Disney Store Catastrophe

RREng77 · Post by **RREng77** » Dec Sun 07, 2008 9:38 pm

Although I wouldn't want to go to the parks and find the stores full of items I've already purchased, what about giving the former or discontinued park merchandise to the Disney Stores for a couple years? That way, if you're like me and don't get to go all that often, you at least get some second pickings of the park merchandise.

Although I, too, would be happier if the new merchandise was removed from the stores, I have to admit, my kids also like Hanna Montana, HSM, etc. Those new shows still don't hold a candle to their love of MICKEY and the rest of the "original" Fab 5! (Thank goodness!!!)

boilerbabe · Post by **boilerbabe** » Dec Mon 08, 2008 11:51 am

I just remember the Disney stores selling alot of really cool merchandise. I have a Mickey tera cota pumpkin that's a jack o- latern, that was from the Disney Store, it's very old. Their clothes were a better quality too, they used to have just as much for adults as they had for children. Big people like to dress fun too!

Although I'm happy our Disney Store hasn't closed, I wish they would carry a better quality like they used to.

Soarin08 · Post by **Soarin08** » Dec Tue 09, 2008 2:22 pm

My mom used to collect those Disney coffee mugs (the ones decorated with scenes from an individual film). She's disappointed Disney stores don't carry them anymore. They don't have much of anything classic Disney anymore!!! It's so sad! I won't even go in a Disney store anymore and when I was younger, I always had to go in one before we left the mall!

Captain Schnemo · Post by **Captain Schnemo** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 6:27 pm

Future Guy wrote:What's Disney going to do when this current crop of teeny-bopper talent (Hannah Montana, the HSM cast, etc.) grows up?

Get some more disposable talent, probably.

Their target market is now obviously tween girls, so they don't care what happens once the tweens age. That audience constantly refreshes itself. Trendy stuff by definition doesn't last, so they just need to keep getting new talent and discarding them when they get old and spoil, Menudo-style.

You can't control what happens to these kids when they grow up anyway (see: Britney) so it's best to abandon them and get new content. Little kids don't care about stuff that was popular five years ago anyway.

Disney doesn't care if they create quality entertainment that everyone can enjoy (Walt did, but that's old news), they only want to make money and the marketeers have decided on this strategy for now.

It's evident in the parks as well. This is just another symptom.

Soarin08 · Post by **Soarin08** » Dec Wed 10, 2008 8:08 pm

Captain Schnemo wrote:
Future Guy wrote:What's Disney going to do when this current crop of teeny-bopper talent (Hannah Montana, the HSM cast, etc.) grows up?
Get some more disposable talent, probably.

Their target market is now obviously tween girls, so they don't care what happens once the tweens age. That audience constantly refreshes itself. Trendy stuff by definition doesn't last, so they just need to keep getting new talent and discarding them when they get old and spoil, Menudo-style.

You can't control what happens to these kids when they grow up anyway (see: Britney) so it's best to abandon them and get new content. Little kids don't care about stuff that was popular five years ago anyway.

Disney doesn't care if they create quality entertainment that everyone can enjoy (Walt did, but that's old news), they only want to make money and the marketeers have decided on this strategy for now.

It's evident in the parks as well. This is just another symptom.

Thumbs up for that post.

You're right. It seems to only be about the money now, which is a real shame.

Nz58cl · Post by **Nz58cl** » Jan Tue 13, 2009 7:52 am

I miss the old Disney stores, I do not go into the new stores since there is nothing in there that appeals to me. It is very sad.

CapnHook · Post by **CapnHook** » Jan Tue 13, 2009 10:14 am

Ours in town closed as well, when Children's Place bought them out. Like you, we we saddened since we shopped there twice a month.

We looked forward to our trip to Mall of America since their Disney Store was still open.

What a disappointment. I agree with the almost ramming HSM (to which I am allergic!) and Hannah Montana down our throats. I did manage to find some PJs for my son. (I didn't buy them though)

We always would buy the kids new PJs when we would go to WDW and they always came from the Disney store. This time, I took a look the the material, and it had to be half the thickness that they used to be. So I started to look around and noticed that the quality of pretty much everything left in the store was down from when Disney owned it. So they must be contracting with someone to make cheap junk to sell. No wonder The Disney Co. decided to buy it back, if only to close them.

Captain Schnemo wrote:
Disney doesn't care if they create quality entertainment that everyone can enjoy (Walt did, but that's old news), they only want to make money and the marketeers have decided on this strategy for now.

It's evident in the parks as well. This is just another symptom.

You are SOOOOO right.

Walt knew what he was talking about, and it is sad how they keep missing the message.

I read in one of my wife's entertainment mags this morning that the only sure bet in hollywood (with a single notable example) is animation. The animated movies are doing extremely well. How many years did Walt point that out, even though the experts disagreed?

Another trend that I'm noticing as you pointed out is the target audience. Disney Store is a great example of this. They are so worried about the tween girls that the rest of us really don't count for much. It occurs in the parks as you also pointed out. There are so many experiences aimed at the tween girls that there isn't much special for my son. Most of the programs that interested boys at all are being cancelled and or closed. Again forgetting Walt's aim of making it fun for the entire family.

I wonder if the whole phenomenon comes from the college programs in place? College students learn XYZ marketing with widgets and there isn't much thought about the product itself. In the beginning, Walt and the animators made this work, much different backgrounds. With Walt around, people were fanatically loyal to him and his vision. Now the vision isn't Walt's, isn't on Mickey, it's on a bottom line and numbers. This shows from everything from parks and resorts, to movies and yes the Disney Store, even though it was run for a short time by another company. The "Cast Members" seem to be the last bastion of Walt's way, and Management could learn a lot by listening to those special people.

jenjolt · Post by **jenjolt** » Feb Tue 17, 2009 3:42 pm

I'm another person disappointed in the Disney Store! I guess I imagine that every Disney store should be a mini version of the huge World of Disney store at DTD. Just something about walking into that store you know you have entered into Disney paradise and Disney is all around you!!!!

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Feb Tue 17, 2009 3:53 pm

I went into a Disney Store within the last week and the front area has been turned into Princess Headquarters. It's an overload for me.

husky · Post by **husky** » Feb Thu 19, 2009 7:34 pm

We watched the Apple dumpling gang last Sunday. Why can't they make movies like that anymore

Subsonic Radio

Disney Store Catastrophe

Do you like your Disney Store's merchandise?