Disney Wants You To Spend More on Souvenirs?

[wannab@dis]

They are clearly missing an entire segment of the market.

Missing does not mean that it has not been discussed, researched and dismissed. Just a thought.

Their buyers are idiots that are clearly not in touch with disney fans/parks so miss the mark on much of their merch selections.

Wow... just wow.

 

[ImaYoyo]

I've written time and time again, you don't get any response. So why is it I can't find any princess merchandise for women, just kids or tweens. They are clearly missing an entire segment of the market. And, as far as Mickey merch goes, where is it all, because I can't seem to find any decent Mickey stuff, it all seems to be the same stuff stitch or pooh. People love the monorail, where's that merch, because when they do have something with it on it, it flies out the door in a day or two. How about something with just the castle on it, it's an icon, where's that merch. Their buyers are idiots that are clearly not in touch with disney fans/parks so miss the mark on much of their merch selections.

Bottom line is that I don't want to buy stuff I can find in any walmart or disney store, I want it to be special. Therefore, I leave the parks WITH money in my pocket because I'm not buying anything for me or anyone else.

I'm assuming this is sarcasm?!?!?!?

 

[dcaffey]

My Two Cents

I've got to chime in here and agree with what most are saying.

I find we are buying fewer and fewer items each trip because there is so little variety, very few if any nice park specific or attraction specific merchandise. It all seems very generic lately and if you've been to the Emporium you've seen everything.

I will say that you can still find some nice resort specific merchandise at times.

I grabbed up all the Epcot retro T-shirts sold around the 25th Anniversary and recently had someone get me the brown retroish WDW shirt and blue monorail shirt and didn't mind paying for them.

 

[terp79]

I have to agree with what everyone's saying, Disney is really lacking in the park related consumer products and merchandise division. I remember a time when you could walk down main street and each store really had unique gifts from a cross the globe. My grandma still has a large collection of glass ceramic flower made in italy that my mom would buy for her each time we went down at the kingdom. Now it's nothing but over priced toys made in china and clothing that lacks any sort of design appeal.

I work in product development for a toy and gift company, and I work with Disney Consumer Products on a daily basis. We try to design fresh, hip, new concepts for product in order to impress Disney. I wish Disney would do the same for us and trust me I have tried finding out how I can get hired on at the parks in the merchandise/product division. . .no such luck thus far.

And to clear something up, Yes some product inside the parks is cheap! Like I said I work with a toy and gift company and I know how much some of that stuff costs, like a .15 cent pen (final production cost) at retail for 6.99-7.99. Disney can't pull one over on me. I couldn't count how many items at the park that I've seen at China trade shows. Disney is making a killing on this stuff, well the stuff that people actually buys.

I was at the parks in October, down at Disney for the Disney Consumer Products Summit Meeting. I usually try to have a few coins on hand to take in the park in case I see something I must have. On this trip I had 500 bucks and it was hard trying to spend it all. it's like trying to find the diamond in the rough anymore. I looked high and low for what I consider the perfect park merchandise. I ended up only spending 100 bucks.

I really wish Disney would get some people that understands the Disney demographic when it comes to park merchandise.

 

[Eyorefan]

Did you happen to stop by the Help Desk at the World of Disney? Or call anyone? I'm not sure that it was around back when you were looking, but I know of at least 6 different mugs that say "epcot" and I personally have 2 glasses, and 4 wine glasses that say "epcot". I'm in no way saying you're wrong, I'm just double checking to see if it's a true lack of merchandise, or if it's merchandise being difficult to find.

I know they have mugs that say Epcot. (They have TONES of mugs in every store which also goes to the complate of seeing the same things everywhere.) I did ask at several of the shops I was at and was told they they did not have them and at one place I was told they were pretty sure they didn't make them anymore.

btw: as much fun as epcot wine glasses sound, not the kind of thing I want to keep at work for daily use.

 

[gus ghost]

I miss the days of the silversmith, perfume shop and custom lettered tombstones from the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square, tikis,orange trees and palm trees in Adventureland, and all of the specialty shops on Main Street like the candle shop and of course the magic store! Those were the days when you would go into all of the stores- because each land had completely different, unique things. Now you don't have to go into all of the stores, because you can find the same Disney Store junk in every store. Hey, what's Jack Sparrow doing in Tommorrowland?

 

[PeterPan1985]

I totally agree! The cost on WDW clothing has become insane! $26.00 for a t-shirt! Not to mention the quality as the the above poster mentioned. I have always bought several shirts or sweatshirts on our yearly trip, my past two trips I have come home empty handed.

I hear ya...when we go to WDW, we do spend some money on pins (mostly because we don't get to go more than once a year so when we're there, we buy). As for everything else, we may buy an ornament but very little else. With food costs, etc, we can't really spend a lot.

I'm glad I'm not alone with the general agitation by the higher prices for poorer quality...as well as the repetitiveness of merchandise...

 

[PeterPan1985]

There was a HM store? That must be before my time...what was it like?

 

[sublimesting]

There was a HM store? That must be before my time...what was it like?

I was years ago, but I remember it sold a lot of gag gifts like one that sticks inmy mind is an egg that looks like it broke on the ground. You know things like thta, but also haunted mansion stuff like hitchiker ball and chain and shirts and psoters and generally creepy things like fake spiders and snakes and now I recall one of those invisible dog leashes.....you get the idea

 

[Animaniac93-98]

There was a HM store? That must be before my time...what was it like?

I believe it was called Ichabod's Landing and was decorated with cobwebs and candles and such. I think it sold the same stuff as the Main Street Magic Shop and is now used just for storage. Although it's exact location in Liberty Square is unknown to me.

