Exit through the gift shop- when did that start?

[Bairstow]

So, in Orlando it looks like 1990 saw Star Tours as the first purpose built exit into a store?

What about Puffin's Roost in Norway?
Was there a way to bypass the store originally?

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Good call about PotC, though back in the day it was a quaint little themed square with a shop to one side.

The Briar Patch was always there from what I recall.

Alien Encounter never always dumped into a store. The east theatre (2) used to dump into the main concourse for Mission to Mars. It then re routed to exit next to the bathrooms facing the Raceway. These doors are still there. Thirdly it was routed to dump into the store. The west theatre (1) dumped next to the overflow line facing the hub before it was re routed.

So, in Orlando it looks like 1990 saw Star Tours as the first purpose built exit into a store?

Dear lord with the AE exit strategies. LOL!

I think you may be right on Star Tours. I kept thinking Tower of Terror but it opened in 1994. Trying to think what else opened around that time or was changed.
Where did Space Mountain exit to before it was routed through the arcade? That's the only other attraction that I keep trying to remember.

 

[Disnee4Me]

Because we are always anxious to get on as many rides as possible, exiting through a gift shop hardly gets us to stop. Although usually at the POTC we look because we like "piratey" type of stuff. I remember getting a family portriat there in 1991 dressed in costumes.

 

[Rob562]

Dear lord with the AE exit strategies. LOL!

I think you may be right on Star Tours. I kept thinking Tower of Terror but it opened in 1994. Trying to think what else opened around that time or was changed.
Where did Space Mountain exit to before it was routed through the arcade? That's the only other attraction that I keep trying to remember.

Space Mountain exited directly to the outside before the arcade was built.

And while I hate to disagree with Martin, I'm 99% sure that the ToT gift shop was remodeled sometime in the mid-to-late 90's. Originally you exited down a hallway with the gift shop on your left, but you weren't forced to walk through it. At some point after my first ride in 1995 they expanded the shop and took over the hallway space, forcing you to walk through the shop.

In Norway they didn't originally make you walk ALLLLLL the way through the stores as they do now. I seem to recall it being easy to duck out through any of the doors. I think the only part they forced you to walk through was where the tourism info desk was (where the travel posters are). But they've since roped off most of the doors all the way through the store.

-Rob

 

[Goofyernmost]

Good call about PotC, though back in the day it was a quaint little themed square with a shop to one side.

The Briar Patch was always there from what I recall.

Alien Encounter never always dumped into a store. The east theatre (2) used to dump into the main concourse for Mission to Mars. It then re routed to exit next to the bathrooms facing the Raceway. These doors are still there. Thirdly it was routed to dump into the store. The west theatre (1) dumped next to the overflow line facing the hub before it was re routed.

So, in Orlando it looks like 1990 saw Star Tours as the first purpose built exit into a store?

I'm not going to question your knowledge of this, but you have just forced me to think strongly about getting some of that memory herb I've heard about (can't remember the name of it). My first visit was in 1983 and it seems like I remember how we joked about it. How every ride ended in a gift shop. Now I have been 43 times since then, so my memory might be a little confused. It might have been on a later trip, but, if I had a stack of bibles in front of me I would swear that they were there back then. Oh, well...I guess in the big picture of life, it's not really the most important memory to keep. The birth of my children (what's her name and what's her name 2) are the only things really worth remembering.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I kept thinking Tower of Terror but it opened in 1994.

ToT definitely opened to a shop in 1997, I recall buying shirts for me and my son. "I survived the ToT".....

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Dear lord with the AE exit strategies. LOL!

I think you may be right on Star Tours. I kept thinking Tower of Terror but it opened in 1994. Trying to think what else opened around that time or was changed.
Where did Space Mountain exit to before it was routed through the arcade? That's the only other attraction that I keep trying to remember.

The SM arcade used to not be there at all. I hate that stucture. I have always hated that structure. It really kills the grand-ness of the SM building.

 

[danlb_2000]

I visited the Willis Tower (formally the Sears Tower) in Chicago last year and they have Disney beat in this respect. When you exit the elevator after coming down from the tower you go into a large gift shop. When you exit the gift shop you go down a hallway into, you guessed it, another gift shop! So not only does ride exit through gift shop, but gift shop exists through gift shop.

 

[minniemickeyfan]

Space Mountain exited directly to the outside before the arcade was built.

And while I had to disagree with Martin, I'm 99% sure that the ToT gift shop was remodeled sometime in the mid-to-late 90's. Originally you exited down a hallway with the gift shop on your left, but you weren't forced to walk through it. At some point after my first ride in 1995 they expanded the shop and took over the hallway space, forcing you to walk through the shop.

