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Disney Stores now selling Pins
- Thread starter brisem
- Start date
mousermerf
Account Suspended
Hmm, in Florida they've always sold them, but if this is new for other areas, good for them 
WelshBatman
Active Member
The Disney Store used to sell them back around 2000, then they mysteriously disappeared. It's cool that they're coming back, but I must say, the Disney Store has to sell more that pins to become an interesting place to shop again. Or at least where I am (the closest one is in Attleboro MA). The store was redone a few years ago and now it's lost all of its charm. Kinda sad. But if I decide to go to the Warwick RI store, I can get a taste of the old school Disney Store... sorry for the rant...
tink rules
New Member
I just saw the new Disney Store at Crossgates Mall near Albany and all I can say is that it's a sterile imitation of the Disney store. Lots of "ears" but not much "character"
But what can I expect when Disney doesn't own them anymore.
But what can I expect when Disney doesn't own them anymore.
raven
Well-Known Member
That is correct. The Childrens Place now owns the stores. But I can say that their version of the store looks much better than the last versions that Disney did of the newer stores before they sold them. I used to work at one that chabged it's look 3 times within 4 years. We were a pilot store on a new concept that sunk. TCP is doing great with the looks of the store but lousy with it's employees from what I hear from my old friends who still work there. At least maybe some pins coming back into the place will cheer them up a little and make them feel more like Disney CMs like they used to be.tink rules said:I just saw the new Disney Store at Crossgates Mall near Albany and all I can say is that it's a sterile imitation of the Disney store. Lots of "ears" but not much "character"
But what can I expect when Disney doesn't own them anymore.
DisJosh
Well-Known Member
WelshBatman said:
I'm in the same area. I know exactly what you mean about the Emrald Mall store. With pins I'd have a reason to enter now. Although I don't need the Disney Store to carry pins for my fix...that's what ebay is for.
I've never seen the one in Warwick. Is it at the Warwick Mall?
wdwishes2005
New Member
strange... last time I went to WDW they were getting rid of all of them at the disney stores... i got pins for around 50 cents a piece.I ended up getting around 10-15 traders for slightly mre than one pin at WDW.
ThreeCircles
Member
Enjoy the new Non-Disney Disney Stores (NDDS) while you have the chance. I think The Children's Place took a gamble on this that isn't going to pan out. I would imagin that in 10 years from now they won't be around.
TheDisneyGirl02
New Member
ThreeCircles said:
I take great offence to that statement. I truly believe that although we are not 'owned' by Disney that we still help bring magic to our guests. It hurts me so much when I see Disney fans bashing the stores.
As far as The Children't Place taking a gamble, I truly believe it will pay off for everybody. We have been doing very well at my store and I some of the old spark is coming back due to TCP putting money into us that Disney never invested. In time, I think Disney will regret selling us.
Sorrry for the vent, but I love my Disney Store and I am proud to represent Walt's dream in my part of the world.
TheDisneyGirl02
ErickainPA
New Member
I went to our closest store about 2 weeks ago and it reminds me of how they use to be when they first opened. Last time I went to the same store was a couple years ago and I was disappointed. All they really had was toys and a few children's items, it was looking like a clearance store instead of a Disney Store. On my last trip I got adult t-shirts for $4.99 and Christmas ornaments. The selection was much better than it had been in quite a while.
NadieMasK2
Active Member
Not trying to offend anyone, but our new Disney store has been disappointing. My children are pretty upset about it and don't even want to go in it anymore. It is much smaller and has so little of the themeing that made those stores so special. The original store in our mall is now a seasonal Christmas store but still has all the props and themeing on the walls. My kids go in there just to remember how it used to be.
I am all for change and everything, but this doesn't seem like an improvement to me.
I am all for change and everything, but this doesn't seem like an improvement to me.
ThreeCircles
Member
TheDisneyGirl02 said:
I respect your position but the fact remains that employees of the NDDSs are NOT Cast Members. They no longer work for TWDC in any capacity.
And, again, I'm betting that in 10 years even the NDDS will be gone. There's a reason why Warner Brothers couldn't secure a buyer for their company stores when WBs was trying to offload them. Retailers understood they wouldn't be able to compete with mass retailers in this department.
I believe the only reason why TDSs were actually sold was the strong appeal of the Disney name. TWDC is *still* going to be aggressively licensing it's creative content to hundreds of various companies. Disney merchandise is going to be sold everywhere. The new NDDSs won't be able to compete just as the true TDS stores couldn't. To be honest, I'm really surprised anyone would take the stores off of Disney's hands. In fact, if you search news items around the time when the announcement was made that Disney was selling the stores off, many individuals in the business community voiced this very idea. (It isn’t my own.)
