Has anyone noticed a massive increase in Disney merch outside the parks?

[thomas998]

In the past I might expect a few Disney themed toys, or costumes around Halloween in your normal Targets and Walmarts... but recently it seem I see not just toys but lots and lots of clothes and other things in not just Walmarts but Dollar Generals. Hell I even see Mickey Mouse ice cream on a stick like you would find in the parks in my Walmarts... It brings back memories of Izod back in the 80's when some fool in their company thought if they could sell them in k-marts that they would make even more money than their original plan of only selling in higher end department stores.... I can't help but wonder what this is going to do to the sales of Disney merch in the parks... Sure some of the stuff will still be different, but when you can buy a box of Mickey Ice cream bars in a Walmart for the price of one in the park... Surely some people are going to notice and say, no thanks to most everything in the parks.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Not really, they have had a huge presence outside of the properties for years. Especially in Kissimmee, but Walmart and Target have long been places that carried Disney Merch. It has been three decades since I bought any of that stuff in the parks. It was always a lot less expensive and, I found it to be longer lasting than anything I ever bought in the parks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not really, they have had a huge presence outside of the properties for years. Especially in Kissimmee, but Walmart and Target have long been places that carried Disney Merch. It has been three decades since I bought any of that stuff in the parks. It was always a lot less expensive and, I found it to be longer lasting than anything I ever bought in the parks.

I don’t think he meant in Orlando

Disney product is fairly loaded into stores everywhere right now. If that’s the point - I agree.

And with the decline of brick and mortar it looks pretty bad.

This has Chapek’s low rent finger prints all over it.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Nope. It’s not going to touch park merch one bit. Those buying Dis items in the stores are not going to the park at that time. They see something Disney and want it. They can’t be in FL but they can buy it locally. Dis still is making their money off of it and the merch is moving. It’s a win - win.
I buy Dis things and still when I go to WDW I’m going with my plenty of cash to drop in the parks. Doesn’t affect me one bit. I wish there were more things found only in the parks that would be available to me so I wouldn’t have to buy off of e-Bay scalpers. Or have more things sold on shop Disney so it would be an easier transaction and cheaper.
The % of people shopping at local shops who will never get to go to WDW at all and the % of people who might go to WDW only one time in their lives is much greater than the numbers who go to WDW parks repeatedly. Dis isn’t risking a thing placing merch outside of the parks.

 

[DisneyHead123]

I’ve noticed with little boutique brands (Little Sleepies, Monica + Andy, Stitchy Fish, Rags,) that they will do “Disney drops”, and those lines tend to sell out pretty fast. Wondering if relatively smaller brands being able to license Disney is a new-ish thing, as I thought in the past you had to be a pretty big business to afford those kinds of fees.

 

[thomas998]

Not really, they have had a huge presence outside of the properties for years. Especially in Kissimmee, but Walmart and Target have long been places that carried Disney Merch. It has been three decades since I bought any of that stuff in the parks. It was always a lot less expensive and, I found it to be longer lasting than anything I ever bought in the parks.

Oh, I knew the local stores had lots of Disney merch, but over in Texas you didn't used to see much Disney stuff... now I think I could find most Disney junk here than I could have found in Orlando pre-pandemic. During the pandemic I thought maybe some of the stuff was being dumped into stores because the manufacturers had excess stuff the parks didn't want and they were just trying to get rid of it... but it has actually gotten even worse lately.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

Oh, I knew the local stores had lots of Disney merch, but over in Texas you didn't used to see much Disney stuff... now I think I could find most Disney junk here than I could have found in Orlando pre-pandemic. During the pandemic I thought maybe some of the stuff was being dumped into stores because the manufacturers had excess stuff the parks didn't want and they were just trying to get rid of it... but it has actually gotten even worse lately.

I remember when the ice cream was rolled out, and that was interesting. It seems like it’s all the extension of them “replacing” their Disney Stores (I miss them!) with shopping sections or aisles at major retailers. I can’t remember the exact term they used, but they essentially planned to replace their Disney Store footprint with little sections (what they considered micro Disney Stores) at Target and other major retailers.

I rarely see a put together section, however, and it just seems as though they increased their licensing and what not. The plans and vision have certainly changed, but that was the origin!

