PHOTOS - Temporary store to open during a major update to World of Disney at Disney Springs

[mousekedoc]

PHOTOS - The Disney Corner now open at Disney Springs

Hopefully this generic look will be for this temporary store only. It looks like the tourist traps that Graceland built. (Please don’t state the obvious here) I go to WDW shops for the eye candy and end up buying stuff because of the setting, the displays. There is no appeal to this store. I don't see people meandering through and buying stuff. It’s a place for the “I got to get a cup for Myrtle at work” purchase. Will that fill Disney coffers?

 

[Casper Gutman]

Disney and minimalism... don't mix. Disney is excess, Disney is kitsch. That kitsch is skillfully constructed and carefully adapted to its purpose, but its kitsch. The lure of Disney is a warehouse full of intricate pirate robots. It's "wow, someone built a giant statue of a cartoon mouse." It's anthropomorphic animals, space wizards, and flying men in colorful leotards. Disney is BIGGER than real - Umberto Eco called it hyperreality, and he was right.

Current Disney management seems very embarrassed by Disney. The parks are a necessary cesspoll of kitsch, but outside the parks, in the hotels and the stores and the restaurants, they are intent on scrubbing as much Disney off their product as possible.

 

[Angry Warlock]

That exposed AC ducting and ceiling is a metaphor for the whole set up.

 

[FullSailDan]

Disney and minimalism... don't mix. Disney is excess, Disney is kitsch. That kitsch is skillfully constructed and carefully adapted to its purpose, but its kitsch. The lure of Disney is a warehouse full of intricate pirate robots. It's "wow, someone built a giant statue of a cartoon mouse." It's anthropomorphic animals, space wizards, and flying men in colorful leotards. Disney is BIGGER than real - Umberto Eco called it hyperreality, and he was right.

Current Disney management seems very embarrassed by Disney. The parks are a necessary cesspoll of kitsch, but outside the parks, in the hotels and the stores and the restaurants, they are intent on scrubbing as much Disney off their product as possible.

I think the problem is that whimsy simply for the sake of being whimsical doesn't equate to good usability or ability to sell product. Yeah, they are looking to be modern, accessible, and not stuck in the 80's and early 90's from a design perspective. I know people love to just go in an see the design of the store, but that's actually a problem. People spending more time looking at the decor, and not at product. Which in turn crowds the store, those who are actively buying are struggling to get around, items don't really follow any real logical order, mugs mixed in with candy, tshirts mixed with plushies even though the tshirts have a whole section. Is there music playing behind all this din? do those kids parents know they are running? where is a sales associate? I need a bigger size but the only person i see to help is in the cash wrap. Can I get around these strollers? Why do people leave double-wides here? There's no aisle, I'll weave.. oh I wanted to get my niece something... where are the baby items? Is it in girls? Or is there a baby section? Oh it's next to Christmas items (which also has kitchen goods) and purses, yes, why didn't I remember that? Damn, I can get over there... screw it, let's just leave what we have so far on this table of toys and I'll just order online.....

 

[Walt d]

Oh gawd, why...no, no please just no. The store is great the way it is.

I was there when it opened. Went to a cast member guarding the one door in the back . He let

I think World of Disney could aesthetic update but I'm bummed to hear they're turning it into a run-of-the mill store. Part of the charm of that chaotic place is the wacky design from the carpets, walls, and as shown above, the ceilings. Oh well

lets try this again” i was there when it opened, there was a cast member in the back standing nere the single door. Went up to him, he opens the door. Got wright in. Also got two of the big guides they were handing out. So it’s too bad, that they have to ruin everything its fine the, way it was thanks bob( every thing must change) igor when do you leave??

 

[Casper Gutman]

I think the problem is that whimsy simply for the sake of being whimsical doesn't equate to good usability or ability to sell product. Yeah, they are looking to be modern, accessible, and not stuck in the 80's and early 90's from a design perspective. I know people love to just go in an see the design of the store, but that's actually a problem. People spending more time looking at the decor, and not at product. Which in turn crowds the store, those who are actively buying are struggling to get around, items don't really follow any real logical order, mugs mixed in with candy, tshirts mixed with plushies even though the tshirts have a whole section. Is there music playing behind all this din? do those kids parents know they are running? where is a sales associate? I need a bigger size but the only person i see to help is in the cash wrap. Can I get around these strollers? Why do people leave double-wides here? There's no aisle, I'll weave.. oh I wanted to get my niece something... where are the baby items? Is it in girls? Or is there a baby section? Oh it's next to Christmas items (which also has kitchen goods) and purses, yes, why didn't I remember that? Damn, I can get over there... screw it, let's just leave what we have so far on this table of toys and I'll just order online.....

Disney's whole recent philosophy has been to force people to spend more time in stores. That's one of the major intentions of all the ride reservation nonsense. They desperately want guests to experience what is known as the "Gruen transfer," the moment when shoppers go from having a particular purpose and looking for a specific item to wandering aimlessly, making them susceptible to impulse purchases.

But...

Disney also wants to make their stores more "current" and "classy," which translates to generic and minimalist and less interesting to wander. They also have no particular interest in making the merchandise in various stores unique and thus encouraging exploration.

In other words, Disney is taking the worst elements of two completely contradictory design philosophies and the result is incoherence.

 

[MrPromey]

If you think that's bad, look what Chuck E. Cheese's has become:
View attachment 262578

Looks like this was done by the same firm who redesigned the Wendy's restaurants.

