Disney springs not doing so well.....

[wdisney9000]

First of all, there is a difference between Cheap and Frugal. @hakunamatata was completely correct.
But anyway..

Negative, Ghost Rider....

I don't even understand how this applies to Disney Springs.

Disneys prefers/wants high end clientele as opposed to "regular" people.

They are middle class-upper middle class trendy stores. I guarantee that most women and men, especially in big cities, own several items from these stores or brands.

So why make a choice to shop at a store in Disney that is just as easy to shop at when your home, and probly less expensive for the same items?

Bal Harbour and the like is where "Wealthy" people shop

Sure, but I know plenty of wealthy folks who still spend money at Wal Mart and Costco too. I was in a persons home once (and FYI, the homes/estates were so lavish that they actually had names) and the wife pointed to a lamp and said, "would you believe i bought that at Wal Mart"? Which she did.

Have you ever shopped at any? We're not talking Chanel, Gucci, or Louboutin prices. You might be pleasantly surprised to realize that the stores at DS are actually for the normal folk.

Aside from my running shoes that are Under Armour, I do not shop at any of those stores (Anthropologie, Kate Spade, etc), nor does my wife. But if we did, we sure wouldnt do it at Disney World. We visit WDW for the product that made them great, which is Amazing theme parks, we do not visit for average retail shopping at a higher mark up than anywhere else.

 

[Goofnut1980]

The one clothing store I see doing well long term is UNIQLO

I am sooooo pumped to go there.. I only get to go to UNIQLO when I visit my brother in NYC.. sooooo helllloooo AMEX... I'm going to earn from skymiles on that trip! lol

 

[21stamps]

Negative, Ghost Rider....

Disneys prefers/wants high end clientele as opposed to "regular" people.

So why make a choice to shop at a store in Disney that is just as easy to shop at when your home, and probly less expensive for the same items?

Sure, but I know plenty of wealthy folks who still spend money at Wal Mart and Costco too. I was in a persons home once (and FYI, the homes/estates were so lavish that they actually had names) and the wife pointed to a lamp and said, "would you believe i bought that at Wal Mart"? Which she did.

Aside from my running shoes that are Under Armour, I do not shop at any of those stores (Anthropologie, Kate Spade, etc), nor does my wife. But if we did, we sure wouldnt do it at Disney World. We visit WDW for the product that made them great, which is Amazing theme parks, we do not visit for average retail shopping at a higher mark up than anywhere else.

I'll respond point by point. This is actually a ridiculous discussion though. Comparing what "wealthy" people do. People are DIFFERENT, regardless of their financial position. However, I'll explain the difference between cheap and frugal in relation to this subject- A "frugal" person will live in a giant home in the correct zip code, drive a fancy car, but will be the first person to line up at Nordstrom's private sale, basically elbowing and trampling you to grab the best discounted items first. Trust me, I have seen it my entire life. Older women with every plastic surgery procedure known to man done, valeting their 6 figure car at Publix, and then pulling out coupons at the cash register. (No disrespect to these women.) #BocaLife

Here's the difference between vacation and home-
Like @DanaG said, you probably aren't at the mall on a consistent basis at home. I rarely take my child to the mall, which means when I do go I am on a mission for specific items and do not have time to browse. If I'm on vacation I don't have soccer practice to get to, or cub scouts, or work, or anything else. I can stroll and maybe something will catch my eye.

Items that are more expensive?
Do you have proof that a dress in a store at Disney Springs has a different MSRP than the same dress in the same shop in a different location?

The WalMart/Fancy house thing-
You basically just proved my entire cheap vs frugal explanation, but I don't go to Walmart for reasons that aren't appropriate to discuss here.

As for you and your wife-
There is nothing wrong with not shopping those brands. There is also nothing wrong with choosing not to shop while on vacation. I love Under Armor, my boy loves Under Armor, I love the clothes/brands that Anthropolgie carries, I buy all of my make up from Sephora. I'm not a fan of Topshop, but plenty of other people are.- so is Topshop bad? Nope.
We did a lot of shopping at DS last year, I don't even know if we are going to DS at all this year due to available time during our vacation.
Doesn't mean that DS is stupid or a waste of time, just means that people enjoy different things at different times.

