Main Street Bakery to Serve Starbucks Coffee

[Master Yoda]

So the coffee is shipped around basically like syrup for soft drinks? Wow.

Pretty much. It is not brewed at all at the majority of your self serve or quick service locations. Is is a syrup added to hot water. I think some of the TS restaurants still brew fresh coffee but I could not tell you which ones, if any.

 

[disneyworld123]

are they crazy main street should not be messed with they should make starbucks as a coffee cart shop not a coffee shop on MAIN STREET

 

[Vader2112]

Yet people seem to be assuming that the Main Street Bakery will be burned to the ground, have its ashes.

You mean it's not??? I was disappointed at first as it is being seen as the changing of an institution at MK...I think many of us have lost the bakery to a chain like Starbucks or Panera in our home towns and maybe that is why the reaction is so harsh. After seeing the pics from DL and knowing no more Nescafe and a better array of breakfast items keeping the same theming I am excited. Took a while to get through my thick skull though.

 

[ParentsOf4]

It's all about presentation. If WDW had announced "Starbucks to be sold at the Main Street Bakery", then the reaction would have been considerably subdued.

Instead, what was announced was:

Starbucks Locations at Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot Set to Open Next Year

The opening line in the announcement is:

As we announced earlier this year, six Starbucks locations are planned at Disney Parks in Florida and California.

It is a "Starbucks location", not the Main Street Bakery selling Starbucks.

Again quoting from the announcement:

At Magic Kingdom Park, Main Street Bakery will close for refurbishment in January 2013 and reopen as a Starbucks location in early summer.

And:

The Starbucks locations at Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot will both offer the full complement of Starbucks® signature beverages, artisan breakfast sandwiches and a wide selection of baked goods, including muffins, scones and specialty treats.

Where I'm from, "early summer" is June. I'm not sure why they need 5 months to make changes to sell Starbucks coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. I'm guessing (just a guess) that they had some rather extensive renovations planned.

Given the surprisingly strong reaction and the length of the closure, I wonder if they will adjust their plans.

I'm sure they thought everybody loves Starbucks. What they failed to consider is that Starbucks is the antithesis of what WDW fans like to think Main Street USA represents. I'm not talking about what MSUSA actually is; I'm talking about what it means to many devoted WDW fans. It's all about presentation and WDW botched this one.

Stop getting on people's cases because WDW dropped the ball on this one.

 

[xdan0920]

It's all about presentation. If WDW had announced "Starbucks to be sold at the Main Street Bakery", then the reaction would have been considerably subdued.

Instead, what was announced was:

The opening line in the announcement is:

It is a "Starbucks location", not the Main Street Bakery selling Starbucks.

Again quoting from the announcement:

And:

Where I'm from, "early summer" is June. I'm not sure why they need 5 months to make changes to sell Starbucks coffee, pastries, and sandwiches. I'm guessing (just a guess) that they had some rather extensive renovations planned.

Given the surprisingly strong reaction and the length of the closure, I wonder if they will adjust their plans.

I am sure they are going to be doing some major updating in the store. Hence the long closure. Doesn't mean they are turning it into a strip mall Starbucks locale though. Just means they are putting money and effort into improving the bakery AND adding Starbucks branded coffee products. Which is just fine by me.

The simplest comparison would be Coca Cola. Which is sold everywhere, and branded as such. No one gives a rat's patootie about that. No one is out calling for Disney brand cola. Why is this different?

 

[flynnibus]

It's all about presentation. If WDW had announced "Starbucks to be sold at the Main Street Bakery", then the reaction would have been considerably subdued.

Instead, what was announced was:

The opening line in the announcement is:

It is a "Starbucks location", not the Main Street Bakery selling Starbucks.

And when you read the rest of the announcement the terminology of 'starbucks location' is used identically to describe the Pig Cafe in DCA - which is not a Starbucks as people are fearing here.. but a Disney F&B location that serves starbucks products as well as other food and drinks.

Its poor wording - but even worse... selective reading by those who want to be worked up.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I am sure they are going to be doing some major updating in the store. Hence the long closure. Doesn't mean they are turning it into a strip mall Starbucks locale though. Just means they are putting money and effort into improving the bakery AND adding Starbucks branded coffee products. Which is just fine by me.

