Disney Stores

[rdour@techminds]

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but please hear me out.

I visited the Woodfield mall in Chicago this past weekend. I was surprised to see a Disney store because the one in my local mall closed 2 years ago. When I went in, I wanted to purchase Figment.

Here is the first problem, no one there knew what I was talking about. "What's a figment?" errrrrrrrrrrr. Only one guy at the order desk in the back knew what I was talking about.

Here comes the next disappointment, they didn't have him available, and suggested I get him the next time I go to WDW. Now this makes me very sad, I was so tempted by the Figment puppet I found in the Imageworks.

The biggest blow, the store isn't even owned by Disney. I'm sure all of you know the story behind this, but I don't. Whatever it is, the Children's Place doesn't represent the Disney brand very well.

The store plays blah music, has a very plain non-Disney look to it, and doesn't even give me the slightest bit of Disney. Instead, the goods are all second class. You can buy Mickey there, but they no longer have that huge wall of different sized plush characters. All of the stuffed animals there are much lower quality than the ones I found in the parks or Downtown Disney. OK, they are priced way lower, but I'd pay $30+ for a high quality version of a character.

Now, I know I can order out of a catalog, but I can't see the catalog. High quality materials are really important to me, and now I'm going to have to wait a year or so for my Figment.

Presently irritated,
Ryan

 

[disneydude2000]

why don't you try an online store such as:
http://laughingplacestore.com/default.asp
http://www.mainstreetmegastore.com/
if you do a search for figment they come up with loads of options, at least this way you can shop fromyour own chair.

Hope this helps.

 

[Nansafan]

Even before The Children's Place took over the Disney Stores the Woodfield Mall Disney Store was moved from its original location to the one you visited. It also changed into a store that was considered a "Disney Play" store. The store pretty much stopped selling clothing and only carried toy-type items; games, dress-up clothes, etc. That happened a few years ago. When it moved to this location, the plush pit was gone. The Disney Store at Golf Mill shopping center still has their plush pit and looks like the Disney Stores of old though they don't carry much adult clothing, mostly toys and children's stuff. There are some nice snow-globes but it's just not the same as when it opened and was owned by Disney.

 

[#1DizGal]

Ryan - being a former CM at a Disney Store in IL, I can understand your disappointment. Guests would inquire about many items that our store no longer carried (cels, watches, etc.). I have found that since I left (the day TCP acquisition took place) - the assortment of items is quite good, but items such as Figment (who, by the way, is my absolute favorite!) can only be found at the theme parks. My store still has their big 'plush mountain', as that was my baby when I worked there.

 

[New2WDW]

The biggest blow, the store isn't even owned by Disney. I'm sure all of you know the story behind this, but I don't. Whatever it is, the Children's Place doesn't represent the Disney brand very well.

I agree with ya on that!

 

[castlecake2.0]

I visited the newly opened Disney Store in the Scarborough Town Centre in Toronto recently and have to agree that the Childrens Place does not represent the brand well right now. I understnad that they are trying to improve the selection of merchandise, and that is good, but i found the store has what I call Old Navy Syndrome. The store is constantly a mess. I don't know what they call it their, but at my store we call it 'facing' or Wal-Mrt calls it 'zoning'. This is where you make sure all the products are shelved neatly in their proper 'homes'. The front of the packaging is facing out, all the products are pulled to the front of the shelves, clothes are folded neatly, and there are no items on the floor. Everytime I'm at an Old NAvy i notive how the clothes are always a mess and never folded, and it does give a very nice presentation. I wasn't impressed when I went in the Disney Store and it reminded me of Old Navy. Im not trying to be one of those 'Disney Purists' but after working in retail I find these new Disney Stores look bad for both Disney itself and the Childrens Place.
:lookaroun

 

[raven]

Ryan - being a former CM at a Disney Store in IL, I can understand your disappointment. Guests would inquire about many items that our store no longer carried (cels, watches, etc.). I have found that since I left (the day TCP acquisition took place) - the assortment of items is quite good, but items such as Figment (who, by the way, is my absolute favorite!) can only be found at the theme parks. My store still has their big 'plush mountain', as that was my baby when I worked there.

I too am a former Disney Store CM...back when the stores where actually owned by Disney. We also had a large plush mountain and even a plush fountain! Figment or any other WDW original characters where never available in the stores. Those are WDW exclusives so we never sold them. Plus, guests never understood how we were under a different area of Disney and that we had no real connection to the theame parks other than selling tickets.

