SORELY disappointed in MVMCP merchandise ... or lack thereof! ... this year!! :-(

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

Sorry if this has already been addressed ... just now getting back online after our trip.

We attended the MVMCP on 11.29.11. Have been attending the party for about 8-10 years now. Never have I been more bitterly disappointed in the selection of MVMCP merchandise than this year.

Went to Mickey's Star Traders at 7:00 pm, as usual ... to buy our party merchandise.

UGH! and GRRRR!

They wheeled out a small cart of stuff. The top and one full side were filled with blankets that you could buy anytime, anyday, anywhere at the parks. Nothing special or MVMCPish about them!! At all.

One side of the "wheeled out cart" had NINE (repeat: 9) MVMCP t-shirts on it. At 7 pm!?! NINE??!! Really???

Three small. Three medium. And three large shirts.

My husband asked the castmember if they had any other sizes. The reply: "Whatever we have is out." REALLY?!?! Thousands of party-goers and you bring out NINE shirts??? Gimme a break. In prior years, they were more than happy to go in the back to retrieve add'l sizes and shirts.

Upon closer examination ... the MVMCP t-shirts didn't even have this year's date on them!! GRRRRR!

$250 on the party for our family of 4. And I typically will spend another $250-300 on MVMCP merchandise.

So we trekked over to the MVMCP merchandise location next to the Hall of Presidents.

They still only had t-shirts (with no date/year!!) ... but at least the CMs were steadily bringing out a stream of them in many assorted sizes.

In prior years, they have had various MVMCP items available for purchase, including: Christmas ornaments, coffee mugs, blankets, hats, and more!!

If it keeps going downhill, I'll be able to save even more $ ... like the $250 MVMCP entrance fee.

Disney. HATE the cutbacks!!!

 

[stitch34]

I wasn't impressed either. Went to party on 11/30. We always get at least a pin or two... but wasn't even impressed with the styles of the pins this year. Usually we can't decide, love so many... this year settled for the chip & dale one.

BUT... we went to Star Traders right at 7:00... and they, as you said, wheeled out the little display with party merchandise on it... and people went CRAZY!!!!!!! could barely look at it. honestly, within a minute all the tshirts were gone. People were grabbing whatever... did they not care what size?
then there was a long line just to see the pins. really? Someone yelled at my friend when she went to just SEE the pins.. "hey, this is what this long line is for, get in line".
Never saw everyone going that crazy for party merchandise.
I was sooo out of there.... time is ticking on the expensive party tickets... come on, let's get OUT of here and hit some rides (plan was to squeeze in as many rides from 7-8:15 as we could and then hit dance party and see some of the first parade)

Would have loved a nice adult sweatshirt... but didn't see any?
went to another store later with party merchandise... they were totally out... just had pins.

 

[walkdmc]

I wasn't impressed with the merch either. We wound up with nothing related to the MVMCP.

We did buy a bunch of souvenirs during our trip in November but I'm very disappointed in the quality of the stuff. My Minnie key chain has 2 broken fingers, after less than one month of use. My Epcot ball ornament loop, to hold the hook, fell out when we hung it on the tree and the Advent calendar I bought is missing 1 date marker and when I called park merchandise to have 1sent, the only solution they offered was to send the whole thing back, leaving us without an Advent calendar for this year. I kept it since the kids were already attached to it and plan on getting a little marker myself but I shouldn't have to do that. We did get two lovely mugs that (knock wood) are doing just fine but other than those, the rest of the souvenirs were such poor quality, I don't think I'll be buying anything on our next visit.

I would love to see Disney get better quality merchandise.

 

[the_princess]

We went to the party on the 14th of dec. We went to all the places that had party stuff. At only one place we found 3 different pins. Where I picked up the last one of one of them. The other places only had one design left. The shop in main street had these 2 t-shirts in a couple of sizes each.

 

[ktlm]

Would have loved a nice adult sweatshirt... but didn't see any?