And while a single store may appear to be doing well that hardly forecasts how the branch is doing as a whole. Early word coming from individuals on this board is far from promising. Being described as "sterile" and jumping for joy over the addition of Disney Pins doesn't sound great, IMO.
TheDisneyGirl02
New Member
ThreeCircles said:
Then somebody is feeding the cast members (which we STILL ARE) the incorrect information because from what we were told at the annual holiday meeting that the stores overall are doing very well. We have in fact sold out of our pins. Why is it that when the stores don't do well everybody jumps on the band wagon and says how horrible they are...nobody seemed to do that when WDW posted it's profit being down.
And please, ThreeCircles, don't refer to the stores by that horrible NDDS because we still are the Disney Store and it is not going to change for quite a while. We may not be official 'cast members' anymore according to some people, but it's what's in your heart that counts. My store friends who are like a family to me are all still CM's whether or not we work for Disney. It's been a very tough year for all of the Disney Store family, please don't make it any harder by telling us that we're not good enough to be Cast Member's anymore because we were sold. I don't know if any other TDS CM's feel that way, but I feel very strongly about that.
Sorry for the vent, but I had to get it out. I'm going to work at my store tonight and proudly carry on Walt's legacy.
TheDisneyGirl02
DisneyFreak529
New Member
tink rules said:
We are from the same area!! How cool is that! I remember when the old Disney store at Crossgates used to sell the pins. I like the old store better, the new store isn't that nice. They sell pins but not like the ones you would see in Disney World or Disneyland.
The quality of the products at the DIsney store is horrible. I worked for TDS for 10 years and the quality in the store has only gotten worse since Disney sold them. Pins are not going to help the store. Every year at the holiday meeting we were told TDS was doing well, when in fact it was not. The stores have never been that profitable. Seems that somethings have not change. I agree with many- the stores lack character, are sterile and won't be around much longer.
ThreeCircles
Member
TheDisneyGirl02 said:
Um, don't put words in my mouth. At no point did I state that one was not good enough to be a Cast Member. What I did say, and what is the unrefutable truth, is the fact that the NDDSs are no longer a part of TWDC and thus those who work at the NDDSs are no longer Walt Disney Company Cast Members. I'm not sure how one can argue that that fact is not true but so be it.
TheDisneyGirl02
New Member
ThreeCircles said:
I know I'm going to bump this thread back up, but I was away for a few days and couldn't respond.
A Cast Member is a Cast Member no matter what. I'm sorry you no longer consider Disney Store CM's 'real' CMs. It's what's in your heart that matters, not who signs my paycheck. I can only hope that something like the sale of the stores never happens to you at your job.
To the rest of the Disney fans on this board, please come a visit the Disney Store sometime soon and get your Disney fix!
TheDisneyGirl02
Salty-
Member
The way I look at it, Disney Store employees are just outsourced through The Children's Place. They still represent Disney and as such should be considered Cast Members. The only difference would be who signs the checks now.
I'd venture to guess that outside of the "hardcore" Disney fans, that no one knows that The Childrens Place operates The Disney Store. The transition is transparent to them.
I frequent the Disney Store quite often in the Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, CA and have been impressed at the strides that the stores have taken. Some of the houseware/patio stuff has really caught my eye as of late. I only wish the Disney Store would return to Salt Lake. I live in Salt Lake but work in Silicon Valley :hammer:so at least I can go to the Disney Store there.
Oh - did I mention the Boudin sourdough too? :slurp:
I'd venture to guess that outside of the "hardcore" Disney fans, that no one knows that The Childrens Place operates The Disney Store. The transition is transparent to them.
I frequent the Disney Store quite often in the Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, CA and have been impressed at the strides that the stores have taken. Some of the houseware/patio stuff has really caught my eye as of late. I only wish the Disney Store would return to Salt Lake. I live in Salt Lake but work in Silicon Valley :hammer:so at least I can go to the Disney Store there.
Oh - did I mention the Boudin sourdough too? :slurp:
raven
Well-Known Member
Salty- said:
Well, when TCP baught TDS they kept all of the names, words and other phrases that Disney coined. This is why they are still called Cast Members. But if they try to use their CM status at any official Disney location to gain access to a park or for a discount on goods, they will find that they are only guests like everyone else.
I worked for TDS before the change and many of my co-CMs stayed on when TCP baught them. Almost all of them are gone now because of their perks being taken away. None of us worked at TDS for the money. God knows we hated making $6.20/hour. We all worked their for the perks (free entry into WDW, free tickets, discounts on merchandise at TDS and WDW). But now that the current DS "CMs" aren't even recognised at places like WDW as Disney employees, most of the original CMs have left and been replaced by other retail workers. The new employees don't even have a clue what it "used" to be all about. I've seen it at my old store.
