Local Disney Stores closing

[BigBlueWho]

The disney store was the ONLY reason we went to Lynnhaven. Ever since the big remodel, the mall has sucked!

Yep. I am a sneakerhead, but I HATE the new Footlocker. The food court layout (with the doors) is stupid.

 

[here757]

Hello all, checking in from Virginia Beach; we where just informed that our local Disney Store would be closing (it closed on Jan 18th). There was no real notice, and as a family, we are pretty bummed. As far as I know, the cast members did not get a reason and had a very short notice before the holidays.
A few families (including ours) have written letters to guest relations. They have no plans to open a new store anywhere near us, and the closest one is a few hours away.

We have shopped there many times over the years, and it WAS a tradition to buy DW a plush every year at Christmas (It isn't the same on-line). Talking to other mall employees, I get the sense that there were multiple stores closing over the country this week. Is anyone else having there local stores closed? How are you dealing with it? Will letters help?

*Mods, I figured this would be the best spot for this topic, in news; please move it if I am wrong.

I was gonna say mine too.. But I'm in Norfolk.. Ur store is mine. I was in shock

 

[lubob]

Our disney store in the mall closed a couple of years ago. Luckily we have another mall about 40 min away that has a disney store in it. Shopping online is not the same . We take a ride to go to the disney store to get our fix in sometimes lol. The mall raised the rents in the store and disney did not want to pay the higher rent price. We were very sad.

 

[MamaJinji]

Oh no, they closed the Lynnhaven store? That's a huge bummer! That's been there as long as I can remember. Now where am I going to go Disney shopping?

-edit- I haven't been in the country since November - active duty Navy, currently deployed - so I didn't know anything had changed back home. I'm from the Virginia Beach area originally.

 

[BigBlueWho]

...still waiting on a response from guest relations.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

Our "regular" Disney store closed, but our outlet Disney store is alive & well. Fingers crossed the outlet store stays open as we LOVE to go there!! It's such a happy place. I was wondering...do the Disney store cast members get the same types of benefits, etc. as the park cast members do?

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

I'm still mourning the closure of the Disney Store at the Monroeville Mall, which happened sometime in the 90s. The nearest Disney Store is over an hour away. I have written several emails requesting that they consider opening a storefront in the Pittsburgh east suburbs, but of course they're not going to open a new store because one person asks. I can only hope that some others in my area have also expressed interest in a store and that someday the economy picks up enough that Disney Stores will branch out again.

I have to agree with others--Disney Store in the 90s was full of magic, had specialty merchandise and it was a unique shopping experience. Now, the stores are distinctly lacking in that special something, at least judging by the store nearest me. I can get the same merchandise at JC Penney or online, but I'm interested in that shopping experience. We've gone to some special events at the Disney Store and I can guarantee we'd be loyal customers if the store was closer, but it's just not worth the hike out to the South Hills.

 

[here757]

Oh no, they closed the Lynnhaven store? That's a huge bummer! That's been there as long as I can remember. Now where am I going to go Disney shopping?

-edit- I haven't been in the country since November - active duty Navy, currently deployed - so I didn't know anything had changed back home. I'm from the Virginia Beach area originally.

My husband is retired Navy. Thank you for serving
I want to say our closest Disney store is in DC. Potomac mills. I haven't been. But the mall itself sounds like a destination! I'm willing to bet it's similar to the outlets of Williamsburg! Look great but nothing there!
U may wanna try the Disney park shopping app. Loads of stuff there.
Best of luck

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm still mourning the closure of the Disney Store at the Monroeville Mall, which happened sometime in the 90s. The nearest Disney Store is over an hour away. I have written several emails requesting that they consider opening a storefront in the Pittsburgh east suburbs, but of course they're not going to open a new store because one person asks. I can only hope that some others in my area have also expressed interest in a store and that someday the economy picks up enough that Disney Stores will branch out again.

I have to agree with others--Disney Store in the 90s was full of magic, had specialty merchandise and it was a unique shopping experience. Now, the stores are distinctly lacking in that special something, at least judging by the store nearest me. I can get the same merchandise at JC Penney or online, but I'm interested in that shopping experience. We've gone to some special events at the Disney Store and I can guarantee we'd be loyal customers if the store was closer, but it's just not worth the hike out to the South Hills.

Oh good grief...pittsburgh is a tiny city and they have plenty of bridges/tunnels...

Not that hard to get to Bethel Park or Ross Township, is it?

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

Oh good grief...pittsburgh is a tiny city and they have plenty of bridges/tunnels...

Not that hard to get to Bethel Park or Ross Township, is it?

Maybe you missed the part where I said it's over an hour away? I'm on the other side of the city from Bethel Park and depending on the time of day it could take me almost 2 hours to get to South Hills Village. And since i have to drive through the city and through both the Fort Pitt tunnels and the Liberty Tubes there's always traffic (because our roads are insane and traffic slows to a crawl through the tunnels).

Yes, Pittsburgh's small but it's also an old city that wasn't well planned and one wrong turn or missed exit can add an hour to your drive because "you can't get there from here". And you mentioned our wonderful bridges so let's not forget the Bridge from Hades where I have to cross 5 lanes of traffic in the course of about 100 yards to get into the far left lane to exit the city through the tunnel--that bridge alone is enough to make me want to cry. I make the drive a few times a year to get my Disney fix--after all, even if it takes me 2 hours to get to South Hills that's still better than 17 hours to Disney World--but it's not something that's convenient to do, and it's not an easy drive like you seem to be implying. So yeah, I'd appreciate a Disney Store on this side of the city.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Maybe you missed the part where I said it's over an hour away? I'm on the other side of the city from Bethel Park and depending on the time of day it could take me almost 2 hours to get to South Hills Village. And since i have to drive through the city and through both the Fort Pitt tunnels and the Liberty Tubes there's always traffic (because our roads are insane and traffic slows to a crawl through the tunnels).