 

[wdisney9000]

The WalMart/Fancy house thing-
You basically just proved my entire cheap vs frugal explanation.

Your original statement (the one i responded to) was that Bal Harbour is where the wealthy shop. If we are gonna move goal posts, let me know ahead of time.
As for the rest of your post, I understand what you are saying and I do not think DS is "bad", I said it does not seem practical to me. Many people seem to enjoy it. I have no doubt I will take my wife to Boat House or one of the other restaurants. I just dont ever see us planning a Disney trip, or sitting in our resort room and saying to each other, "hey, lets go buy some jeans at Anthropologie!"

 

[flynnibus]

I just dont ever see us planning a Disney trip, or sitting in our resort room and saying to each other, "hey, lets go buy some jeans at Anthropologie!"

Because
1) - that is something you can do elsewhere that is convenient for you and affordable - That isn't the case for everyone else
2) - Shopping isn't entertainment for you - That isn't the case for everyone else

 

[21stamps]

Your original statement (the one i responded to) was that Bal Harbour is where the wealthy shop. If we are gonna move goal posts, let me know ahead of time.
As for the rest of your post, I understand what you are saying and I do not think DS is "bad", I said it does not seem practical to me. Many people seem to enjoy it. I have no doubt I will take my wife to Boat House or one of the other restaurants. I just dont ever see us planning a Disney trip, or sitting in our resort room and saying to each other, "hey, lets go buy some jeans at Anthropologie!"

You're missing my point!! They DO shop at Bal Harbour...they also shop sales like a pro. They are frugal on some things and not on others...they (most) do not live "cheap" lifestyles. I can't explain it beyond what I already have. I just think it's very presumptive to assume you know something about an entire demographic of people based on a few coworkers or a friend with a furniture piece from Walmart. Everyone is different, regardless of if they are poor, middle class, or 1%...each person is unique and makes choices. Some areas have more commonalities than others, like what I mentioned above, but in the end it's still individual choices.

No one says you need to go to Anthropologie...it doesn't mean that it will fail because you don't go there. That's the point I was trying to make. It is a popular store, as are most of the others in DS. It's a bit premature to be condemning them to failure at this time.

 

[Otterhead]

I have no doubt I will take my wife to Boat House or one of the other restaurants. I just dont ever see us planning a Disney trip, or sitting in our resort room and saying to each other, "hey, lets go buy some jeans at Anthropologie!"

Seems to me that Disney Springs is designed to serve different purposes for different people. For people who like dining, there's a range from quickservice to the nicest steaks on Disney property; if you want to go to clubs, there's several, and more being built. If you want recreation, there's DisneyQuest (for now), Splitsville, the hotair balloon, and the aqua cars. Bars? Plenty of them. And tons of shopping at all price ranges. Plus tons of live entertainment everywhere.

When I went with my large group last week, we had a free evening and most people visited DS. Two people went to get drunk, three went clothes shopping, one went to World of Disney, and the rest went to DisneyQuest and got ribs at Morimoto.

 

[wdisney9000]

You're missing my point!!

Im not missing it, you just keep changing it. Your like a conversational wizard, (bonus points to anybody who gets that reference).

I just think it's very presumptive to assume you know something about an entire demographic of people based on a few coworkers or a friend with a furniture piece from Walmart.

When did I say I know more about the demographic? What makes you think Im basing it solely on "coworkers or a friend"? Your entire statement is far more presumptive than anything ive stated.

No one says you need to go to Anthropologie...it doesn't mean that it will fail because you don't go there.

When did I ever say anything remotely close to either of those two statements? I never said anybody said I "need" to go there, and I never said it would fail because I wont go there, or any other reason. As a business owner myself, I hope all the businesses at DS do very well and have a great run while they are there. Just because I would not shop there does not mean I want to see them fail.

