Resort Merchandising Rant...EXACTLY!

[WaltD4Me]

Loved Pete's rant about Resort Merchandise. He got it exactly right...We want things that remind of us of that trip. Not a ton of stuff with the year on it. Every dayI pick up one of my various Disney mugs and immediately enjoy a memory or two of the trip when I bought that mug. I was thrilled to find an Old Key West mug on our last trip. It's kinda ugly, but it is an actual mug with Old Key West on it and I love it. I will be emailing Tom Skaggs and hope everyone else does too!


I also totally agree about the coffee too, but I just bring my own now.

 

[mdvlprof]

Will be sending that email. Disney is great, but certainly would like momento from resort/hotel.

 

[funkmaster]

I just got back from our vacation at Disney and while I was there I saw some drinking/punch glasses/dishes in the Polynesian Resort store (Bou-tiki?). I wasn't able to find them anywhere else on Disney property (including World of Disney) and now that I have returned to the UK I can't find them online either - even on Disney Parks website.

They aren't the frosted ones that come up currently on Ebay, they are clear with the shape of a face on them on both sides. I would probably describe them as Polynesian Face Punch Glasses. I think they were around the $12.95-$14.95 each.

Does anyone know where I can buy these - I'm really fed up that I can't find them now that I've no way of going to the Poly. Or will I be able to contact the store direct and buy them over the phone?

Thanks in advance!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

The only resorts that still had resort merchandise was the Polynesian and Grand Floridian, which I saw in December 2010 when I was at WDW. However the merchandise was basically the same items they had when I was there in August 2010, so it was nothing new. Now at the Commander Porter’s store in the Grand Floridian back in August 2010 the Cast Member working there said they were getting a new Grand Floridian logo to sell brand new resort merchandise, since they were not getting in any of their old resort merchandise. Back then I saw a shirt I liked and they didn't have my size. However last month when I was back there I didn't see the new items I was told about so I am not sure what happened to it.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I forgot to mention that a few years ago I purchased myself a Contemporary logo jacket at their Bay View Gifts store which I still wear today, so like Pete said in his rant that is something which will last me forever because it was specifc to where I was staying at.

Now since then we have had two amazing stays at the Boardwalk Inn I am very disappointed that they don't have any specific resort merchandise from there. In fact last month when I was having dinner at the Sweet Tomatoes in the Crossroads Plaza I saw someone there wearing a Disney's Boardwalk hoddie that looked so nice and I said to myself what a shame they don't sell that anymore.

 

[medicjch]

Does anyone know where I can buy these - I'm really fed up that I can't find them now that I've no way of going to the Poly. Or will I be able to contact the store direct and buy them over the phone?

Thanks in advance!

You should be able to call the Disney Merchandise line and they could probably help you purchase it. I don't have the number in front of me right now, but someone else might.

 

[lugnut33]

I just did a quick search and couldn't find it, but there is a Walt Disney World shirt that has Walt on it and he's walking down Main Street..... Main Street at Disneyland. You can see Sleeping Beauty's Castle in the background.

 

[luna99]

I agree!! To me, staying at the resorts is a HUGE part of my Disney trip and I love getting items that are resort specific.

I'm going to write a letter as well, but I went to the show notes and followed the "give us our damn t-shirts back" link but got "page not found".

can anyone direct me to Tom Staggs' email or give it to me directly?

thanks!

 

[WaltD4Me]

Here is the thing I don't understand.......how is this a good business decision?
Since the park stores are primarily all selling the basically the same things. Same t-shirts, same 2011 items, ect...how does it make them money to offer those items at the resorts? How many 2011 t-shirts do they think someone is
going to buy? Seems to me if there was resort merchandise, people would buy the 2011 shirt (for example) AND a shirt, mug, keychain, ect...from their resort. I know people are cutting back on merchandise spending, but how does offering less for them to choose from get them to spend more money?

 

[luna99]

Here is the thing I don't understand.......how is this a good business decision?
Since the park stores are primarily all selling the basically the same things. Same t-shirts, same 2011 items, ect...how does it make them money to offer those items at the resorts? How many 2011 t-shirts do they think someone is
going to buy? Seems to me if there was resort merchandise, people would buy the 2011 shirt (for example) AND a shirt, mug, keychain, ect...from their resort. I know people are cutting back on merchandise spending, but how does offering less for them to choose from get them to spend more money?

so true! and also, resort specific items would serve as a sort of advertisement for years to come I would think. Maybe a family who doesn't vacation at Disney as often as some of us might one day pick up their Port Orleans coffee mug and suddenly think "wow, you know we had a great time at that resort... maybe we should go back". I suppose anything with Disney on it might do the same, but for me personally, staying at the resorts has a special charm about it and I get super excited just choosing which resort to stay at.