I really wanted a sweatshirt too. Couldn't believe that they didn't make any and only had short and long sleeved T-shirts. It is a winter Christmas party-and most likely people are going to go home to wherever they are from and wear the shirts around the holidays (not in July)- you would think they would figure that people who don't live in the deep south would like a nice holiday sweatshirt as opposed to a short sleeved T-shirt. We weren't impressed with the pins either. I had planned on bringing one home for a friend, but I didn't see any I liked well enough to buy.

Have they had sweatshirts in the past few years? We have been to MVMCP the last 3 years, and I have never bought a sweatshirt. I can't recall if that is because I didn't like the designs in the past, or because they never had any sweatshirts.

We went to MVMCP multiple times this year. We looked at the merchandise at the Emporium and a smaller shop in the park (can't remember which one)and there didn't seem to be any rush on it those places. They had plenty.
Even when we walked in the Emporium on the way out of MK at the end of the party, they were still well stocked. Seemed like there were a lot of people looking at it when we were in the shops, but not that many people buying.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

We were at the same party, the Emporium had a bit more selection, still disappointing as there weren't that many party specific items but they had at least one arm of each rack full of all the shirts. But the sizing espically on the womens shirts was disappointing, they were more like 'juniors' sizes than misses and were more 'skinny' styled than I prefer and very tight in the chest area. I think they don't have as wide appeal as they aren't as flattering on some people.

Overall both MNSSHP and MVMCP merchandise this year were disappointing for us. I think they have really cut back.

 

[ktlm]

But the sizing espically on the womens shirts was disappointing, they were more like 'juniors' sizes than misses and were more 'skinny' styled than I prefer and very tight in the chest area. I think they don't have as wide appeal as they aren't as flattering on some people.

I hate the sizing of most of the Disney T-shirts in the last couple of years. They are definitely Jr./teen sizes as opposed to adult women. I know that the current style for the younger crowd is for tighter T-shirts, but good grief anyone with a chest can't fit in their sizes. Frankly, I think there is something wrong when an adult size Small T-shirt fits my 5 year old perfectly, aside from being a little long. She has a couple of Disney adult T-shirts. I made that mistake when she really wanted one last year (when she was 4!), and after I told her it was an adult and wouldn't fit she kept begging so I told her to try it on and if it actually fit I would buy it for it thinking it would be huge and I would be off the hook. I was shocked, and stuck buying a T-shirt, when she put it on and the thing fit. It isn't like she is a huge 5 year old either.

 

[mlnbabies]

We went to the party on Dec. 4th and we were so busy that I didn't even have time to shop. My dh did shop while we were in the Princess/Prince line and he bought a CD. I didn't think to have him look for shirts or pins.

We went to MK on Wed that week and I did buy the spinner MVMCP 2011 pin. We didn't have a party ticket so we left the shops around 7p and I didn't see any shirts. Maybe they weren't out yet or they were gone?

 

[DirtyDiana]

That is so depressing! I hope they come out with better/more stuff for next year's party. I'm a sucker for Christmas merchandise and this makes me very sad to hear.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

Have they had sweatshirts in the past few years? We have been to MVMCP the last 3 years, and I have never bought a sweatshirt. I can't recall if that is because I didn't like the designs in the past, or because they never had any sweatshirts.

They usually have sweatshirts ... usually it's just the pullover type, crew neck ... but hey, at least it's something.

3-4 years ago they had sweatshirts that we LOVED (and bought 4 of for our family). They had the MVMCP logo for that year on the back of the sweatshirt and a smaller MVMCP emblem on the front chest pocket area. They are red hooded sweatshirts with full zippers. those.

I already had determined that when my boys outgrow them, I'm going to find plain red, hooded, zippered sweatshirts somewhere and have a seamstress cut out the logos and sew them on to the new, bigger size.

Desperate times call for despeate measures!

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

That is so depressing! I hope they come out with better/more stuff for next year's party. I'm a sucker for Christmas merchandise and this makes me very sad to hear.

Me too! Me too! They just don't know how many sales they're missing!!

I hope someone from WDW monitors these boards and takes appropriate action!