Yes, Pittsburgh's small but it's also an old city that wasn't well planned and one wrong turn or missed exit can add an hour to your drive because "you can't get there from here". And you mentioned our wonderful bridges so let's not forget the Bridge from Hades where I have to cross 5 lanes of traffic in the course of about 100 yards to get into the far left lane to exit the city through the tunnel--that bridge alone is enough to make me want to cry. I make the drive a few times a year to get my Disney fix--after all, even if it takes me 2 hours to get to South Hills that's still better than 17 hours to Disney World--but it's not something that's convenient to do, and it's not an easy drive like you seem to be implying. So yeah, I'd appreciate a Disney Store on this side of the city.

lol...my mother grew up in murrysville...and you gave all the right answers

So your point is: penndot sucks?

Completely agree!!!

...but don't speak ill of my blessed Liberty/ft Duquesne/ft Pitt bridges...

They still beat the Throggsneck

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

lol...my mother grew up in murrysville...and you gave all the right answers

So your point is: penndot sucks?

Completely agree!!!

...but don't speak ill of my blessed Liberty/ft Duquesne/ft Pitt bridges...

They still beat the Throggsneck

I'm not saying Penndot sucks...but who on earth thinks it's a good idea to build exits and on-ramps on both sides of the highway so you never quite know when another car will try to merge or cut across your lane to get to an exit, or from what side? Guess they're just trying to keep us on our toes? Whose idea was it to build a major highway system into a major city that has to bottleneck through two very long and narrow tunnels to enter or exit said city? Who thought it would be a great idea to build roads in the city at crazy angles so you end up with awkward 5-way stops? You ever looked at a road map of the city of Pittsburgh? Most cities have a nice, logical grid pattern but a Pittsburgh road map looks like a five year old tried to make a mosaic painting by matching up a bunch of random shapes. Pittsburgh's a mess, lol.

I have to say that i have no idea what a Throggsneck is, but it sounds really bad! Or possibly it's something that could come from Harry Potter.

 

[MamaJinji]

My husband is retired Navy. Thank you for serving
I want to say our closest Disney store is in DC. Potomac mills. I haven't been. But the mall itself sounds like a destination! I'm willing to bet it's similar to the outlets of Williamsburg! Look great but nothing there!
U may wanna try the Disney park shopping app. Loads of stuff there.
Best of luck

Thank you, I do what I can.

DC seems like a very long way to go for a single store. I think my husband would make fun of me if I wanted to take a weekend trip to visit a single place. But it's tempting! I don't mind the shopping at Williamsburg, at least not when I combine it with a visit to the historical section. My kid likes it there, especially the Lego store playplace!

 

[BigBlueWho]

Where is the Lego store?

 

[MamaJinji]

It's a small place close to Colonial Williamsburg. It's not exactly a Lego store, but you pay a small amount and you can play with Legos and a few other things for a few hours. Pretty cheap entertainment, other than its somewhat out of the way location.

...I just looked it up, and it looks like it closed too. D: It was called Beyond Bricks. That's just too bad.

 

[here757]

It's a small place close to Colonial Williamsburg. It's not exactly a Lego store, but you pay a small amount and you can play with Legos and a few other things for a few hours. Pretty cheap entertainment, other than its somewhat out of the way location.

...I just looked it up, and it looks like it closed too. D: It was called Beyond Bricks. That's just too bad.

I was gonna say... Legos!! Lol .. I grew up in Newport News. Worked in Williamsburg as a teen. Now in Norfolk Never seen Lego store other then Fl.

 

[BigBlueWho]

Thanks! I have never seen that place. The toy store at the shops in Colonial Williamsburg is pretty awesome.

 

[Optimouse Prime]

Oklahoma City is another area where we lost our regular Disney stores in the malls, and if I'm remembering right, it was a very similar situation with the short notice. For some reason the mall where the store closest to us was increased their rent, and Disney Store wasn't the only tenant that was forced out. Seems like cool specialty shops are becoming a thing of the past nowadays, except in those malls that are halfway to being vacant.

 

[MamaJinji]

Thanks! I have never seen that place. The toy store at the shops in Colonial Williamsburg is pretty awesome.

It wasn't located exactly at the Colonial shops, which is probably why you haven't seen it before. But if the internet is correct (I won't have an opportunity myself to check until summer at the earliest), the place is closed anyway. Which is a shame, it was a really cool little place. In any case, I agree with you, I always make sure to stop at the toy shop there whenever I go.

Back to the subject. Does anyone know if there's any plans to build a Disney store elsewhere, like MacArthur or Greenbrier perhaps? It'll be really disappointing if there's just not going to be one in Hampton Roads at all. It's only the most populous area of Virginia.

 

[here757]

It wasn't located exactly at the Colonial shops, which is probably why you haven't seen it before. But if the internet is correct (I won't have an opportunity myself to check until summer at the earliest), the place is closed anyway. Which is a shame, it was a really cool little place. In any case, I agree with you, I always make sure to stop at the toy shop there whenever I go.

Back to the subject. Does anyone know if there's any plans to build a Disney store elsewhere, like MacArthur or Greenbrier perhaps? It'll be really disappointing if there's just not going to be one in Hampton Roads at all. It's only the most populous area of Virginia.

No. No other plans. We used to have one in Chesapeake square mall. One in Hampton. All 3 now closed wouldn't be smart to build another. Disney store reported low sales.

On another note ... Anyone else notice Sears in pembroke mall now has a Nordstrums off the rack sign?