Homogenization of the parks

[dpuck1998]

As a major Disney consumer I have a small observation. I never had and never will buy anything that has disneyworld and disneyland on the item or package. I can't stand seeing items that are sold in both parks and can't even go far enough to list on one of the two parks. I HATE IT!! ALOT!! I WILL NOT BUY IT!!

 

[luke]

Agree, I hate it too.
We visit Disneyland Paris more than WDW and also see things made for "Disney Parks" which I have also seen in WDW, so the homogenization is not just over WDW and DL.
Also I find that in Disneyland Paris the selection of things on sale rarely changes, even if we haven't visited for the best part of a year, which also annoys me

 

[Commando2319]

Me too. I always buy a stuffed animal for every visit. But I always look for those with labels Disneyland or DisneyWorld. When it says both or just says Disney, there is no point. I could just buy that at the Disney store near my home or online.

It is no longer a special momento of my trip. (

 

[WaltD4Me]

You go Dpuck! I totally agree. I hate the "Disney Parks" stuff and will take the pledge with you never to buy any of it!

It's such a shame what has been done to Disney merchandise. It's hard to even find park specific unique items within WDW itself. Animal Kingdom has quite a bit, but there isn't much that is specific to Epcot, DHS or even Magic Kingdom anymore. A couple t-shirts here and there, maybe a mug or a pin if you are lucky, but not many choices. I collect Disney World coffee mugs. Last trip, I kid you not, I could not find one DHS mug, there were mugs for Tower of Terror and RNR, ect...but none just for the DHS the park itself and at MK I only found two that said Magic Kingdom. Same at the resorts, I searched high and low and finally found a Polynesian mug, but not one Old Key West mug.

And don't even get me started on WDW sweatshirts. Disney World used to have the coolest, most imaginative and best quality sweatshirts anywhere. They weren't cheap, but they were so nice, they were worth it. Now they still aren't cheap, but the quality is way down, most everything is screenprinted and you see the same ones in every shop. No variety, nothing special. It's so sad and disappointing and I doubt the trend will change, it's only going to get worse.

 

[lttlmc3]

I totally agree! How frustrating!

 

[dpuck1998]

I used to buy a towel from each resort stay (a nice reminder when we are swimming at home), I always bought a pin from each resort, I always bought a mug when they had resort mugs. NO LONGER, They aren't anything I can't get at the store and don't have memories of the stay. I still try to find something, but I don't buy nearly as much as I did in the past.

 

[safetymom]

Have you let Disney know when you pass up these items? Just curious.

 

[mikelan6]

Have you let Disney know when you pass up these items? Just curious.

I'm sure they have statistics of what sells and what doesn't. For better or worse, their stuff seems to sell no matter what.

 

[cathie1327]

I think what really aggrivates me is when you go into 5 different stores within the park, and it's the same stinkin stuff in each one!!!!! We stayed at an all star resort and I was looking for a photo frame to buy, but waited until the end hoping to find some different selection between what was in the resort shop and what was in the different parks. NOPE. They had ride specific frames, but as far as WDW frames, they were the same everywhere we went! It's very disappointing.

I get to the point that I am bored shopping after the first couple of days (except for in world show case of course) because everything is the same all around.

On a similar note, last year, DBF's parents went to Disneyland while we went to WDW....his mom and I ended up with the exact same magnet, except it just has the different parks' name on it. Couldn't they come up with anything original???

 

[WaltD4Me]

Have you let Disney know when you pass up these items? Just curious.

I have actually sent two actual letters in envelopes with stamps! I felt the issue deserved better than emails. I received a generic response from one letter and nothing from the other.

 

[tickledtink33]

When I first started visiting WDW many years ago, one of my favorite things to do was to spend a day shopping at all the resorts. Every resort store had some merchandise that was unique to that location only. I'm not just talking about Disney merchandise either. The Contemporary had fashionable mens and womens clothing and jewelry (non Disney). The Poly had clothing with a tropical flair. (again non Disney) Port Orleans Riverside (Dixie Landing) had country kitchen items and clothing. Coronado Springs had lots of southwestern sterling silver jewely. These are just a couple of examples. There are only a few places left on WDW property to find unique merchandise. One of the biggest areas of course being the shops in the countries in Epcot's World Showcase. And even these have been watered down over the years. Heck, those thin cookies they sell in Norway are a constant staple at my local Christmas Tree Shop and no I'm not kidding. I used to leave WDW with half a suitcase full of cool stuff I'd purchesed. These days Disney is lucky if I spend $50 on souveniers. There is just usually nothing interesting or unique that I want.