 

[MrPromey]

Especially with them removing the animatronics it's not even worth going to anymore.

Free animatronic shows don't make money or help move butts out of booths to let more people in to buy cardboard pizza (admittedly, quality has actually improved dramatically in recent years). They've known this for a while, now. That's how Showbiz Pizza bought Chuck E. Cheese's but somehow ended up as Chuck E. Cheese's instead of Chuck E. Cheese's becoming Showbiz.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Free animatronic shows don't make money or help move butts out of booths to let more people in to buy cardboard pizza (admittedly, quality has actually improved dramatically in recent years). They've known this for a while, now. That's how Showbiz Pizza bought Chuck E. Cheese's but somehow ended up as Chuck E. Cheese's instead of Chuck E. Cheese's becoming Showbiz.

Actually it was the Other way around....Chuck bought Showbiz....

 

[MrPromey]

Actually it was the Other way around....Chuck bought Showbiz....

That's what most people think but it's not true.

What actually happened is weird and from the outside, defies intuitive thought.

Sorry, I know Wikipedia isn't exactly an ironclad source but it's all I can provide at the moment:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_E._Cheese's

Showbiz was the bigger of the two companies. Chuck E. Cheese's kind of went under (bankruptcy, anyway) and Showbiz bought them.

There was a huge falling out between the management of Showbiz and Aaron Fechter, the guy who created and owned the rights to the characters from the Rock-afire Explosion. Showbiz dumped their theme, the show, and converted all existing locations to Chuck E. Cheese's.

... So if you've ever wondered why Chuck E. Cheese's was the one to survive when Showbiz (as a kid, anyway) always seemed better, it's because they really didn't. Showbiz overtook their lower quality competition and then, without anyone else to threaten them, strategically became that lower quality offering they outperformed.

There's a documentary out there on it but it's a little obscure.

If you're curious about what Aaron might still be doing (mostly living in the 80's) you can check out his company's website, here:

http://engineeringcreative.com/

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Well...that happened. So instead of the colorful world of what will once be known as World of Disney...well. Yep.

 

[FullSailDan]

Disney's whole recent philosophy has been to force people to spend more time in stores. That's one of the major intentions of all the ride reservation nonsense. They desperately want guests to experience what is known as the "Gruen transfer," the moment when shoppers go from having a particular purpose and looking for a specific item to wandering aimlessly, making them susceptible to impulse purchases.

But...

Disney also wants to make their stores more "current" and "classy," which translates to generic and minimalist and less interesting to wander. They also have no particular interest in making the merchandise in various stores unique and thus encouraging exploration.

In other words, Disney is taking the worst elements of two completely contradictory design philosophies and the result is incoherence.

Agreed, they could achieve both ideas better. I think the problem with the current design though (and to some extent the emporium now..) is that people are making less purchases because they just want to get out of the store.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I think the problem is that whimsy simply for the sake of being whimsical doesn't equate to good usability or ability to sell product.

Funny you should say that. Knowing that WoD was going to be overhauled I took special attention to the figures on one of the side entrances. It was Huey, Dewey, and Louie and they were playing with a telescope. The telescope was S-shaped. Oh what whimsy!

The telescope had their magnified eye at the end of it. More whimsy!

The telescope had wings. What whim... wait, what?

The wings were mesh and therefore useless. What's going on?

The wings had blobby metal decals attached to them. What. The. Fudge.?

One of the nephews was holding an umbrella over him with no cloth, just the spines. Did I just accidentally drop acid?



Yeah, so that's what some nostalgiacs are mourning. IMO... good riddance.

Now, that doesn't mean I want a bare, white minimalist store with a handful of items on white pedestals. There's got to be a happy medium.

I'll wait 'till it's done to judge it.


Evidence that Imagineers were doing crack...

 

[Walt d]

@marni1971, will there be a tribute video by chance...maybe?

No but a t-shirt for $39.99

 

[mousekedoc]

Whimsy? Whimsy! Dear sir, that device is used to determine the $ in each persons wallet that they use. The aisles then move in pre programmed fashion to massage that $ out and squeeze the patron out one of the side doors once complete. Hence that perpetual sense of being lost while in there and constantly ending up in from of the key chains.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

No but a t-shirt for $39.99

If the shirt has a printed severed head, I'm going to be very upset.

 

[aladdin2007]

it looks like nothing but a giant little girls store. temporary or not.

 

[StarkelBL]

Disney did the same thing to all of their retail stores (removed the theming). I haven't visited their store in the mall since. It used to be FUN to visit the Disney store. Now, I get more theming if I order online. Of all places, WDW should have retained the theming. I will NOT buy anything from WoD now. Instead, I'll purchase my trinkets from the themed stores inside Magic Kingdom.

 

[disney4life2008]

If you think that's bad, look what Chuck E. Cheese's has become:
View attachment 262578

Especially with them removing the animatronics it's not even worth going to anymore.

There is a Chuck E. Cheese near me. I decided to take my niece there to kill time and eat pizza. Well it was far from that! The good pizza has been replaced with adult food, the games are horrible, and it was about 25 percent the size of when I went there when I was a child.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

There is a Chuck E. Cheese near me. I decided to take my niece there to kill time and eat pizza. Well it was far from that! The good pizza has been replaced with adult food, the games are horrible, and it was about 25 percent the size of when I went there when I was a child.

How I remember it the most..

Then the one commonly used version..

Then Chuck by Himself...

And now the more modern version featuring Video Screens and costumed version instead of the use of AA's...