 

[wdisney9000]

Because
1) - that is something you can do elsewhere that is convenient for you and affordable - That isn't the case for everyone else
2) - Shopping isn't entertainment for you - That isn't the case for everyone else

As I said prior, there seem to be many people who enjoy it. I hope they have a blast while they are there whether its for shopping, dining or just browsing. I can see how my statement comes across as selfish for the fact that we wouldnt shop for clothes while on vacation.

 

[21stamps]

Im not missing it, you just keep changing it. Your like a conversational wizard, (bonus points to anybody who gets that reference).

When did I say I know more about the demographic? What makes you think Im basing it solely on "coworkers or a friend"? Your entire statement is far more presumptive than anything ive stated.

When did I ever say anything remotely close to either of those two statements? I never said anybody said I "need" to go there, and I never said it would fail because I wont go there, or any other reason. As a business owner myself, I hope all the businesses at DS do very well and have a great run while they are there. Just because I would not shop there does not mean I want to see them fail.

Ugh. I give up. You will see some of the same people in a Chanel boutique as you will see at Ross. Because people like deals..regardless of their income level. That's not changing anything..that has been your topic the entire time.

I'm staying at GF in a tpv room..I can't afford RPC and I'm definitely not willing to skip a vacation in order to justify the cost.I don't think that RPC rooms need to be less expensive just bc I personally can't afford it, and do not see the value in it. Guess what- even though I am spending a ridiculous amount (for me) on a hotel I bring our Brita filtered travel mugs to the parks, bc I hate paying for bottle water at theme parks all day long. Saving in one area doesn't mean that you aren't willing to spend money on other things.. Your first post was saying that people with money don't spend it- that is completely inaccurate. They pick and choose what they see value in.

Ok. I'm done with that subject. Assume away.

 

[alissafalco]

The shrimp and grits are no longer on the menu at GFC. They have gone to an all day menu.

Noooooooooo!!! It was amazing!!!! Ugh so bummed

 

[wdisney9000]

Ugh. I give up. You will see some of the same people in a Chanel boutique as you will see at Ross. Because people like deals..regardless of their income level. That's not changing anything..that has been your topic the entire time.

I'm staying at GF in a tpv room..I can't afford RPC and I'm definitely not willing to skip a vacation in order to justify the cost.I don't think that RPC rooms need to be less expensive just bc I personally can't afford it, and do not see the value in it. Guess what- even though I am spending a ridiculous amount (for me) on a hotel I bring our Brita filtered travel mugs to the parks, bc I hate paying for bottle water at theme parks all day long. Saving in one area doesn't mean that you aren't willing to spend money on other things.. Your first post was saying that people with money don't spend it- that is completely inaccurate. They pick and choose what they see value in.

Ok. I'm done with that subject. Assume away.

I originally said wealthy people are the most cheap. That means they want to save the same if not more money than anybody else. I NEVER said they dont spend their money. You entire viewpoint agrees with my original statement. I fail to see how you are not making that connection. Just because you refer to being cheap as "getting a deal" doesnt change anything.

But I get it, the bottom line is you like DS. Thats cool. Have fun there. I never said you or anybody cant or should not. But dont get butt hurt and feel some type of desire to defend it and put words in my mouth.

 

[roj2323]

I think some of you are missing the point.

The reason Disney should have some more common retailers such as Old Navy is because they are well known and common. When people go on vacation they go because they want to relax and enjoy themselves. For some people, especially those with lots of money like the unique one off clothing and retail stores but for most people who go to Disney they spend years saving for the opportunity to go so having a few common retailers like Old Navy provides the average vacationer the opportunity to purchase something that might have been forgotten at home from a retailer they already have a relationship with. These people know they can walk into the store and purchase something in their normal go to size and they know it's going to fit, be affordable and most importantly they know they will get some use out of it after their vacation. This is part of what Disney forgot when they conceived of this project. People go to Disney springs because it's another destination, no different than the 4 theme parks and 2 water parks. Shopping happens to be a big part of Disney springs no different than any of the other parks but the purpose of that shopping is different. With marketplace the purpose is Disney stuff, which makes sense but for Town center there needs to be a reason for people to go and High end fashion is NOT a good reason. To be completely honest Disney Springs Town center is going to struggle no matter what retailers they put in there but putting some more common ones in there will help and if Disney adds a little bit of magic in the form of events that should keep that portion of the project at least revenue neutral if not marginally profitable.

