Quality of available merchandise significantly reduced?

[networkpro]

Post Covid, my wife and I have observed across the property the decline in both the quantity and quality of merchandise. We don't know if it's due to the shift in manufacturing from a particular country, economic conditions, fallout from the former head of merchandising or they simply outsource it all these days.

 

[Ayla]

Post Covid, my wife and I have observed across the property the decline in both the quantity and quality of merchandise. We don't know if it's due to the shift in manufacturing from a particular country, economic conditions, fallout from the former head of merchandising or they simply outsource it all these days.

It has been that way for at least a decade. Thank Chapek.

 

[monorail81]

Post Covid, my wife and I have observed across the property the decline in both the quantity and quality of merchandise. We don't know if it's due to the shift in manufacturing from a particular country, economic conditions, fallout from the former head of merchandising or they simply outsource it all these days.

Agreed. But, it’s been longer than Covid. And my spending on merch had been reduced significantly.

 

[AndyS2992]

The stuff in the parks is now just the same generic stuff they carry at the Disney Store, not even Disney Parks branded anymore. I didn't buy very much on my last two trips as I know that if I did want it, I can just order it off the Disney Store website, it's often cheaper on there too with discount codes and such.

 

[Doberge]

Agree on quantity but I've felt the quality is about the same while prices have skyrocketed so "value" for what's paid has worsened.

 

[Rinx]

I don't buy t-shirts anymore. The material is so thin and regardless of how I wash/dry them they always shrink quite a bit.

 

[DisneyFanatic12]

Agree on quantity but I've felt the quality is about the same while prices have skyrocketed so "value" for what's paid has worsened.

The only item that really pains me is the toy trains and monorails. Same price (at least from when I got one as a kid I believe), but the train is absolutely hideous now. The monorail is kind of fun, until you realize you can’t get one that looks like the real one anymore.

I think they still have a holiday train in the “old” style, before Lionel I think, but I don’t stumble into the steam trains anymore outside of the holidays. My toy steam train I had as a kid has been used for so long and still blows smoke!

Anyways, on a large scale I think you’re right and it’s about equal. I think the stuffed animals are arguably a little nicer now, and most of the clothes I think are about the same. Sadly, I’ve been thinking how reasonably priced a lot of the stuff is given the price of goods today, but that really just depends on where you come from! I also think they have a better range of offerings now, though I might just not remember the shops from my childhood

 

[Chef Mickey]

Everything Disney sells is garbage made overseas, likely by exploited labor.

 

[hopemax]

I think it's a result of paid Lightning Lanes, plus Covid revealed to Disney how big they had gotten, and Iger and Chapek both have stated the goal is to slim down their labor force. People didn't suddenly have that extra money to spend on the LLs, so they took it from souvenirs and dining. Disney responded by shrinking their product offerings. Go into several stores and there are merchandise displays that are missing, and the result is to make the stores feel empty and kinda depressing. They also seem to have shifted the design / manufacturing burden to licensees like Loungefly / Funko, Baublebar, Corksicle, etc. Also, the big layoffs they did coming out of Covid, they let go a lot of the Disney Design Group who was responsible for product development. Some were hired back as part time contractors so you might see familiar names for one of the Festivals but they aren't regularly employed by Disney.

 

[Eric Graham]

it's going to get even worse if this port strike goes into affect...

 

[John park hopper]

Disney sells low quality ----don't buy it

 

[Eric Graham]

Disney sells low quality ----don't buy it

It actually depends on what you buy...they have some very high quality stuff...

 

[jloucks]

Everything Disney sells is garbage made overseas, likely by exploited labor.

Child labor maybe....ironic. I wonder if they let the kids wear mouse ears while they make mouse ears? How dystopian is that? lol

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I was at Disneyland last week and didn’t buy 1 thing - I never saw anything I needed. That never happens.

 

[mf1972]

we’ve bought our fair share of merch over the years, but i agree that the quality is off & it’s harder to find some unique items. it’s gotten generic & most stores share the same stuff no matter where you go. we do miss the big snow globes they used to sell. now all we see are the small/mini ones that aren’t the same.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

When Hanes was a sponsor at at parks the shirts they sold were a heavier fabric compared to the more recent shirts that shrink quickly..of course they had a store in the DTD era when it took over the former scrapboooking store in the mid 00's..And they also sponsored RnRC.

 

[Eric Graham]

When Hanes was a sponsor at at parks the shirts they sold were a heavier fabric compared to the more recent shirts that shrink quickly..of course they had a store in the DTD era when it took over the former scrapboooking store in the mid 00's..And they also sponsored RnRC.

You are very correct on your post. I can be often be a snob at times, and often when I tend to look at shirts now I tend to look for all cotton as opposed to mainly polyester. Cotton just tends to feel a lot better on a shirt.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We always build in an amount in our trip budget for souvenirs and have no trouble finding things to purchase. You can still find some better quality items in some shops. Yes quality has slipped over the years for certain things and like with everything now, money is hard to come by and you have to be a discriminant shopper and decide what things are worth to you. I'll have no problem dropping money on something I really want to add to my at home Disney room. And then theres things I will pass on immediately due to the poor quality.
Overall Disneys merch has become redundant in their shops and not as unique as before. Certainly covid and shipping issues hurt Dis but that excuse isnt as valid now. I think theyve gotten lazy and no longer care as much to promote their brand with merch as once long ago.

 

[hopemax]

we’ve bought our fair share of merch over the years, but i agree that the quality is off & it’s harder to find some unique items. it’s gotten generic & most stores share the same stuff no matter where you go. we do miss the big snow globes they used to sell. now all we see are the small/mini ones that aren’t the same.

The TSA rules concerning liquids is when this particular merchandise change occurred. Visitors returning home could no longer keep them under their control, and carry them on a plane. So the option was to put them in checked or pay to have them shipped. Sales declined, and the product was eliminated.

 

[mf1972]

The TSA rules concerning liquids is when this particular merchandise change occurred. Visitors returning home could no longer keep them under their control, and carry them on a plane. So the option was to put them in checked or pay to have them shipped. Sales declined, and the product was eliminated.

we always drove to disney, so we never experienced that issue, but that explains it. thanks.