 

[thomas998]

I remember when the ice cream was rolled out, and that was interesting. It seems like it’s all the extension of them “replacing” their Disney Stores (I miss them!) with shopping sections or aisles at major retailers. I can’t remember the exact term they used, but they essentially planned to replace their Disney Store footprint with little sections (what they considered micro Disney Stores) at Target and other major retailers.

Well that would explain why I'm seeing so much Disney stuff.... though the one that really baffled me was going into a Big Lots which probably looked like I had walked into a store in Downtown Disney. I have to imagine it isn't going to help them push the merch in the parks to a lot of people. I remember everyone getting Mickey Ice cream on the last trips to Disneyland... but that isn't happen in the future. Not when I can buy a box of 6 in a Walmart for the price of 1 in the park... they really highlight just how outrageous the prices are when they sell the same thing outside the parks.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

I personally liked the Disney stores because they were fun, clean (usually), and had Cast Members which were about the best mall employees you saw in some areas. We mostly just liked them because they were fun, however. When we lived a long ways away from WDW, we would drive almost an hour to the closest Disney store just to tide us over until the next trip. We didn’t really go because we wanted merchandise, but because we wanted to get a little bit of Disney in our lives. We did usually drop some money while we were there though!

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

Well that would explain why I'm seeing so much Disney stuff.... though the one that really baffled me was going into a Big Lots which probably looked like I had walked into a store in Downtown Disney. I have to imagine it isn't going to help them push the merch in the parks to a lot of people. I remember everyone getting Mickey Ice cream on the last trips to Disneyland... but that isn't happen in the future. Not when I can buy a box of 6 in a Walmart for the price of 1 in the park... they really highlight just how outrageous the prices are when they sell the same thing outside the parks.

It is pretty wild! And then whatever “bubble” Disney made by getting guests straight to their hotel from MCO (avoiding all of the shops) went away. There’s still a bubble in the sense that it’s generally nicer and feels safer/more welcoming than the surrounding area, but there isn’t the complementary transportation that keeps you from going to their competition. It’s enough of a burden to have to organize ride share or delivery for many guests, but I’m sure that this has effected profits slightly. HOWEVER, that isn’t to say that many guests haven’t stocked up on frozen pizzas, microwaveable food, and ice cream before heading to their resort for years already (this was most effective when driving). It would also be interesting if the money they might lose is recouped because of guests buying it when they’re at home.

 

[thomas998]

It is pretty wild! And then whatever “bubble” Disney made by getting guests straight to their hotel from MCO (avoiding all of the shops) went away. There’s still a bubble in the sense that it’s generally nicer and feels safer/more welcoming than the surrounding area, but there isn’t the complementary transportation that keeps you from going to their competition. It’s enough of a burden to have to organize ride share or delivery for many guests, but I’m sure that this has effected profits slightly. HOWEVER, that isn’t to say that many guests haven’t stocked up on frozen pizzas, microwaveable food, and ice cream before heading to their resort for years already (this was most effective when driving). It would also be interesting if the money they might loose is recouped because of guests buying it when they’re at home.

Well when they sell the overpriced shirt in a park for 35 dollars that cost maybe 5 all in, they get 30 for Disney... but when that shirt is selling in a Walmart for 15 you know Walmart is making a profit and that means Disney is probably getting a minimal licensing fee off the item.... Just seem to be cheapening the whole Disney image... Funny thing was this weekend they had a bunch of Disney crap in the clearance section of Walmart... so it isn't even selling well enough in the Walmart to keep it from going to the dumping isle.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I remember when the ice cream was rolled out, and that was interesting. It seems like it’s all the extension of them “replacing” their Disney Stores (I miss them!) with shopping sections or aisles at major retailers. I can’t remember the exact term they used, but they essentially planned to replace their Disney Store footprint with little sections (what they considered micro Disney Stores) at Target and other major retailers.

I rarely see a put together section, however, and it just seems as though they increased their licensing and what not. The plans and vision have certainly changed, but that was the origin!

Those decisions looked “cheap and low quality” on the surface when slappie made them…

But I have to say - something has changed since:

Now we know they are verifiable as cheap and low quality

 

[Goofyernmost]

I don’t think he meant in Orlando

Disney product is fairly loaded into stores everywhere right now. If that’s the point - I agree.

And with the decline of brick and mortar it looks pretty bad.

This has Chapek’s low rent finger prints all over it.