In Norway they didn't originally make you walk ALLLLLL the way through the stores as they do now. I seem to recall it being easy to duck out through any of the doors. I think the only part they forced you to walk through was where the tourism info desk was (where the travel posters are). But they've since roped off most of the doors all the way through the store.

-Rob

And it's awful for me to have to walk through the last part of the Norway shop-I can't handle the perfume!!!

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Yeah, the loop through the Puffin's Roost is annoying as all hell. The arches at the end of Maelstrom are blocked off and the other doors inside locked/roped. Ugh.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Was the little gift shop at IASW in DL always there?

Since I was a kid. It's been there for years.

 

[marni1971]

ToT would be interesting to nail down. My first ride was 2001, though I have great exterior 1995 footage it doesn't show the interior. Thanks Rob.

Maelstrom was built to exit next to the entrance (the roped doorway next to the FP entry) though I don't know if it was used. I'll look into it. The store wall-doors certainly used to be usable.

Goofyer... what are you thinking of specifically? I'll admit my memory isn't amazing either.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I recall a trip to WDW in the mid 70's and exiting PoTC into a gift shop I believe, as I still recall wanting some of the items there and my parents denying them to me. I don't know where else pirate merchandise would be located then.

You did. But you exited Pirates past the gift shops. Pirate Bazaarrrr on yer left and House of Treasure on yer right.

I do think Pirates wins the prize for the first dedicated gift shop.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I'm not going to question your knowledge of this, but you have just forced me to think strongly about getting some of that memory herb I've heard about (can't remember the name of it). My first visit was in 1983 and it seems like I remember how we joked about it. How every ride ended in a gift shop. Now I have been 43 times since then, so my memory might be a little confused. It might have been on a later trip, but, if I had a stack of bibles in front of me I would swear that they were there back then. Oh, well...I guess in the big picture of life, it's not really the most important memory to keep. The birth of my children (what's her name and what's her name 2) are the only things really worth remembering.

EPCOT in 1983 didn't even have ride gift shops in FW, never mind exits into them. Although arguably in WS the shops are country specific, so indirectly tied to the movies and ride.

The MK barely had ride specific shops either. I can only think of Pirates. Shops were instead themed to their land. The MK followed the Harry Potter model: lands that had cohesively themed rides, shops and restaurants (as did FW, with the Centorium). Rides didn't exit into shops. This was considered an affront back then. A stupid strategy for cheap knock-off parks. Instead you shopped in a land in stand-alone stores, which carried land-specific goods.

 

[Bairstow]

The Living Seas had a really nice gift shop when it opened in '86. If I remember correctly, it wasn't in the same spot it's in now, and was a totally optional location off to the side. I remember getting a lot of really nice educational marine biology books there as a kid, since it was totally geared towards educational books/toys.

I wonder if the current trend of rides dumping people into shops was really kicked off by Splash Mountain and the concept of on-ride photos and the associated location to view/sell these things.

It's kind of amazing that so far, none of the New Fantasyland attractions dump into retail. If Mine Train doesn't either, I'll have to golf clap.

 

[vonpluto]

The Briar Patch was always there from what I recall.

Yes the Briar patch opened with Splash. Prior to that there was a log cabin near ROA, but it was called "The Brier Patch", it sold wood knick-knacks and such.

 

[vonpluto]

EPCOT in 1983 didn't even have ride gift shops in FW, never mind exits into them. Although arguably in WS the shops are country specific, so indirectly tied to the movies and ride.

The only shops in FW back then were Broccoli & Co tucked back in a corner of The Land, and the Camera Shop in the front of JII.
In WS, Impressions de France did empty into Les Halles, but as you say it's country specific.
Mexico might be the only place in WDW where you could say the shop emptys into the ride.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

The only shops in FW back then were Broccoli & Co tucked back in a corner of The Land, and the Camera Shop in the front of JII.
In WS, Impressions de France did empty into Les Halles, but as you say it's country specific.
Mexico might be the only place in WDW where you could say the shop emptys into the ride.

Broccoli and co! I had totally forgotten about them! We bought all their plush Veggies and Fruits! I don't remember in which corner it stood.


Could you buy cars in the WoM post-show? If so, then technically that could be considered the first gift shop through which you exited...

 

[Goofyernmost]

I'll tell you how much I was convinced that they all did that gift shop exit thing that in 2005 (give or take) when Philharmagic opened and the gift shop was off to the right of the exit, I was amazed. Shows you how close I paid attention to stuff.

 

[marni1971]

The only shops in FW back then were Broccoli & Co tucked back in a corner of The Land, and the Camera Shop in the front of JII...

Technically you could say Transcenter too, should you have the desire to buy a car in a theme park...

Edit, Lilly beat me too it.