 

[resjr1]

Disney Is All About The Money And Makeing A Profit Not To Make It Affordable.
They Will Price Themself Right Out Of The Market And It Will Huurt Them Sooner Or Later

 

[disney9752]

after reading the 5 pages heres another thought. if your not a pirate or princess, or after some ugly yomd shirt or just pins your out of luck for the most part. as many have said, been to world of disney, or emporium, mouse gear, or mickeys of hollywood & you have seen just about all of the merchandise available in just about every other shop.:shrug:

 

[kucarachi]

hmmm maybe the 20 bucks a meal we now have to pay for the dining plan would buy a few more mickey ears at the gift shop? And maybe the huge increase of resort prices per night have something to do with that....and maybe the fact that laying 2 grand down into the disney cult every year isnt enough for them anymore is starting to get on my nerves. I mean at what point is the billions of dollars they make satisfying. Is Roy Disney actually jumping up and down in a money vault onto mounds of 100 dollar bills? Enough, enough, enough! Every time i hear these prices go up i think more and more maybe i'll just buy some new furniture this year or pay extra money into my house. Disney is starting to remind me of big oil these days.

 

[wannab@dis]

Disney Is All About The Money And Makeing A Profit Not To Make It Affordable.
They Will Price Themself Right Out Of The Market And It Will Huurt Them Sooner Or Later

hmmm maybe the 20 bucks a meal we now have to pay for the dining plan would buy a few more mickey ears at the gift shop? And maybe the huge increase of resort prices per night have something to do with that....and maybe the fact that laying 2 grand down into the disney cult every year isnt enough for them anymore is starting to get on my nerves. I mean at what point is the billions of dollars they make satisfying. Is Roy Disney actually jumping up and down in a money vault onto mounds of 100 dollar bills? Enough, enough, enough! Every time i hear these prices go up i think more and more maybe i'll just buy some new furniture this year or pay extra money into my house. Disney is starting to remind me of big oil these days.

Everyone has the right to vote their displeasure of prices by NOT going.

Otherwise, Disney is bound by their fiduciary duty to measure the markets and price accordingly. Capitalism and market should direct their motives, not individual consumer budgets...

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

I work in product development for a toy and gift company, and I work with Disney Consumer Products on a daily basis.

I didn't quote your entire post to save space; however, I wanted to say "thanks " for your unique perspective in all this...a very interesting post!

 

[PeterPan1985]

Don't get me wrong. I love Pirates of the Carib. (more the attraction than the movies, but I digress). But the amount of Pirates merch annoys me to no end. But the Disney Channel-related merch takes the cake for me. If I see one more Hannah Montana t-shirt, I might be forced to gouge out my eyes. And, as a side note, Zac Efron is merely the Bobby Sherman of our times...:brick:

 

[wedway71]

I have to agree with what everyone's saying, Disney is really lacking in the park related consumer products and merchandise division. I remember a time when you could walk down main street and each store really had unique gifts from a cross the globe. My grandma still has a large collection of glass ceramic flower made in italy that my mom would buy for her each time we went down at the kingdom. Now it's nothing but over priced toys made in china and clothing that lacks any sort of design appeal.

I work in product development for a toy and gift company, and I work with Disney Consumer Products on a daily basis. We try to design fresh, hip, new concepts for product in order to impress Disney. I wish Disney would do the same for us and trust me I have tried finding out how I can get hired on at the parks in the merchandise/product division. . .no such luck thus far.

And to clear something up, Yes some product inside the parks is cheap! Like I said I work with a toy and gift company and I know how much some of that stuff costs, like a .15 cent pen (final production cost) at retail for 6.99-7.99. Disney can't pull one over on me. I couldn't count how many items at the park that I've seen at China trade shows. Disney is making a killing on this stuff, well the stuff that people actually buys.

I was at the parks in October, down at Disney for the Disney Consumer Products Summit Meeting. I usually try to have a few coins on hand to take in the park in case I see something I must have. On this trip I had 500 bucks and it was hard trying to spend it all. it's like trying to find the diamond in the rough anymore. I looked high and low for what I consider the perfect park merchandise. I ended up only spending 100 bucks.

I really wish Disney would get some people that understands the Disney demographic when it comes to park merchandise.

Great post.I was just at a vendor Convention in Atlanta and I dealt with vendors that make products for Disney especially a company that makes mugs and coffee cups for Disney.

The Company I worked for when going to this Trade Show marked up items about 3 to 4 times the cost.Our markup was no less than 75% on most items.

I too have hopes of getting on board with Disney Attractions Merchandise in Planning/Merchandise.
See ya there.:wave:

 

[vickyvale]

I'm kinda surprised by everyone's comments. I agree that for several years you seemed to run into the exact same thing everywhere you shopped, but in the last year or so I've noticed a lot more things that are specific to parks or rides. Tower, Nemo, Space, Rockn Roller Coaster, they all seem to have a large assortment of product geared specifically to those rides.

Epcot seems to have more logo merchandise than in the past few years also - love to see more of that around the "world". The pricing doesn't bother me too much - really no more than picking up a shirt at Abercrombie or a similar store.

 

[kiawahman]

don't waste your money on souvenirs

 

[sublimesting]

I believe it was called Ichabod's Landing and was decorated with cobwebs and candles and such. I think it sold the same stuff as the Main Street Magic Shop and is now used just for storage. Although it's exact location in Liberty Square is unknown to me.

Funny, when I was describing the shop in my e-mail, I was thinking to myself "Am I describing the magic shop on Main St....maybe my memory is bad."