Merchandise at Epcot Norway is bad taste

EpcotMark

EpcotMark

Active Member
Original Poster
I went to Norway tonight and I saw in the last room of the merchandise section after you come off the ride, it was all filled up with Princess outfit stuff and what else. It was not this way earlier this year. I thought this was very bad taste and an insult to the Norwegians:mad: , especially considering this is their country's largest exhibition anywhere I believe. Why do we need a major section of it filled with random disney stuff which is made in CHINA no doubt, by young people making less than 5 dollars a day. Its dispicable.:( AND ITS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE. I understand there is the Princess Storybook Breakfast there in the morning, but this one meal in the morning is not enough to justify putting cheap Disney products in a world showcase where merchandise from one's own country should be proudly displayed throughout, in my opinion. If you feel the same, I encourage you to speak out.:wave:
 
DonaldDoleWhip

DonaldDoleWhip

Well-Known Member
Norway is just the first country to be totally overrun by characters (that have NOTHING to do with the country). I think it is just a rumor, but the Three Caballeros could be appearing in Mexico (this makes some sense, though).

And BTW, the Princess Storybook meal is now offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
 
EpcotMark

EpcotMark

Active Member
Original Poster
The three cab's will be in Mexico's boat ride. I heard it from the top dogs. But Norway's Merch still bites!
 
Mickeyman819

Mickeyman819

Member
The princess merch is expected due to the storybook meal. Come on think about it. You are at the storybook meal and your kid doesnt have a dress.. The kid sees that everybody else does and wants one. Magically you buy that way over priced dress. great marketing idea. May not appeal to all the guest but sometime people care more about making the money than making it appealing. Sorry
 
the-reason14

the-reason14

Well-Known Member
The stuff in there originally all the Norwiegin(sp) stuff in there is already weird and creepy. The ugly trolls and stuff, but I do agree that the princess merch. is out of place, but money talks.
 
mkt

mkt

When a paradise is lost go straight to Disney™
Premium Member
Sadly, Disney puts out what sells... and Princess merch sells more quickly than Helly Hansen
 
Epcot82Guy

Epcot82Guy

Well-Known Member
Yep. Ambition has given way to the short-sighted dollar. Unfortunately, that mentality destroys brands and causes problems in the long run. I just hope it is caught before it gets too late. There is a delicate balance between marketing, pushing, and putting off.
 
A

Adreamisawish

New Member
I don't think this was what was originally planned when the World Showcase was built. This is so terribly sad.

Granted, my family has not had any contact with the Norwegian Pavilion in World Showcase since 2004, but at that time it was all Norwegian. My daughter was a CM at that time and a former Rotary Exchange Student to Norway. She loved the fact that it was almost like 'going back home'. They even sold high end Norwegian silver and pewter there.

There are so many other places to buy princess and pirate stuff. I thought the World Showcase was to 'show case' the products of the different places in the "World".....that exists outside of DisneyWorld, but can be just as magical.
 
Scooter

Scooter

Well-Known Member
It's October...and Halloween is coming up.
And what is the number one request for costumes this year?
Princess costumes.
Disney is simply providing what the public wants.
I expect you'll see a LOT of Princess outfits in the Disney shops for the next few weeks along with tons of Pirate Costumes, which are the number TWO most popular Halloween costumes this year.
It's a seasonal thing...I wouldn't dwell on it too long. Life is too short and there's alot more to see and do in Disney World than to worry about what's appropriate in the gift shops.
 
ctwhalerman

ctwhalerman

New Member
A lot of the stuff in World Showcase has always been in bad taste, almost like WS is simply a manifestation of American international ignorance (i.e. the Canadian pavillion seems to be overrun by Mounties and lumberjacks) but I think its part of the charm.

But to talk about bad taste, the Three Caballeros would be even worse for Mexico, because while Panchito is Mexican, Donald is of course American and Jose is actually Brazilian. Imagine the complaints from that one.
 