 

[dpuck1998]

Have you let Disney know when you pass up these items? Just curious.

So far I've only used the power of money (or lack of spending it) to make my point.

 

[BriarRosie]

It's not just the parks. Not just merchandise.

If you noticed over the past couple of years, all the resort lounges now have a standardized drink menu. You can get a blue Glowtini everywhere. But a lot of resorts cut back on their specialty drinks.

And I was given the Disney Spin when I wrote to voice my displeasure over the decision to remove foie gras from the restaurants. Apparently it was due to "guest demand", like every other change.

 

[MODisFan]

We have the Disney Visa card and use the points to purchase our momentos. Lately, we've been coming home with points because there isn't much that catches my eye. Like a previous poster mentioned, I like to search for the unique items that aren't in every store. That search is becoming more like finding a needle in a haystack.

 

[WaltD4Me]

The thing I don't understand about the homginization of merchadise is how it is helping? If you go to WDW and see the same thing in every shop, don't you stop going in every shop? If every shop sells the same 10 t-shirts, don't you just get the one or maybe two t-shirts (if that) that you like out of those 10 and that's it? How is that making Disney money?

Back in the day, I could walk out of every shop with something. In 1998 I came home with TWELVE mugs...this past trip October 2008, I came home with TWO. Because they were all the same everywhere. In 1998 I bought three embroidered sweatshirts, October 2008, NONE. I didn't like any of the cheap generic screenprinted ones I saw at every shop.

Now, in Pete's words, I am a rapid fan, but wouldn't even casual vistors buy more with more variety?

 

[ADP]

I am a rapid fan

There's you problem....You're shopping way too fast!


I agree with all of you. I've been going to the parks since 1994. Walking into the shops and seeing the same merchandise is disappointing. We usually do all of our shopping at World of Disney so we can save the 10%. We do purchase items at World Showcase because you usually can't find those items at World of Disney.

We also don't find ourselves not bringing home as much as we used to. I guess the only way it helps Disney is they don't need to create as much unique merchandise and risk the chance it may not sell. That would be a total loss for Disney. Just a total guess though.

 

[Crystal824]

I agree. Like a PP, we used to buy beach towels from each resort. We needed them at home for swimming so it was a nice reminder of our vacation. We stayed at Poly last March and we couldn't find a beach towel that said Polynesian.

Other things like the Ponchos were different colors at different parks and stated the park they came from have disappeared as well. There was always alot of the same general merchandise in alot of stores; I didn't mind it because there were other items too. Those items also indicated they were from WDW not Disney parks. It is getting ridculous now. Everything says Disney Parks because it is cheaper to mass produce this stuff. I like others have noticed a downgraded quality, as well. The price on the other hand has not been downgraded.

 

[catycatcat4]

I hate how every thing is pretty much the same. like one time when i was staying at a wdw hotel. I saw a pirate sword that i was waiting for the day we go to magic kingdom to buy and it was there in the animal kingdom.

But i never get tired of shopping.

 

[wishspirit]

Other things like the Ponchos were different colors at different parks and stated the park they came from have disappeared as well. There was always alot of the same general merchandise in alot of stores; I didn't mind it because there were other items too. Those items also indicated they were from WDW not Disney parks. It is getting ridculous now. Everything says Disney Parks because it is cheaper to mass produce this stuff. I like others have noticed a downgraded quality, as well. The price on the other hand has not been downgraded.

I take issue with the Ponchos! My parents bought some back from their trip last year, so me and my mom can use them again this year. They just said 'Disney Parks' on the back. Very disapointing, i could of bought a boring some from the pound shop (dollar store) for that!!

I think this is just plain LAZY! Too lazy to source suppliers, too lazy to think of new ideas, too lazy to think that customers like variety and way to lazy to think about their fans. It may work well for a while, but when their profits drop because no one wants to see the same old rubbish all over again, then they may start thinking. Notice they used to have items with little known Disney characters on them?? Where have they gone?? If I want to find anything with Mulan or New Groove, it's an impossibility!!

Their biggest profit is in their 'tangible memories', they should be putting the most effort into them!

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Add me to the hate it list. My husband and I had shirts from each resort we stayed at. Needless to say we cant replace them when they get worn out. That kind of sucks. I first noticed it on my sons Mickey Light saber a few years back. Yeah it takes some of that magic away.