Additionally one of the things I mentioned on the survey is Disney should be looking to Artegon marketplace for ideas. Artegon is rumored to be closing next year for a theme park to be built in its place (makes no sense to me personally especially with the I-drive extension coming in the next year but I digress) but the small shop owners are going to need a place to go and there's some genuinely cool shops I think would do very well at Disney springs. I also mentioned a place called Box Lunch which is kind of a pop culture shop that donates a portion of their profits to Feeding America, a non profit providing meals to those in need. The last place I mentioned specifically was LUSH cosmetics because one, the closest location is Orlando international Airport or Brandon mall (tampa) and they sell reasonably priced bath bombs and such vacationers would likely enjoy.

 

[eddy21]

Nutshell retail is dying.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

I go to WDW to buy Disney themed merchandise I can't get elsewhere and pretty much avoid non related stores.

Unless it's Sosa cigars. That place makes me think of the movie Scarface.

Jimmy Thick- I would rather Disney Springs be all restaurants and Disney owned stores personally.

 

[ford91exploder]

From what I've heard about DS is that some stores are the best performers in the chain and others are doing poorly, It seems that the 'doing poorly' is confined to The Marketplace area and Town Center is an unqualified success.

There are some outliers like STK which caters to the expense account crowd and is doing poorly due to that demographic not being represented at DS.

 

[wdisney9000]

Here is one of your posts on the subject. Just after the ridiculous statement that 80-90% of WDW travelers save money for years to afford it.

Here's me-- my attire here is a perfect example of why you are wrong..
My Dress- Purchased at Anthropologie during a 30% off sale.
My Sunglasses- Tom Ford. Purchased at Blooimgdales, not on sale.
My Handbag- Chanel. Not on sale.
My Tank Top- Old Navy. $3.

So---Am I cheap, or do I haphazardly spend?
Maybe I'm just conscious of what I buy and where I see my money is worth spending. This is true for most people, you can't categorize them either way.

Have you met @Siren? She enjoys name dropping too. But Let me just ask, do you make over 500K a year? If not, you can drop all the high end and low end brand names all you want and it doesn't matter. I know many women who own Chanel, YSL, Louis, Gucci, Prada Wal Mart Home Depot whatever..and they are not wealthy by any means. Sure, they make over 150K a year, but still, thats not wealthy. And if you think it is, let me assure you that TWDC does not agree.

*News flash* The current mgmt at TWDC does NOT care about you, or me for that matter. That doesn't mean we abandon them. Things will change, one day. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.

 

[Stitchon]

The last place I mentioned specifically was LUSH cosmetics because one, the closest location is Orlando international Airport or Brandon mall (tampa) and they sell reasonably priced bath bombs and such vacationers would likely enjoy.

There's actually a LUSH store at both The Florida Mall and the Mall at Millenia. I've heard they'll be making the jump to Anaheim's Downtown Disney at some point, they're one of the last stores left at the derelict Gardenwalk and their lease is coming up at the end of the year.

 

[DanaG]

There's actually a LUSH store at both The Florida Mall and the Mall at Millenia. I've heard they'll be making the jump to Anaheim's Downtown Disney at some point, they're one of the last stores left at the derelict Gardenwalk and their lease is coming up at the end of the year.

I can't imagine that Basin would like having LUSH go in to DS.

 

[Stitchon]

I can't imagine that Basin would like having LUSH go in to DS.

That was my first thought, but Basin closed their store in Anaheim several years ago and Lush is one of the hottest retail brands out there today. Who knows?