AEfx

AEfx

Well-Known Member
I hate to say it, but I completely understand. The restraunt there now features the Princesses full-time, and kids tend to get the itching for the costumes after or just before being around them.

I've always avoided most of the shop because everything was so outrageously overpriced and frankly not terribly interesting. A lot of it was very redundant, and you are forced to walk through so much of it just to get around.

So, nothing against Norway, but the types of products they chose to feature in that section is dictated by what people want. There aren't a lot of places to get Princess outfits in Epcot (where else can you? I assume somewhere...), and the place where the princesses "live" in World Showcase seems as good a place as any.

Something tells you profits have gone up, and I just am not one of the crowd that always feel that must be a bad, evil thing. What are they there for if not to give the people what they want?

I hardly think the selection of merchandise in a theme park shop should be enough to offend an entire nation. ;)

AEfx
 
barnum42

barnum42

New Member
Bad taste? No.

A depressing clone of every other shop on site full of princess costumes? Yes. But at least there is a connection with the princess character meals.
 
NASAMan

NASAMan

Member
Bad taste? I'm with Barnum on this question. Potentially offensive to some. Who are those 'some'? That would be many of us who frequent forums like this - those who have a deep interest in the workings of the Disney company and the magic it produces for it's guests. We are an elite group, who walk down Main Street and know the names on the windows, who stand in front of that big hat at the Studios and think about the huge hidden Mickey obscured by the addition of Hollywood Blvd., who walk from China to Germany in World Showcase wondering if that Equatorial Africa will EVER be built.

We want our experience to be pure, imersive. We want to walk into a country at Epcot and beleive oursleves to be transported there for a few brief minutes. But like Christopher Reeve in 'Somewhere in Time' seeing the modern pennies, Disney merchandise breaks the magic and we are snapped back to reality. SO why is this there? Don't the Imagineers know this? I assure you they do, but in this case the marketing demands it. You see the survey takers at the parks - everyday they ask guests opinions on their visit. Some of these are unfeasible to do (monorail to all resorts was an answer I gave once) but some just demand to be done. So when families asked for more character dining, and the MK Princess Breakfast had such a long waiting list, they decided to clone it at Epcot. But where to have it? Well, the Akershus resteraunt fits the theme of a 'castle' like environment for the beautiful princesses. This breakfast was so popular it was extended to lunch and dinner. And with that comes the big question asked of CMs downstairs in Norway - "Where can I buy princess stuff?" Well, give the guests what they want and make it convenient for them. Do I like it? Not much, but I understand.

This is too long to write this early in the morning before I take my lovely Queen to the Food and Wine Festival, but I figure if those kiosks don't ruin my experience I can overlook the princess stuff! :)
 
SewIn2Disney

SewIn2Disney

Well-Known Member
I'm not so concerned about the princess dresses, but the cute ornaments in the Troll room that have "Made In China" proudly displayed on them. I love shopping in WS because of the unique authentic items that can be purchased there. The stuff they sell in the country should be from the actual host country.
 
M

majortom1981

Active Member
when did this happen?

When I went to wdw at the end of August begining of Sept 75 percent of the stuff in that shop in Norway was from Norway.


They had those $400 - $600 dollar sweaters and the jewlery and everything. Was it changed after I was there?
 
D

DubyooDeeDubyoo

Active Member
ctwhalerman said:
But to talk about bad taste, the Three Caballeros would be even worse for Mexico, because while Panchito is Mexican, Donald is of course American and Jose is actually Brazilian. Imagine the complaints from that one.
Click to expand...

Since the Three Caballeros were originally created on behalf of Mexico's bureau of tourism to help drive American interest in the country, I doubt Mexico is offended by the characters at all. I mean, Mexico paid Walt to make them.

Similar to how Hawaii's tourism dept was a sponsor of the original Lilo & Stitch film, although Mexico was more involved in Caballeros than HI was in L&S.
 

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