The simplest comparison would be Coca Cola. Which is sold everywhere, and branded as such. No one gives a rat's patootie about that. No one is out calling for Disney brand cola. Why is this different?

You're missing the point. Coke does not have a "Coca Cola Store" on Main Street USA but Starbucks will. I realize the different might seem minor to some but there is a big difference between selling a product and having an entire store.

Fundamentally, WDW flubbed the PR on this one.

 

[ParentsOf4]

And when you read the rest of the announcement the terminology of 'starbucks location' is used identically to describe the Pig Cafe in DCA - which is not a Starbucks as people are fearing here.. but a Disney F&B location that serves starbucks products as well as other food and drinks.

Its poor wording - but even worse... selective reading by those who want to be worked up.

You're missing the point. It's the location that people are getting worked up about. Nobody has an emotional attachment to the Pig Cafe in DCA or the Fountain View at Epcot. But they have a very strong emotional attachment to the Main Street Bakery on Main Street USA. There are a dozen other locations they could have opened at MK and the general reaction would have been a collective yawn.

 

[captainkidd]

Well then what is it about? What about adding Starbucks as a sponsor and selling their coffee in the Main Street Bakery, which will still be staffed by Disney CMs, cosmetically the same, feature the same cinnamon rolls etc, is greedy? Their coffee SUCKS and they are bringing in the most popular coffee in the world to satisfy the demand of guests who have begged for over a decade for ANYTHING other than Nescrape. You do realize at Disneyland, on Main Street, WALT'S Main Street, there's a Carnation Cafe? It's actually NAMED for the company that presents it. Carnation. Up until last fall, there was an area next to the Castle there called Carnation Plaza Gardens (it's now the site of the new princess greet opening in the spring). At WDW, they're not even changing the name of the Bakery! Instead of being "Hosted by Sara Lee", as it used to be, it will be "Hosted by Starbucks." Walt allowed a BRA shop on Main Street. The Wizard of Bras. I am not making this up. We have this whole purist image of what Disney is, and we made it up. Walt was not a purist. A BRA SHOP. Think of the CHILDREN.

I just don't get it. And your letter makes it sound like you can put up with shoddy maintenance but new coffee? Too much. I just don't get it. What about this is so apocalyptic?

I don't care who it's sponsored by. Sponsorship isn't the problem. I've (and others) have stated this numerous times, but since you asked nicely, I'll do so again:

1.Hewlett Packard sponsors Mission:Space, but their isn't a store selling HP products at the exit of the ride.
2.Starbucks has notoriously long lines created by people ordering nutty coffee flavors.
3.If Disney is willing to turn 1 shop into a chain, what's to stop them from turning others into chains as well? They'll just pad it with the "Well, it's going to fit into the theme of the area" excuse.

 

[captainkidd]

Carnation Cafe at DLR. (Sponsorship! In the middle of Main Street! Oh the huge manatee!)

Coco Cola Refreshment Corner at DLR. (Oh no! Another one on Main Street! Burn it down Pooky!)

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop at DCA.

Rainforest Cafe at DAK.

Yak and Yeti at DAK.

Seems like Starbucks on Main Street isn't the first place to "slap fans in the face" with a food related sponsorship.

Do you really not understand the difference between having a ride or restaurant with a sponsor attached to it and turning a restaurant into a chain location?

And big difference between Downtown Disney and Main Street USA.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

They're not turning it into a chain. They're adding their offerings to the menu. The length of the refurbishment is no doubt to accommodate the necessary capacity the location will need as it is already popular, and will only become moreso.

Disney did have a McDonald's in the parks. Burger Invasion at DCA and Restaurantosaurus at DAK come to mind - guests didn't go, they were changed out. I don't think there's any danger here of the Magic Kingdom resembling a mall food court.

 

[captainkidd]

They're not turning it into a chain. They're adding their offerings to the menu. The length of the refurbishment is no doubt to accommodate the necessary capacity the location will need as it is already popular, and will only become moreso.

Disney did have a McDonald's in the parks. Burger Invasion at DCA and Restaurantosaurus at DAK come to mind - guests didn't go, they were changed out. I don't think there's any danger here of the Magic Kingdom resembling a mall food court.

Um, yes - They are.

If they turned the Emporium into a Wal-Mart, would it be OK as long as it fit the theme?

