I think the idea that everything we see in the parks needing to be made entirely from scratch by them is a tad silly. Obviously I am not advocating for the inclusion of things that look bad, or the use of any sort of AI "art". If something looks bad, it can look bad whether it was made from scratch or purchased from the internet. -and AI "art" in general is just a crappy thing to feature in the parks.
But for the other stuff.. where does the line get drawn? Disney straight up stole the look for the outside of the Mansion and the look of the Foyer from two other famous houses that already existed at the time. If Disney orders pre-made bricks from a construction company to use in construction of a new queue, is that an issue? Because that final product would be built "using things Disney bought online". What about the Tio Pepe branded Churros Disney just buys and heats up, then covers in other store bought ingredients to create a seasonal treat? Are those no longer really "Disneyland Churros"?
I do think there needs to be a balance. Not everything you see should be something that can be found for sale elsewhere (something made easier in today's day and age that probably went unnoticed more often in Disneyland's past). There should be more stuff that is custom made by Disney themselves. But in fairness, most of what they build typically is. All that really matters is whether or not the final product comes out looking good or looking like crap. -and of course, whether or not the work is AI generated.
I think a handful of pre-purchased little knick-knacks on a store shelf is fine, if it doesn't distract or feel out of place. After all, most of the stuff they're selling on the shelves in a place like that is all crap made overseas by someone else, anyways.
All artists "steal", Disney's included. Being able to properly "steal like an artist" without calling too much attention to where you took inspiration from is an art form itself. I don't see how buying a handful of pre-made items and using them as decor to try and create a new work of art or a sense of place is honestly that bad, as long as you haven't lost your ability to create original works most of the time. But I feel like trying to tell someone like Disney that they aren't ever allowed to use pre-made items in their story telling, when appropriate, is akin to trying to tell a cook who makes you a killer meal that they shouldn't be ordering ingredients and should be growing and obtaining everything by hand from some farm out behind the restaurant.
But c'mon, even looking at stuff folks don't like around here like Galaxy's Edge, Avengers Campus and Tiana's, I wouldn't try and sit here and pretend that stuff isn't "custom built". Disney isn't going to stop doing that any time soon. I think these little odds and ends decorating this shop are an exception to the norm and not something to get riled up about.