 

[WaltD4Me]

so true! and also, resort specific items would serve as a sort of advertisement for years to come I would think. Maybe a family who doesn't vacation at Disney as often as some of us might one day pick up their Port Orleans coffee mug and suddenly think "wow, you know we had a great time at that resort... maybe we should go back". I suppose anything with Disney on it might do the same, but for me personally, staying at the resorts has a special charm about it and I get super excited just choosing which resort to stay at.

Hey Luna! Long time no see!

I also think resort merchandise is one of those things that appeals to more than just the Disney nuts like us. In some respects, I can sort of understand looking to cut corners on merchandise, I don't LIKE it, but I understand where it is saving them money ordering larger quantities of the same thing for the parks because the more casual visitor wasn't buying as much, but I think even alot of casual visitors would spring for something from the parks and something from their resort.

 

[lugnut33]

They were still making money on resort merchandise, just not enough margin to keep it around. They probably have a 200% rule or something like that.

 

[mainegal]

I am fine with no resort specific merchandise.
I get to keep more of my money in my pocket!

 

[kbelle8995]

I think Pete hit the nail on the head yet again. There's too much of the "Disney Parks" on everything and bring back resort specific merchandise.

 

[GoofyforDisney3]

Yep everytime this topic comes up this is what goes thru my head "and they wonder why spending is down in the parks!". About the time all of the merchandise changes both in the parks AND the resorts the spending decreased. Um, you would think someone that makes way to much money in a suit would have figured this out by now.

 

[PinkBudgie]

What is even worse is when I go to DLR and pick up something that says Disneyland on one side and Walt Disney World on the other! Or something that has a ride on it but you can tell it is the WDW version, not the DLR one. Maybe that doesn't happen at WDW but I see it at DLR. Not as often as I used to, but really, at least make it specific to the resort I visited and not one from across the country! One time I bought a pack of small miniatures and got a TOT, a Woody, and a giant tree! DLR doesn't have a giant tree! DLR should stick to selling DLR, not WDW.

I can only assume you don't see DLR merchandise at WDW?

 

[WaltD4Me]

What is even worse is when I go to DLR and pick up something that says Disneyland on one side and Walt Disney World on the other! Or something that has a ride on it but you can tell it is the WDW version, not the DLR one. Maybe that doesn't happen at WDW but I see it at DLR. Not as often as I used to, but really, at least make it specific to the resort I visited and not one from across the country! One time I bought a pack of small miniatures and got a TOT, a Woody, and a giant tree! DLR doesn't have a giant tree! DLR should stick to selling DLR, not WDW.

I can only assume you don't see DLR merchandise at WDW?

No, I can't remember seeing something specific only to DLR at WDW. Alot of the park merchandise does say "Disney Parks" now instead of Disney World though, but I can't recall seeing a giant ferris wheel with a Mickey in the middle or anything. I did buy my nephew a Disney semi truck one year though and one side of the trailer had Disney World on it and the other side was Disneyland. I was really annoyed because you didn't know that until you opened the package.

 

[PinkBudgie]

No, I can't remember seeing something specific only to DLR at WDW. Alot of the park merchandise does say "Disney Parks" now instead of Disney World though, but I can't recall seeing a giant ferris wheel with a Mickey in the middle or anything. I did buy my nephew a Disney semi truck one year though and one side of the trailer had Disney World on it and the other side was Disneyland. I was really annoyed because you didn't know that until you opened the package.

See, that two sided truck is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about. And putting Disney Parks on things sounds like they want the option to use it anywhere- DLR, WDW, DLP...

 

[dansyr2514]

I e-mailed disney about all of this after our trip in Oct. I even talked to one of the managers in the men's store in the GF and he told me to let Disney know about how we felt. I did get a basic response but I think the more people that let their feeling be know ...the better.

 

[Halbleib1]

Did anyone try emailing yet? If so did your email go through? I keep getting a message saying my email is undeliverable.