 

[WEDway1975]

just WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

[ParentsOf4]

They're not turning it into a chain. They're adding their offerings to the menu. The length of the refurbishment is no doubt to accommodate the necessary capacity the location will need as it is already popular, and will only become moreso.

Yes, at least according to the announcement, they are turning it into a chain. They did not say the Main Street Bakery is selling Starbucks. They said they are opening a "Starbucks location" on Main Street USA.

I've been to some wonderfully themed McDonald's restaurants. However, every single one of those was a chain. And now WDW is opening a chain on Main Street USA.

It's not a disaster but WDW completely messed up how they announced this. No doubt they thought everyone was going to be happy about a Starbucks and, in another location at MK, they probably would have been. But they are opening a "Starbucks location" right on Main Street USA. Main Street USA, please meet the Mall of America.

 

[jakeman]

Do you really not understand the difference between having a ride or restaurant with a sponsor attached to it and turning a restaurant into a chain location?

Rainforest Cafe at DAK.

Here is also a link to the menu at the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe in DCA which underwent the conversion to feature Starbucks earlier this year. If you will note, while none of the menu items are the same as the Main Street Bakery by nature of it being a different location, they are also NOT standard Starbucks food offerings either. For your edification I have also included a link to the Starbucks Food section of their menu for comparison.

http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/men_ffp.htm

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/food

There is absolutely zero indication at this point that it is going to be turned into a standard chain location. In fact, all evidence points to the contrary at this time.

 

[captainkidd]

Rainforest Cafe at DAK.

Here is also a link to the menu at the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe in DCA which underwent the conversion to feature Starbucks earlier this year. If you will note, while none of the menu items are the same as the Main Street Bakery by nature of it being a different location, they are also NOT standard Starbucks food offerings either. For your edification I have also included a link to the Starbucks Food section of their menu for comparison.

http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/men_ffp.htm

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/food

There is absolutely zero indication at this point that it is going to be turned into a standard chain location. In fact, all evidence points to the contrary at this time.

Animal Kingdom is not Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom.

 

[flynnibus]

You're missing the point. It's the location that people are getting worked up about. Nobody has an emotional attachment to the Pig Cafe in DCA or the Fountain View at Epcot. But they have a very strong emotional attachment to the Main Street Bakery on Main Street USA. There are a dozen other locations they could have opened at MK and the general reaction would have been a collective yawn.

No, the wording of the announcement is being used to say the location will be ripped out and radically altered to be a starbucks like you have on every corner. But that's not what their wording says.

The emotional attachment is moot if the location isn't being radically altered.

Even you are saying they are turning it into a Chain.. you are inferring and leading people to believe it will be like every other Starbucks you see around the country. All based on the wording 'starbucks location' - which is also how they described the Pig Cafe. And the Pig Cafe looks nothing like any 'chain' starbucks you see.

 

[doctornick]

Do you really not understand the difference between having a ride or restaurant with a sponsor attached to it and turning a restaurant into a chain location?

Sure, I see a difference. But since that's not at all what is happening here, I don't get why you are bringing it up.

It seems the misguide anger would be much better directed at the Rainforest Cafe at DAK which actually is a chain location in a park.

What is happening on MSUSA is a Disney restaurant is going to sell an outside vendor's products. BFD, it's not the first time this has happened in that section of the park.

 

[jakeman]

Animal Kingdom is not Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom.

I'm assuming you are just taking your time to refute the second portion of my post then?

And the Pig Cafe looks nothing like any 'chain' starbucks you see.

Neither does pictures I've seen of Fiddler, Fifer, and Pratical Cafe in DCA.

 

[captainkidd]

No, the wording of the announcement is being used to say the location will be ripped out and radically altered to be a starbucks like you have on every corner. But that's not what their wording says.

The emotional attachment is moot if the location isn't being radically altered.

Even you are saying they are turning it into a Chain.. you are inferring and leading people to believe it will be like every other Starbucks you see around the country. All based on the wording 'starbucks location' - which is also how they described the Pig Cafe. And the Pig Cafe looks nothing like any 'chain' starbucks you see.

Everyone keeps avoiding this simple question:

If Disney turned the Emporium into a Wal-Mart, would it be OK as long as it was themed to match Main Street?

Parentsof4 makes an excellent point - There are several beautiful McDonalds around the world. But it's still McDonalds. If you paint a pile of dog crap pink and blue, it's still a pile of dog crap.