All the things that us grown-up kids bought ('cause we actually have the cash) are gone.

Agreed. I remember going in and enjoying the framed art and the household items; the adult clothing and unique knick-knacks. I don't even go in the store anymore. It makes me too sad.
-m

 

[alanindy]

I began calling the Disney Stores the "Princess and Pooh" shop a few years back since that is about all they stock these days. I had some friends that were managers at one of the locations and they all bailed out before the Children's Place buyout. The stores did indeed experience a huge decline in the mid to late 90's after they over saturated markets, focused only on certain product lines (Princess garbage and more and more Pooh items) and forgot why people shopped at the Disney Stores to start with. The stores went from appealling to a very wide range of people, to parents looking for that princess costume or toy or Winnie the Pooh fans. The stores have been stocking predominantly toys and toddler clothes long before they were bought out. Long gone are the pins, adult clothes, ties, watches, special figurines, etc. They lost their sense of direction (thank you Cynthia for also messing up Disneyland along with your mentor Paul), and only focused on poorly conceived demographic studies, sales targets, and focus groups - - NOT the Disney fan, which was the reason for the phenominal success of the stores to begin with. Sorry for the rant...... lol

 

[Tigger1988]

I began calling the Disney Stores the "Princess and Pooh" shop a few years back since that is about all they stock these days. I had some friends that were managers at one of the locations and they all bailed out before the Children's Place buyout. The stores did indeed experience a huge decline in the mid to late 90's after they over saturated markets, focused only on certain product lines (Princess garbage and more and more Pooh items) and forgot why people shopped at the Disney Stores to start with. The stores went from appealling to a very wide range of people, to parents looking for that princess costume or toy or Winnie the Pooh fans. The stores have been stocking predominantly toys and toddler clothes long before they were bought out. Long gone are the pins, adult clothes, ties, watches, special figurines, etc. They lost their sense of direction (thank you Cynthia for also messing up Disneyland along with your mentor Paul), and only focused on poorly conceived demographic studies, sales targets, and focus groups - - NOT the Disney fan, which was the reason for the phenominal success of the stores to begin with. Sorry for the rant...... lol

I agree with you completely, I miss the days when you could go into a Disney Gallery (which select Disney Stores had) and being able to look at limited edition collectables. Now all you can get is a THATS SO RAVEN bed spread. Its sad. My sister worked in a Disney Store in the early 90s and I still have her handbooks. They would have people constantly roaming the "stage" (the sales floor) picking up stuffed animals...etc. Plus they wore uniforms and such, not just t-shirt and jeans you now see.

 

[Aurora_25]

I agree with you completely, I miss the days when you could go into a Disney Gallery (which select Disney Stores had) and being able to look at limited edition collectables. Now all you can get is a THATS SO RAVEN bed spread. Its sad. My sister worked in a Disney Store in the early 90s and I still have her handbooks. They would have people constantly roaming the "stage" (the sales floor) picking up stuffed animals...etc. Plus they wore uniforms and such, not just t-shirt and jeans you now see.

I worked at the Disney store when we wore that outfit- the sweater with the shorts (and you had to wear stockings and socks) It may have been a pain, but I know it looked "Disney"
I was there when the big collectible stuff was taken away- all my managers said- "Well, that's it- nothing for us to get anymore"....It was pretty sad. Now when I go into the Disney store, I feel bad because it has turned into something totally different. Used to be that if you asked a CM at a Disney store any question about Disney they would know the answer (I was quized every day by the managers) or if they didn't know, they would find out right then and tell you- well, that doesn't happen anymore- I guarantee it.

 

[Pixiedust1393]

I go to the Disney Store in the mall, and I just don't feel any magic at all It's like going into a regular store just with Disney stuff in it. There is ALWAYS toys, clothes, etc scattered everywhere... They need to hire some new workers. The people who work there now are rude, they don't know anything, and they won't help you.

Now, I'm not saying all Disney Store CM's are like that, but the ones who work at the DS I go to are very unhelpful

 

[wdwishes2005]

they used to have pins, but then clearenced all of them.

i got many,many good traders for like 15 bucks.