Disney discontinuing resort specific merchandise.

[bgraham34]

This will be a huge mistake if true. I still do buy Mickey shirts but I like the resort gear as well. Its the best way to remember a stay in a specific resort not just Disney World. If its the case I will definitely send off a letter or two about this.

 

[HMF]

I sense more "Disney Parks" merchandise.

 

[Pluto'sGrl]

any idea if the same goes for DVC resorts?

 

[janoimagine]

This is nothing more than an extension of the fact that you see the same generic character merchandise throughout the parks, too. Remember when the magic shop actually had unique merchandise? (Same for "lands" throughout WDW.)

We have Eisner to thank for that.

 

[Computer Magic]

Resort specific is what we usually buy now, we have enough generic Mickey things, thank you very much. I think this is a poor decision on the part of management.

exactly!! I have stopped buying the Mickey shirt. I do recall a smaller selection at BC in Sept 2007. I was very disappointed. My wife bought a nice hooded suit with BC. The men selection had nothing.

I was hoping for something AKL this year. You would think the DVC resorts would keep a selection. :shrug:

 

[Computer Magic]

Amen.

This is nothing more than an extension of the fact that you see the same generic character merchandise throughout the parks, too. Remember when the magic shop actually had unique merchandise? (Same for "lands" throughout WDW.)

THAT is why merchandise sales is down. I'm not going to buy the same Mickey shirt today in the Poly that I saw yesterday at DHS (and which I didn't buy there, either, because I looked at it at MK the previous day and decided it was too much like the one I bought last year)....

Now, unique merchandise representing my resort from THIS year, I would consider. As I would other unique merchandise.

Paul

Yep, I want something unique and represents my current stay. I don't want to limit the same look as others.

 

[majortom1981]

hmm

Looks like they are doing this so they have the same stuff at their disney stores and in their parks. Instead of making many different shirts and stuff with resorts and stuff and seperate stuff for the Disney Stores they will prob make it all the same . More profit and less costs.

I was at the World of Disney store in NYC this past weekend and it was very hard to find anything but generic Mickey stuff.

 

[rshell68]

:fork: This is all I can say without being edited!

 

[trr1]

there goes all the resort pins

 

[gbruenin]

I've notice less and less resort merchandise over the last 3-4 years. If this is true, its really a huge mistake. I have tons of polo shirts with resort (and park-specific, too) embroidered logos. Its the number 1 souvenir I buy when I'm there, and usually I come home with 2-3 new ones. Net effect is they'll lose that revenue from me (at whatever margin) and replace it with $0.00 revenue. Anyone know who we can reach in WDW management to voice dissenting opinions?

Gary

 

[Omnimover]

This is nothing more than an extension of the fact that you see the same generic character merchandise throughout the parks, too.

Which is, in itself, an extension of the general homogenization of theming across the property, it appears.

 

[Tinkyroo]

Looks like they are doing this so they have the same stuff at their disney stores and in their parks. Instead of making many different shirts and stuff with resorts and stuff and seperate stuff for the Disney Stores they will prob make it all the same . More profit and less costs.

I was at the World of Disney store in NYC this past weekend and it was very hard to find anything but generic Mickey stuff.

I hope not. I never go inside our Disney Store because it is filled with junk. One perk of being at WDW is being able to buy unique Disney merchandise. Every trip I buy the kids a bunch of stuff for their Christmas presents. For the first time this year I was going to buy a hoodie on our next trip or a Tshirt. If they are just going to have the same junk as their mall shops I will be spending 0 dollars!

P.S. I hope some exec at WDW is reading this thread so they can see what a mistake this will be.

 

[DisneyDellsDude]

:fork: This is all I can say without being edited!

Same here.
If true, who the heck said ok to this?

 

[Random Vids Inc]

I was talking with a manager at a resort gift shop and she said that Disney was in the process of discontinuing all resort specific merchandise. She said once everything that was left in their inventory was gone it would not be replaced. She said that due to smaller production runs the profit margin on resort specific items is less than items like mickey shirts.

Does that include pins? Hopefully not!:fork:

 

[hrcollectibles]

Does that include merchandise for the 'Pop Century, The Legendary Years'.
It's one of the most unique resorts on propery.

:animwink:

All of that merchandise was sent to third world countries :ROFLOL:

If Disney wanted to they could donate all the resort themed merchandise to some good causes.. But instead its about money. I am surprised they sell merchandise at all. I wonder what the profit margin is on a shirt they sell for 20 - 35.

 

[bgraham34]

Apparently not too many people are not concern with resort merchandise, because there is only 3 pages of comments.

 

[RiversideBunny]

Next year when the Disney Merchandising managers graduate from grammar school they will have better insights.

IMHO

 

[TheAbidingDude]

I was talking with a manager at a resort gift shop and she said that Disney was in the process of discontinuing all resort specific merchandise. She said once everything that was left in their inventory was gone it would not be replaced. She said that due to smaller production runs the profit margin on resort specific items is less than items like mickey shirts.

Hi All,
I usually lurk on the boards but I'm a little confused by the statement made by the manager. Disneyland just came out with a BUNCH of different merchandise specifically for the 40th anniversary of their Haunted Mansion. If the statement were true, wouldn't it be hypocritical for Disney to make merchandise specific to the event, let alone specific to the park?
It seams to me that resort specific merchandise is more sought after because when it's up on Ebay it always goes fast at a high price.
I could be wrong, but it just seams a little fishy to me since Disney usually has long standing business relationships with their suppliers due to the fact that the costs for smaller runs are low because of the volume of different products that one company may make for Disney. My wife's company makes a lot of things for Disney, some are specific to the cruise lines and some is sold at all the Disney Parks. And trust me, Disney doesn't pay hardly anything for product. The reason companies like doing business with them is the fact that once your "in", you can expect alot of business in volume so you pretty much bend over backwards to keep them happy.
Just a thought, but I'm a little suspect of that statement. Everything that Disney sells has lots of profit built into it already. Even if it's on the clearance rack their still making alot of profit.

 

[disneypearl]

How did they come up with this idea if true?

 

[terp79]

I have no doubt that they're trying to phase out resort specific merch. The merch that's in the gift shops is rather pedestrian at best if you catch my drift.

I mean, I'm always going into the shops hoping that the Disney Design Group will have taken the retro revival concept and brought it back to the resorts. Would be golden seeing how most of us want that sort of stuff. Unique and classic not average and can get that in a disneystore at home sort of concept.

Still waiting for a retro Polynesian or Contemp stuff but most of the stuff within those shops looks pretty cheesy so no wonder the stuff really doesn't sell. They should compair sell through rates of the retro epcot merch compaired to some of the items within resort based shops.

I think if they would look to the past and see some of the resort specific merchandise that worked for them and took the retro revivial approach then they'd see profits.

Sometimes I wonder who the category managers are who come up with these wacked out product lines for these places. Actually I can imagine who they are aftering working in the consumer products industry for a few years.