Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
They could have made it more functional without destroying the reason why people enjoyed the store in the first place. Might as well go to Wal-Mart to get your Merch.
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PHOTOS - Temporary store to open during a major update to World of Disney at Disney Springs
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
tissandtully
Well-Known Member
whimsical ala 1992
DisneyJayL
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I will reserve judgement until I see the full finished product. I like the clean look, but I don’t know what I think about the elements that made it special when you look up being gone. Yeah, I will have to wait.
Flynnwriter
Well-Known Member
HOMOGINIZATION OF DISNEY WORLD! The new, stripped down, unimaginative world of Disney store is symbolic of Disney World continuing to strip stores, restaurants and hotels of “Disney”. This remodel strips the store of color, theming, fantasy, creativity and leaves us with a Kohl’s or Gap - bland, ordinary, cheap and something we can get in every mall across America. Keep delivering ordinary Disney and you will find yourself without anything that makes you special.
Uncle Lupe
Well-Known Member
The store needed hard surface flooring. Easier to maintain and keep clean in such a high traffic area. But it is way to sparse and needs strong elements to set itself apart as The Disney Store.
HwdStudio
Well-Known Member
How can you say “how it feels” without experiencing it? A few photos does not a feeling make. I like what I see in the photos. But will reserve judgement until I experience it. I might love it or hate it. It’s just a store. Certainly not going to let it cause me to “die inside”. I found the previous version claustrophobic. If I saw something I liked I could never come back to it because I couldn’t find it. Like I said once I experience the finished product I will make my decision and I will try not to be overly dramatic about a retail location.
FullSailDan
Well-Known Member
I don't think Disney is interested in drawing in the customer that found the previous design appealing.... That demographic doesn't match the target demo for the Springs and increasingly it's not the demographic that other experiences across the property are attracting. Merchandise has had a slight bump in quality of late with increased cost to consumer. That target market wont put up with the busy atmosphere and the crowds. In tandem were seeing a muddying of the moderate and "value" resorts receiving transport besides buses and upgrades to infrastructure. This is all slowly pushing for a more expensive client expansion.
I can't fault them, income inequality is getting worse and 'middle' class is losing purchasing power. It will be interesting to see what will happen when the next financial collapse happens though. They might be in the right here to capture a market that can afford luxuries during the period, but usually high wealth loves to invest in the market and capitalize on low rates.
KBLovedDisney
Well-Known Member
The Disney Store was a very very BIG part of my childhood, from the small retail stores in malls to the World of Disney. It was always a part of my Disney World vacation experience, always. I took out a couple of days each trip to just visit the store. Yes, you could still buy the same merchandise today, but it wasn't about the merchandise. It was the atmosphere. To me, them changing this, is like making the dolls in It's a Small World stationary.
disneyC97
Well-Known Member
While I hope there are some additional decorative fixtures/features to be added beyond a few screens, what most here may not remember is that before the most recent iteration of the 'World of Disney' store from the late 90s, the larger "character" shop(s) that predated it in the shopping district were fairly simple in interior design, matching the aesthetic of the buildings they were in, without a lot of over-the-top decorations that were seen in the past 20 years.
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I'm not in the least bit trying to say I understand all of Disney's demographics, but if you go to Disney (no matter where on property), you expect to see authentic Disney. Disney Springs as a whole has gone the way of generic industrial look which sadly doesn't really lend itself to thinking you are in fact at WDW. This store continues this awful trend. You can step into that store and think, oh the Disney Store is nice and clean, but could easily be located at your local mall.
I'm going to go against the majority and say I really like the new look. I think it fits better with the style of Disney Springs (which I personally really like), and this type of store lets the merchandise be more the star of the show.
Another big plus is that the open layout lets you see everything on offer, rather than dealing with those little crowded rooms.
Another big plus is that the open layout lets you see everything on offer, rather than dealing with those little crowded rooms.
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I agree that the functionally looks to be 100 times better. Just can't shake the Industrial neutered look, no matter if it matches the already bland DS look or not.
andysol
Well-Known Member
What is the fuss? I understand the nostalgia, but take that out, and it's much better.
Disney Springs is not Downtown Disney. You can't look at a single microcosm (one store) of an overall cohesive theme (Disney Springs) and criticize based on the microcosm when the previous version didn't fit the overall theme.
Pretend Downtown Disney never existed and this was a shopping area they just developed. They open Disney Springs as is, but have the tacky old World of Disney decor and 90s "whimsy"- it would very much stick out. And not in a good way.
To fully believe in "Disney Springs" and the story they set forth, everything needs to be brought into the same theme and timeline. You can't have one-offs or it kills the cohesive story.
Yes, it's just an outdoor shopping mall; but Disney Springs exceeded my expectations well beyond what I thought they could do. It is a massive improvement over Downtown Disney in almost every conceivable way.
Big picture, people. Big picture.
Disney Springs is not Downtown Disney. You can't look at a single microcosm (one store) of an overall cohesive theme (Disney Springs) and criticize based on the microcosm when the previous version didn't fit the overall theme.
Pretend Downtown Disney never existed and this was a shopping area they just developed. They open Disney Springs as is, but have the tacky old World of Disney decor and 90s "whimsy"- it would very much stick out. And not in a good way.
To fully believe in "Disney Springs" and the story they set forth, everything needs to be brought into the same theme and timeline. You can't have one-offs or it kills the cohesive story.
Yes, it's just an outdoor shopping mall; but Disney Springs exceeded my expectations well beyond what I thought they could do. It is a massive improvement over Downtown Disney in almost every conceivable way.
Big picture, people. Big picture.
Flynnwriter
Well-Known Member
Stores don’t mimic their mall - they tell
The story of the brand. Disney owns magic and fantasy - the opposite of this bland, antiseptic store.
jaklgreen
Well-Known Member
I think that they could have de-cluttered it without changing the Disney feel. If this was any other shop, even any other Disney shop it would be nice. But this is WORLD OF DISNEY STORE. If you showed someone a picture of this without the merchandise, there is no way anyone would say that it is a Disney store, let alone their flagship store.
Horizons '83
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
If I have to hear that again, I will vomit...
Big Picture. Let's think about that for a minute. The design/decor that is Disney Springs of today is actually going to be quite dated sooner rather than later. The Industrial look is already on the tail end of being trendy and is on its way out. Its ok to not hop on every trend there is. Now this gripe I have is with the overall DS aesthetic but applys here as well.
dizneeboy
Active Member
Were this any other store, I'd call it a nice shopping experience. Miss the Whimsy already. Keep the outside architecturally cohesive for sure but why remove the fun on the inside? That's what made it a great place to shop and not just another place to buy souvenirs you saw in the park or kill time before dinner reservations. Who'd have thought the airport Disney store would turn out more fun to shop in than the the flagship store in Disney Springs : )