 

[ErickainPA]

Our local Disney store hasn't really changed much since they opened. The only real change you see is that the adult clothing selection is smal (1 rack display of $4.99 t's, before Christmas rush, now they are $10 each) Everything else is pretty much the same as it always was. There is the plush mountain and all the books and toys across the side wall. I'm glad they haven't changed much of the look of our store. Ours is always having some really good sales

We were in TN I think it was and walked around a mall there and the Disney Store was gone, it was a children's bookstore now, but still had the old colors up outside the store like Disney has.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

I too am a former Disney Store CM...back when the stores where actually owned by Disney. We also had a large plush mountain and even a plush fountain! Figment or any other WDW original characters where never available in the stores. Those are WDW exclusives so we never sold them. Plus, guests never understood how we were under a different area of Disney and that we had no real connection to the theame parks other than selling tickets.

Guests still don't understand that conection! I am a current Disney Store CM and at my store we take great pride in keeping the store clean and tidy. Sadly, sometimes staffing/guests don't allow us to keep it that way. We have been staying for an hour after close this hoiday to make sure the store is full and clean.

It's a shame so many people can only see the Children's Place in the stores. TO be perfectly honest with you, I feel that we have seen many improvements since they took over. They want us to succeed and have invested money in the stores. Rumor has it, we're getting an adult line this spring.

Many things have happened at the store the last year, but my store is still going strong. I'm proud to say that I work at the store and if you're ever in the Allentown, PA area and want to see a great store with great cast members, stop in at the Lehgih Valley Mall. We'll show you the Disney magic that we provide everyday!

TheDisneyGirl02

 

[MissM]

why don't you try an online store such as:
http://laughingplacestore.com/default.asp
http://www.mainstreetmegastore.com/
if you do a search for figment they come up with loads of options, at least this way you can shop fromyour own chair.

Hope this helps.

Actually, they're WAY overpriced. Why not call WDW Merchadise direct? They charge you actual park price plus shipping.

407-363-6200

That's a much better option then paying 2-3x park prices at those ripoff online stores!
-m

 

[rdour@techminds]

OK, can the product be sent to a Disney store so that I don't have to pay that extra shipping? I can imagine a large Figment may cost a bit to ship. Again, I should have just bought it when I was there.

Do they ahve an 18-24 in' tall Figment? I remember buying a Dumbo that was quite heavy and dense. It was 18 inches tall, maybe a little taller.

I can't see the pictures on the online stores, so I'd have to rely on recommendations.

Ryan

 

[mousermerf]

Disney Stores are not the same thing as Disney theme park merchandise. In short, they're two different operations and Figment is essentially only sold at WDW.

You will have to pay the shipping from WDW direct merch. or buy it from a rip-off online store. The online stores are just groups of people who go into the parks and buy the merchandise you request and then ship it to you are charging a big markup.

Just buy it from disney directly.

 

[Littlebit]

IMHO (and the HO of MANY other people I know who used to adore TDS), The Disney Store was going downhill long before The Children's Place bought it out. I was a TDS guest starting when the Woodbridge NJ store opened and a TDS CM in the Staten Island store from 1996 to 1998. I saw the changes even from when I was "just a guest" to "CM" (ie: no greeter anymore, slow steady cheapening of merchandise) but especially from when I left until the stores changed hands (upwards of 75% less CMs on the floor, much less variety of merchandise, less interest in Guest Service, much less interest in Good Show, etc...someone mentioned staying an hour after store closing to straighten up nowadays...the week before Christmas our store closed at 11pm and we knew we wouldn't get out of there until the store was spotless and fully shelved, at 1:30 or 2am...nothing against your store, but it shows the difference in cutting corners in 2005 vs 1996).

The Staten Island TDS is still open, though I understand it recently went through a removation that changed its themeing and cut its floor space by about a third. I guess they think that new streamline look is the way to go...*I* definitely don't think so.

The closest TDS to where I live now is at the Florida Mall, in Orlando. It still has the "old" theming and of course, with its proximity to WDW (and being deemed by the locals as "the tourist mall"), it has the "old TDS" feel and personality. I will admit that some of the merchandise they sell there now is better and more varied than what they were trying to sell just before the sale of the chain to TCP...but it still doesn't hold a candle to "the good old days." Then again, not much in the Disney company does, IMHO.

 

[TiggersPooh]

I work at a Disney Store near Dayton Ohio...its not Disney but they still try to provide the best service. It will never be the same...but I would rather have the Disney Stores owned by the Childrens Place (Hoop Retail) than have them all closed as that was where they were heading.

 

[MissM]

OK, can the product be sent to a Disney store so that I don't have to pay that extra shipping?

No. As already mentioned, The Disney Stores are NOT owned by Disney any longer. They're basically a lease of the Disney name and character likeness that's run by an entirely different company. There's no connection whatsoever any longer. (And it's why the Disney Stores are all so horrible these days. No art, no adult clothing, no households - just lame, low-quality kids items you can find cheaper at Wal-Mart.)

Trust me, if you call WDW Merchandising, they'll be more then happy to track down the exact item you want for you. Either that or you can try to arrange an Orlando AP holder to get one for you. But Merchandising is the safest bet.
-m