 

[DirtyDiana]

Me too! Me too! They just don't know how many sales they're missing!!

I hope someone from WDW monitors these boards and takes appropriate action!

Haha, I agree! I can spend a pretty penny on Xmas stuff. They are losing quite a bit of money because of this!

 

[larryz]

At the prices they're charging per ticket, they should INCLUDE a hooded sweatshirt in your size!

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

Haha, I agree! I can spend a pretty penny on Xmas stuff. They are losing quite a bit of money because of this!

Agreed!!

They can try to blame it on the economy and cutbacks, but I'm not buying it (pun intended).

From what I've seen on these boards (and in person) ... people are still taking their Disney vacations this time of year and bringing their $ down with them!

I just hope next year I can leave some of that $ in FL and come home with some MVMCP merchandise!

 

[DisneyChristmas]

We've been to MVMCP almost every year since 1996. Yes, things change. But WOW how disappointing. We used to buy dated shirts, plush characters with dates sewn on (sold at the parties only) and pins. Before the days of pins, there were FREE large party buttons. And a free family photo.

Yes, I saw all of this year's merchandise, except the pins, last year as well. Sad...

 

[mom2rtk]

I like the shirt I got this year. I was disappointed in the lack of a date. But I think I'll be even more disappointed next year if I find out the reason there was no date was so they could sell the same design next year too.

They were out of pins when I got there, well, all but one. But honestly, I wasn't disappointed. I saw them ahead of time and didn't like this year's styles at all.

I was happy that the CM in the Emporium was willing to go in back and find me the size shirt I was looking for. She wanted to say no, but at the last minute asked the other CM if she could go look.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

I like the shirt I got this year. I was disappointed in the lack of a date. But I think I'll be even more disappointed next year if I find out the reason there was no date was so they could sell the same design next year too.

I wondered if that was their intent, as well!!

Let's hope not.

 

[RMAMom]

I really hope that after 2 pages of complaints at least some of you emailed Disney. We can post our disappointment all day long but until we start telling Disney nothing will change.

I feel the same way about the merchandise for MNSSHP and I am really unhappy about not having specific park and resort merchandise!

 

[kellyg403]

I really hope that after 2 pages of complaints at least some of you emailed Disney. We can post our disappointment all day long but until we start telling Disney nothing will change.

I feel the same way about the merchandise for MNSSHP and I am really unhappy about not having specific park and resort merchandise!

I did email. I went to the party on 12/14. Also went to Star Traders. Where I go every year for my party items. No shirts, no pins and it was around 8. We had the dessert party to go to at 8:30 so it had to have been around that time. Finally got a pin at the Emporium and one tshirt. Like others said, no date. So very disappointing to me. I have one for the last 7 years in different colors and styles. I also remember the gorgeous red sweatshirt as I have one hanging in my closet. Very disappointing for me. My first thought was also that I hope they don't have the same shirts next year.

Also, I was a little sad to see the resort mugs so generic. And not a lot of resort specific merchandise.

I love WDW and usually spend a couple hundred at the party. I hate the thought of not going but the merchandise IS one of the reasons I attend, especially the pins.

Kelly

 

[chartle]

I like the shirt I got this year. I was disappointed in the lack of a date. But I think I'll be even more disappointed next year if I find out the reason there was no date was so they could sell the same design next year too.

Actually that exactly why there is no date. I have following this thread all day but didn't get a chance to post.

Once they put a date on it, it makes it perishable. After the last party they only have two things they can do with it sell it in the out stores (which kind of kills the whole exclusiveness) or destroy it. I guess they could also send it over seas like they do with all the shirts they make for the team that loses the Super Bowl.

No matter how much you say you would buy or didn't buy, there is a bean counter somewhere that looks at how much money they lose each year on unsold merchandise and the best way to fix it is to produce less and sell items that are more generic.

Its the same for the mugs and the resort merchandise. Its easier to say we need 100,000 mugs each year we can either buy them all with the same design are we can try to figure out how many we need for each of our 26 resorts.