Disney Store Disappointment

[DeltaDiamond001]

Is anyone else disappointed with the Disney Stores as of late? It seems like they've been taking a gradual downhill stroll and won't stop until they flatline.

I was in Chicago yesterday doing some Black Friday shopping (yes, I know I'm crazy) and decided to stop in the Disney Store on Michigan Ave. to find some pins I didn't already have. I looked and looked around the store, and finally ended up asking a CM where they were.

She gave me a look as if she had never encountered a guest wanting to purchase pins before, and gave me the answer that they were not put in to the store yet.

Why is it that aisles and aisles of overpriced crap can be put out with Black Friday "sale" signs, yet one small turning display of pins cannot? Why can't these "Disney" Stores make even the most feeble of attempts to appeal to a variety of audiences instead of just the fans of the most recent films?

I guess I'll have to wait until my next trip to WDW or DLC to purchase pins... It's such a shame that the Disney Stores can't even provide one of the most basic Disney collectibles...

Oh, and did I mention they only had the most generic of generic Vinylmations for sale as well? Not even a holiday themed set or ANYTHING unique!

 

[Pooh2]

Our Disney store stopped carrying pins about 2 years ago. Their clothing is very limited now as well.
I agree it is not the same!

 

[Kimberle]

I wasn't very impressed with the new Times Square store. I don't know how people can spend hours there. (Then again, I don't know how people can spend the entire day at the American Girl Doll store, either. We've been there tons and never spend more than an hour.)

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Both the disney stores near me had very nice displays of christmas merchandise. I almost fell over when one of them had villians vinylmation (I need to go back and pick up a few more before they are gone.)

But neither store carries pins. They haven't for a few years. And their snow globe selection is teeny too.

But they have tons of kids clothes, toys and misc. junk. My sister is the only family member with small kids and has told me no Disney stuff for gifts.

So I go and visit briefly and occasionally spend some money but not like I used to.

 

[disneysteve]

Is anyone else disappointed with the Disney Stores as of late?

I've been disappointed with the Disney Stores for years, ever since they turned away from their original format and merchandise. When they went from marketing to everyone including adults and collectors and focused almost 100% on little kids, we lost interest. We used to spend many hours and many hundreds of dollars there. Now we hardly ever even go in. It is really a shame. They took a great concept and totally destroyed it.

 

[FireDancer]

The only things I get at the Disney Store anymore are birthday gifts for my friend's kids or my niece/nephew. It is a kids store now, at least here. That is fine but I think they are missing out on a lot of revenue. While many of the things Disney does that I don't like I can at least justify from a profit perspective this I can't.

 

[bushdianee]

The closest Disney store is over 3 hours from me so I haven't been in one for several years since they closed ours. I used to spend a fortune in there and had recently gotten my DM into wanting to shop there for the grandkids.

 

[SaraMc]

We went to ours on wednesday night. We went to get a gift for our dd. they had Christmas vinylmation but not a great amount of detail went into them. I did enjoy the small section of muppet stuff. I do miss the old collectibles section.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

The Disney Store used to carry their own line of trading pins up until a few years ago. They discontinued them from that point on. You can probably find them on eBay, but I always thought that the ones from the parks were nicer.

Vinylmations, in a way, is a different story. While I understand your point about the ones in TDS, one needs to realize that Vinyls are considered a collectible. Not all Vinyls are available everywhere. For example, last Christmas a set of three holiday themed Vinyls were sold. In order to get them though, you had to go to three different parks as they were specific to that celebration (Epcot's was a tree with international flag ornaments, DHS had an Osbourne Lights, etc.). Some stores on property do not even have all of the Vinyl sets. I could never see TDS having all of them. I think that'd make it too easily accessible and drive the fun of collecting them down.

Just my two cents.

 

[stenogoddess]

When we visited Chicago I wanted to get a Disney Chicago T-shirt and pin like I did when we were in New York. They didn't have any Chicago pins, and the T-shirts were made out of that stiff fabric I don't like so we didn't buy anything. It was really disappointing.

 

[Disneynut5]

I HATE everything we have bought from the Disney Store. Cheap plastic from China that does not last. Two years ago I spent a small fortune on the Disney Castle doll house for DD. It began to break as soon as we got it out of the box. Bought DS the monorail set. Went through 2 before we got one that worked. The pieces are just junk! I will not buy Disney toys anymore! Don't waste your money!

 

[OKW Lover]

I've been disappointed with the Disney Stores for a while, even before they were sold to the Children's Place. I was hopeful that when Disney bought them back that they would return to their former glory. However, none of the new ones I've been in were any better.

 

[HeatherLassell]

I wouldn't know since our store closed completely last year!

 

[disneysteve]

I was hopeful that when Disney bought them back that they would return to their former glory. However, none of the new ones I've been in were any better.

Yep. I was hoping the same thing but they just followed the same downward path that Children's Place had followed. Of course, merchandising at WDW isn't a whole lot better as they've homogenized the whole experience, having all stores carry pretty much the same stuff and brought in the whole "Disney Parks" line rather than park and resort specific items.

 

[sayhello]

The Disney Store has been so crappy for so long, I kind of forgot how great they used to be!

Sayhello

 

[disneysteve]

The Disney Store has been so crappy for so long, I kind of forgot how great they used to be!

That's the problem. I remember how great they used to be. Makes dealing with them now such a huge disappointment.

 

[princessluvsapirate]

I agree .I used to love shopping at the Disney Store, Now with what little they carry I go maybe once or twice a year and most time only buy a reusable bag .

 

[kaligal]

I've been disappointed with the Disney Stores for a while, even before they were sold to the Children's Place. I was hopeful that when Disney bought them back that they would return to their former glory. However, none of the new ones I've been in were any better.

Ditto.

Back in the day, TDS was the best store in the mall.

It's so sad.

 

[topolino]

I agree with the masses here. It's been terrible since they became a kids only store, and the fact that some of them are "newly imagined" doesn't help a bit. They just look snazzier but with the same junk for sale.

 

[DisnyMama]

I so miss the days when my ds was young and we would make it a planned event to go to the mall and visit the Disney Store, the Museum Store and the Warner Bros store and then head across the parking lot to Sizzler for lunch or dinner. We could spend hours in these stores and I have especially fond memories during the holidays.

Shannon