OK, I have noticed more in places further away from the Disney epicenter, but I just figured that was trying to make up for the demise of the official "Disney Stores" that they closed up a couple years ago. Same sales (possibly even more) and no overhead. Seems to me like a wise move since the Disney Stores were so few and far between. Also since they have made a strong effort to create the situation where lower income folks can no longer afford to go to Disney due to the higher cost of everything, it only makes sense for Disney to come to them. That puts the risk on to a lot more currently viable brick and mortar locations and not their own.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Those decisions looked “cheap and low quality” on the surface when slappie made them…

But I have to say - something has changed since:

Now we know they are verifiable as cheap and low quality

l haven't purchased any Disney Merch since 2019 and that was offsite in Kissimmee but I had done that for years before and found that the quality was better, even in those roadside souvenir stores, than anything I ever bought onsite in the parks.

It was imaginary that the quality was less if you didn't give Disney a 300% profit margin instead of the more honest price found away from properties. If the quality has declined due to them selling via places like Walmart, you can rest assured that it isn't any better onsite and never has been. The T-shirt I bought offsite in 2019 has not faded and the Disney graphic is still like new and that shirt has been worn and washed at least once I week since September 2019 when I bought it.

Disney commissions that product in huge numbers and therefore gets a quantity price. They have always allowed outside locations to sell the excess production to the public for lower prices knowing that people would think that the quality was different and be willing to pay more onsite for the same item. That has been normal retail procedure for decades. I made a statement elsewhere just this week that our evaluation of value and our willingness to accept what is reasonable or not is far more connected with location then logic.

 

[Doberge]

Most people don't need to see Mickey bars in their local store for "only" $1.33 to know that the same thing at WDW is expensive at $6-something. Most people traveling with a budget are going to spend the same money regardless of availability outside WDW, so if they now know they can "save" $5 buying the Mickey bar back home they don't lower their budget by $5 but instead spend it somewhere else at Disney and Disney wins.

 

[Disstevefan1]

In the past I might expect a few Disney themed toys, or costumes around Halloween in your normal Targets and Walmarts... but recently it seem I see not just toys but lots and lots of clothes and other things in not just Walmarts but Dollar Generals. Hell I even see Mickey Mouse ice cream on a stick like you would find in the parks in my Walmarts... It brings back memories of Izod back in the 80's when some fool in their company thought if they could sell them in k-marts that they would make even more money than their original plan of only selling in higher end department stores.... I can't help but wonder what this is going to do to the sales of Disney merch in the parks... Sure some of the stuff will still be different, but when you can buy a box of Mickey Ice cream bars in a Walmart for the price of one in the park... Surely some people are going to notice and say, no thanks to most everything in the parks.

We mostly purchase our Disney swag in Wall mart, Target, I think we also saw some in 5 below?
Anyway, while we will sometimes purchase an item in the parks, we mostly pick up stuff outside the parks for less.

 

[The Colonel]

Disney doesn't sell outside the parks, they license third parties to sell outside the park in exchange for royalties on goods sold. They approve the quality and artwork on every licensed article.

Unlicensed bootleg stuff is another story. You won't find that at Walmart or Target.

 

[ppete1975]

Walmart mickey bar is not the same quality as park ice cream bar or taste as good (not just because you are in the parks, look at the ingredients) although if i remember the theme park ones have more calories and fat.

Think of clothing this way. It is free advertising. Anytime you see someone in a mickey or encanto shirt you might think oh thats cute and want one yourself, or subconsciously think back to the parks and the brand (you might not even be aware). You are a walking billboard.

Walt did that before the parks even opened hed put merch anywhere he could with mickey on it.

What does all of that get you? No matter where in the world you are people know mickey and Disney, just like they know nike or coca cola.

 

[jloucks]

I think the peak of Disney merch presence was signified by the era of Disney stores in every mall. ...or at least in lots of the malls around here (Texas). I used to like shopping there until they poofed.

It has been on the decline since then. Well, if you are talking about Micky Mousy stuff and not all the other properties. Marvel hass been increasing. At least till the movies *censored due to political drama*. Star Wars stuff doing pretty well, as it always has.

 

[C.Witch]

I have yes (I'm in Canada). I'm presuming this is part of their merchandise strategy since shuttering the majority of their Disney Stores.