Coverage of Disney Store Time Square opening?

[dvitali]

Thank you
I will be watching the ceremony from the webcams of time square.
Maybe if Disney ex have time after they can take a short walk down to Macy area and get rid of those fake Mickey and Minnie costume that people pose for pictures with.

 

[majortom1981]

I didn't see anywhere where they would stage any character greetings. There is no parks merchandise, either- this store isn't run by Parks and Resorts like WoD was. I did see a SMALL collection of NY pins available, but that's it.

Fosse76, quick question about the layouts and the splitting of the old Virgin store...do you know who ended up with the old movie theater that was in Virgin? They stopped using it years ago, and it spent the last few years cordoned off, but it existed down on the bottom level of the store.

I havent been to the new store yet (due to the LIRR's limited service last weekend) but from what i understand the disney store ended up with the movie theater. all the pnews when this was first announced stated it would be used for events like movie premiers ad stuff. I could be wrong though.

The funny part though is if you go to the disney stores online website yo ucan buy a lot of adult stuff. I might just skip their stores and buy it from the website.

 

[DiPSU224]

Who is covering the opening of Disney Store Time Square grand opening on Monday November 8? Is it on ABC? What is the schedule of events?

I have Good Morning America on in the background and they just announced within the next half hour they are going to be doing some interviews and a piece on the new store.

 

[SewIn2Disney]

Does anyone have images of the new Disney stores in the US as I wouldn't mind seeing a picture, thank you.

I went to the grand opening of the Disney Store in the Freehold Mall in Freehold NJ two weeks ago. Here are my pictures from the event:
http://news.webshots.com/album/578889448Dcypbe

I'd honestly go as far as to say that you'd be better off visiting the Disney Store at your local mall. Yes, I'm being dead serious.

I had a feeling that would be the case.

I was at the D23 event today and I enjoyed the store. :shrug:

As for the size Jim Fielding explained that they took out a floor of the Virgin store, the top floor is technically the 3rd floor.

Wow! So you actually got tickets to the event? I tried--and I know many others who did and didn't get the tickets. I was starting to believe there were none....

I wasn't with the merchandise offerings at all. It certainly isn't aiming at adults. I feel like the old 5th Avenue location offered more.

I have a feeling that I'm going to miss the Parks Owned 5th Ave store more and more. If there isn't any adult merchandise in the store then there's no reason for me to go to it.

I have Good Morning America on in the background and they just announced within the next half hour they are going to be doing some interviews and a piece on the new store.

Darn- missed it. Was there anything good on the show?

 

[Tigger1988]

Wow! So you actually got tickets to the event? I tried--and I know many others who did and didn't get the tickets. I was starting to believe there were none....

Yeah, VERY quick clicking and typing. Supposedly they "sold out" within 2 minutes, were only about 100 people there so I can imagine they sold fast.

However I'm jealous you went to the Freehold opening, Mickey was there!! Unfortunately I had plans that day and couldn't make it.

 

[peterpanic74]

The movie theater is not part of the new store. The theater is located 2 floors below street level, and the Disney Store is at street level and above. The entrance to the Disney Store may have once been a corner of the Virgin top floor, but the larger upstairs portion was never part of Virgin.

The new store may not appeal much to hardcore adult Disney fans, but it certainly works for one demographic:

My two-year old son absolutely LOVED the place!

Just don't set your expectations too high. It's basically a nice toy store.

If you're a kid, or a parent of a kid who's into plush, Toy Story, Cars, Marvel, Phineas & Ferb, or Princesses, then going to the store is worthwhile. If not, then don't bother.

 

[fosse76]

Fosse76, quick question about the layouts and the splitting of the old Virgin store...do you know who ended up with the old movie theater that was in Virgin? They stopped using it years ago, and it spent the last few years cordoned off, but it existed down on the bottom level of the store.

Foerever 21 has MOST of the Virgin Megastore space...Disney has a very small "sliver" on the left (as you face it from the street).

 

[MarkTwain]

What a shame people aren't impressed by the new store... I'm glad that Disney has created a major Times Square presence, where people can go after seeing a Disney Broadway show, but one would think that the new store would at least be as good as the old one. I'll have to see for myself next time I'm in Manhattan. Last time I was in NYC, the old store was in its final days of operation and they were clearing the place.

The new store may not appeal much to hardcore adult Disney fans, but it certainly works for one demographic:

My two-year old son absolutely LOVED the place!

Just don't set your expectations too high. It's basically a nice toy store.

...

It makes sense that Disney is focusing on their core demographic, but they're forgetting one important point: the age of the people paying at the register. They would be smart to target everyone that goes in the store... or else it'll be the parents who are bored and will want to leave.

 

[MickeyPeace]

Disappointed

I know someone is going to come along in the forum and say "you can't compare the old World of Disney store on 5th ave to the new Disney store in Times Square. They are two separate things."
This may be true but the World of Disney store was so great! It was huge, incredibly themed and detailed, and packed with merchandise from the parks. It felt like being at Disney World. It was a great fix when away from Disney. I almost always left with a purchase on every visit.
The new Disney store in Times Square-ugh. What a disappointment. This was not the Virgin store space. Originally there was an arcade here which was next to Virgin. It is not a large space. Very small for a flagship store in NYC.
We heard so much about the concept and the talks with Steve Jobs of Apple. I want to laugh at the "innovations" being presented in this store. There are cardboard cut outs of trees with images of snowflakes projected at them. There is a small theater area for kids with a screen that might have been innovative in the 1950s. Magic mirrors where an image appears when you wave a wand in front of it for little princesses. That's about it. Nothing remotely innovative. Nothing like an Apple store.
The merchandise here is straight out of a mall. I LOVE Disney. I'm sure I'll visit the store many times because of this. Will I buy anything? Probably not. Will I leave disappointed? Probably. Do I wish World of Disney still existed in NYC? Absolutely!!

 

[MickeyPeace]

Agree

I would also like to agree with previous posts that the merchandise and concept is aimed mainly at little girls. Very little of interest to adults.

I was also shocked at something I found to be extremely un-Disney. Almost every attraction in Disney World ends with the crowd being funneled into a gift shop. As you come down the escalator from the second floor of the Disney Store Times Square, you are pretty much dumped at the exit door. You have to consciously decide you want to shop on the first floor. (If you haven't upon entering). You must make a sharp left around the up escalator and push through people getting onto it as well as people coming in the front door.
I truly believe I could have done a better job designing this store!

 

[fabulousdisney]

I am so bummed to hear this but it was what we expected. The WoD was an amazing store in an incredible location. How upsetting to hear this news! Does the new store have character interactions? Do they at last sell pins and merchandise from the parks?

Those of you who remember the 42nd street store, is this new one small like that?

I asked a worker on Saturday and unfortunately the answer was no As we walked around the store, we realized there wasn't enough room to have characters.

 

[JillC LI]

Another disappointed Disney fan. We just happened to pass by the store last Friday night after seeing the Radio City Xmas Spectacular, so we went inside and were less than overwhelmed. "We" includes myself, my hubby and our 11 year old son and 9 year old daughter. The kids weren't even doing their usual "Can I have _____?"

 

[IDreamOfDisney]

Sorry to dig this up but... Have the castmembers started to trade pins yet?

 

[amejr999]

Sorry to dig this up but... Have the castmembers started to trade pins yet?

Was just there a few hours ago-- nope. They are very friendly though.

 

[IDreamOfDisney]

Was just there a few hours ago-- nope. They are very friendly though.

Thanks for the update. :wave: