Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

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  • 14 MPH
    MiceChatter
    • Feb 2012
    • 403

    [Question] Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

    With this week being the launch of the new iPad, it got me thinking: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

    I asked a similar question in the Disneyland thread, but I'm curious to see what the WDW folks think

    I think it would be cool for a couple of reasons:

    1) Disney, Apple, and Pixar are all connected anyway. Imagine if they all collaborated to make a different apple store. And, since Disney loves selling exclusive merchandise, they can also make things like macbook pro decals, etc etc.
    2) Area-wise, I'm not too familiar with the Orlando area, so I'm not sure where the closest Apple stores are. But in Anaheim, the closest Apple store is around 20 mins away.
    3) Because WDW is an international destination, they could rake in a lot of dollars from these tourists. Look at what happened this week with the new iPad. The first batch sold out, and if you live outside the US you'll have to wait longer. Now, if you're from outside the US, you're visiting the parks, you have a chance to grab one without driving to the other stores.

    Anyway, these are a few ideas. Let me know what you think.


    Disneyland - 1982 to Present
    Walt Disney World - 1996, 2011
    Tokyo Disney Resort - 2013
    Hong Kong Disneyland - 2013


  • flynnibus
    MiceChatter
    • Jun 2006
    • 15844

    #2
    Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

    I'd wager apple wouldn't want to give up the money Disney would expect from a DTD resident. I bet Disney not only has fixed rents, but probably revenue sharing with DTD tenants.
    Check out my blog - Coreplex: Rambling from inside the Grid


    Am I evil? yes, I am
    Am I evil? I am man, yes, I am

    Originally posted by sleepyjeff
    Disneyland was meant to be sipped not chug-a-lugged

    Comment

    • goofy donald
      MiceChatter
      • Jan 2011
      • 2319

      #3
      Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

      Originally posted by 14 MPH View Post
      With this week being the launch of the new iPad, it got me thinking: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

      I asked a similar question in the Disneyland thread, but I'm curious to see what the WDW folks think

      I think it would be cool for a couple of reasons:

      1) Disney, Apple, and Pixar are all connected anyway. Imagine if they all collaborated to make a different apple store. And, since Disney loves selling exclusive merchandise, they can also make things like macbook pro decals, etc etc.
      2) Area-wise, I'm not too familiar with the Orlando area, so I'm not sure where the closest Apple stores are. But in Anaheim, the closest Apple store is around 20 mins away.
      3) Because WDW is an international destination, they could rake in a lot of dollars from these tourists. Look at what happened this week with the new iPad. The first batch sold out, and if you live outside the US you'll have to wait longer. Now, if you're from outside the US, you're visiting the parks, you have a chance to grab one without driving to the other stores.

      Anyway, these are a few ideas. Let me know what you think.
      Being completely honest I think its a kind of counter productive idea, people buy things like Ipads, Ipods, mac books ect, and bring them to Disney. almost no one is going to buy these items on their vacation unless it breaks. my opinion would be to have a small novelty store that sells covers, skins, accessories ect, and get that all officially licensed as apple gear by the main company. I would love that, however an apple store would most likely go broke in a very short amount of time in DTD.

      Comment

      • Disney Romantic
        Not a Crook
        • Sep 2009
        • 440

        #4
        Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

        Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
        I'd wager apple wouldn't want to give up the money Disney would expect from a DTD resident. I bet Disney not only has fixed rents, but probably revenue sharing with DTD tenants.
        I'm not quite sure about that. Most Apple stores are in more upscale malls or in prime real estate, so they have to be paying pretty high overhead for their existing locations. I doubt Disney would be substantially more, and the close relationship between the companies might result in a good deal for both sides.

        I think it would fit fine into Downtown Disney, and it would be neat to see what store design they'd develop. I'd definitely appreciate a slightly closer location for when I have to drop in for something.
        "A paradise for children--and for grownups, too. I don't know when I've had so much fun."-Richard Nixon on Disneyland

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        • 14 MPH
          MiceChatter
          • Feb 2012
          • 403

          #5
          Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

          Points well taken. I'm thinking it might work better in Disneylands DTD rather in WDW, because a majority of the visitors in the former are locals. So they would probably more willing to buy things at Apple store. Plus, Best Buy put up a kiosk that sells electronics, so its clear there is some interest. Does DTD in WDW have one?


          Disneyland - 1982 to Present
          Walt Disney World - 1996, 2011
          Tokyo Disney Resort - 2013
          Hong Kong Disneyland - 2013


          Comment

          • aashee
            Skeevy Ray Vaughan
            • Aug 2006
            • 38338

            #6
            Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

            Not only would it be good for DTD, but it would also bring a lot of foot traffic to the area. There aren't many apple stores around, so it'd be GREAT for DTD. However, there is no reason Apple would want to pay that inflated rent when they could set up a shop in an abandoned 7-11 and still be packed.

            Comment

            • KingEric
              is in Antarctica
              MiceChat Round-Up Crew
              • Oct 2007
              • 4450

              #7
              Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

              International visitors right now leave Disney property to get to an Apple store here in Orlando either at the Florida Mall or the Mall of Millennia.

              So personally if I were Disney and I wanted to keep people on property and spending money, I would most deff build an apple store.
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              • flynnibus
                MiceChatter
                • Jun 2006
                • 15844

                #8
                Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                Originally posted by goofy donald View Post
                Being completely honest I think its a kind of counter productive idea, people buy things like Ipads, Ipods, mac books ect, and bring them to Disney. almost no one is going to buy these items on their vacation unless it breaks.
                You miss the fact that the US is so cheap compared to the rest of the world. International visitors (which WDW is one of the biggest draws in the country) would flock to buy Apple gear at US prices. They do it constantly because of the tax and currency differences. That reason alone is why they would want to setup shop.

                ---------- Post added 03-12-2012 at 05:04 PM ----------

                Originally posted by Disney Romantic View Post
                I'm not quite sure about that. Most Apple stores are in more upscale malls or in prime real estate, so they have to be paying pretty high overhead for their existing locations. I doubt Disney would be substantially more, and the close relationship between the companies might result in a good deal for both sides.
                Big difference between paying high rent (which you offset with high volume) and having to do something like revenue share.. which you can't offset except with higher prices. Remember this Apple we're talking here.. king of price fixing and ruthlessly taking everyone's money and expecting the OTHER guy to accommodate them.

                IMO - If Apple were looking to capitalize on WDW crowds - they'd be better off just setting up shop in the airport.
                Last edited by flynnibus; 03-12-2012, 01:21 PM.
                Check out my blog - Coreplex: Rambling from inside the Grid


                Am I evil? yes, I am
                Am I evil? I am man, yes, I am

                Originally posted by sleepyjeff
                Disneyland was meant to be sipped not chug-a-lugged

                Comment

                • 14 MPH
                  MiceChatter
                  • Feb 2012
                  • 403

                  #9
                  Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                  Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
                  IMO - If Disney were looking to capitalize on WDW crowds - they'd be better off just setting up shop in the airport.
                  Isn't there a WDW store in the Orlando airport already? I thought I saw one there the last time I went.


                  Disneyland - 1982 to Present
                  Walt Disney World - 1996, 2011
                  Tokyo Disney Resort - 2013
                  Hong Kong Disneyland - 2013


                  Comment

                  • flynnibus
                    MiceChatter
                    • Jun 2006
                    • 15844

                    #10
                    Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                    Originally posted by 14 MPH View Post
                    Isn't there a WDW store in the Orlando airport already? I thought I saw one there the last time I went.
                    Typo on my part.. I meant if APPLE wanted to capitalize on WDW crowds... just open a store in the airport
                    Check out my blog - Coreplex: Rambling from inside the Grid


                    Am I evil? yes, I am
                    Am I evil? I am man, yes, I am

                    Originally posted by sleepyjeff
                    Disneyland was meant to be sipped not chug-a-lugged

                    Comment

                    • goofy donald
                      MiceChatter
                      • Jan 2011
                      • 2319

                      #11
                      Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                      Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
                      You miss the fact that the US is so cheap compared to the rest of the world. International visitors (which WDW is one of the biggest draws in the country) would flock to buy Apple gear at US prices. They do it constantly because of the tax and currency differences. That reason alone is why they would want to setup shop.


                      Well considering I'm international I should probably know something about this . Myself along with many other internationals know the way to go is getting to the big box stores and the outlet malls and shopping there. we don't go to the regular us stores unless we absolutely have to. the entire purpose of shopping in the us is to save money so you can save a couple hundred bucks by hitting these places. that's why you rarely see non domestic people shopping for non Disney merchandise on property for the most part, because they will just remember it and get the same thing or a similar item or half price later. Keep in mind as well the US is only cheap for domestic products, just like any country. if they are importing say a brand from another country its going to be more expensive then in the country of origin so your statement doesn't really work across the board.

                      Comment

                      • flynnibus
                        MiceChatter
                        • Jun 2006
                        • 15844

                        #12
                        Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                        Originally posted by goofy donald View Post
                        if they are importing say a brand from another country its going to be more expensive then in the country of origin so your statement doesn't really work across the board.
                        Uhh.. we're talking about Apple.. thought that was pretty clear.

                        Canada isn't really international in this sense. You're currency is close to the US and you have a free trade zone between the US and Canada. Compare this to countries in Europe where they have 15-25% VAT taxes, plus other currency leverage.. and that explains why you see people buy multiple iPads at once, etc.
                        Check out my blog - Coreplex: Rambling from inside the Grid


                        Am I evil? yes, I am
                        Am I evil? I am man, yes, I am

                        Originally posted by sleepyjeff
                        Disneyland was meant to be sipped not chug-a-lugged

                        Comment

                        • goofy donald
                          MiceChatter
                          • Jan 2011
                          • 2319

                          #13
                          Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                          Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
                          Uhh.. we're talking about Apple.. thought that was pretty clear.

                          Canada isn't really international in this sense. You're currency is close to the US and you have a free trade zone between the US and Canada. Compare this to countries in Europe where they have 15-25% VAT taxes, plus other currency leverage.. and that explains why you see people buy multiple iPads at once, etc.
                          "You miss the fact that the US is so cheap compared to the rest of the world" just responding to your point here.

                          Yes Canada would still very much so be considered international in my books. regardless of if our currency has been on par and been switching between slightly greater and slightly lesser in value with the us for some time now, Canadian's still pay quite a bit more for American products, everything from soft drinks to books to cars. regardless of the fact that Europeans pay more due to taxes, Canadians still suffer a great deal from this and can expect as much as 25% price hikes on some products due to an aged system that hasn't caught up to the fact that the Canadian dollar is no longer laughable as it was in the early 80's and has in fact surpassed the US dollar on quite a few occasions in recent history. it really is brutal and wrong. If you want an example of this next time you buy a book look over the bar-code and read the difference between the us and the Canadian price.

                          Comment

                          • TylerDurden
                            MiceChatter
                            • Jul 2011
                            • 1362

                            #14
                            Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                            One important thing to note--who's going to buy anew iPad/iPod/MacBook on their vacation? It requires extensive setup, backing up from other computers, etc. I wanna be at Disney on my vacations, not trying to figure out how the new gadgets work. I doubt many far travelers would want to return with investments much larger than park souvenirs anyway considering they probably already came with some form of them.

                            In Anaheim it might work due to the large local audience

                            Comment

                            • KingEric
                              is in Antarctica
                              MiceChat Round-Up Crew
                              • Oct 2007
                              • 4450

                              #15
                              Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                              Originally posted by TylerDurden View Post
                              One important thing to note--who's going to buy anew iPad/iPod/MacBook on their vacation? It requires extensive setup, backing up from other computers, etc. I wanna be at Disney on my vacations, not trying to figure out how the new gadgets work. I doubt many far travelers would want to return with investments much larger than park souvenirs anyway considering they probably already came with some form of them.

                              In Anaheim it might work due to the large local audience
                              Apples require almost no set up time. I bought another ipad this weekend, had it synced and set up in 1 or 2 minutes. They are the best grab and go products out there.
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                              • flynnibus
                                MiceChatter
                                • Jun 2006
                                • 15844

                                #16
                                Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                                Guys.. this isn't 'speculation' about international buyers - it's simple proven facts.

                                People buy this stuff here because they save so much money over the taxes, VAT, and currency leverage. They buy it, throw in the suitcase and enjoy it later.

                                They do it on all kinds of high end electronics. It's the whole reason there are 'grey markets' in the first place.

                                Things like camera gear, electronics, etc are all highly sought after here due to the price advantages. It's simple reality and people do it constantly.

                                It's the whole idea of 'duty free' but to a much higher level. Americans don't understand Duty Free shops because we don't have the types of duties and VAT taxes that are common in other parts of the world.

                                ---------- Post added 03-12-2012 at 06:14 PM ----------

                                Originally posted by TylerDurden View Post
                                One important thing to note--who's going to buy anew iPad/iPod/MacBook on their vacation? It requires extensive setup, backing up from other computers, etc.
                                If its something that requires setup.. they take it home! This is not about buying gear for consumption now.. for these audiences it's about saving 10-50+% off what they would pay at home.
                                Check out my blog - Coreplex: Rambling from inside the Grid


                                Am I evil? yes, I am
                                Am I evil? I am man, yes, I am

                                Originally posted by sleepyjeff
                                Disneyland was meant to be sipped not chug-a-lugged

                                Comment

                                • goofy donald
                                  MiceChatter
                                  • Jan 2011
                                  • 2319

                                  #17
                                  Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                                  Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
                                  Guys.. this isn't 'speculation' about international buyers - it's simple proven facts.

                                  People buy this stuff here because they save so much money over the taxes, VAT, and currency leverage. They buy it, throw in the suitcase and enjoy it later.

                                  They do it on all kinds of high end electronics. It's the whole reason there are 'grey markets' in the first place.

                                  Things like camera gear, electronics, etc are all highly sought after here due to the price advantages. It's simple reality and people do it constantly.

                                  It's the whole idea of 'duty free' but to a much higher level. Americans don't understand Duty Free shops because we don't have the types of duties and VAT taxes that are common in other parts of the world.


                                  Yep this is very true, all you have to do is take the tags off and leave boxes and most outer packaging behind and you don't even need to pay duties on the items. as for the higher end electronics, its true for the western hemisphere but the real deals are found in the Asian markets and online through said markets. Its like I said before, its always cheaper to buy the product from where it comes from.

                                  Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
                                  If its something that requires setup.. they take it home! This is not about buying gear for consumption now.. for these audiences it's about saving 10-50+% off what they would pay at home.
                                  this is true but that's an argument against the original point of having apple store at DTD, you can save even more money at a big box store and there are many in the area of most outlet malls making it convenient that they can do all of their non souvenir shopping in one location.

                                  Comment

                                  • 14 MPH
                                    MiceChatter
                                    • Feb 2012
                                    • 403

                                    #18
                                    Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                                    Originally posted by flynnibus View Post
                                    Typo on my part.. I meant if APPLE wanted to capitalize on WDW crowds... just open a store in the airport
                                    Airports would be perfect for that purpose, but I noticed that things are always overpriced more.

                                    On another note, I noticed many comments saying "who is going to buy ipad, imac, etc. while they are on vacation?" Yes this can be true as well. The same thing can be said of other stores in Downtown Disney, where you can probably find it outside the property.

                                    I'm sure Orlando has it's own share of locals who frequent Downtown Disney. Maybe this could benefit them more?


                                    Disneyland - 1982 to Present
                                    Walt Disney World - 1996, 2011
                                    Tokyo Disney Resort - 2013
                                    Hong Kong Disneyland - 2013


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                                    • Twist1234
                                      MiceChatter
                                      • Oct 2008
                                      • 620

                                      #19
                                      Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                                      Originally posted by KingEric View Post
                                      Apples require almost no set up time. I bought another ipad this weekend, had it synced and set up in 1 or 2 minutes. They are the best grab and go products out there.
                                      You need a PC (a Mac is also a "PC" EI: Personal Computer) with iTunes installed to "synch" the thing. If you don't get it I hate iTunes the thing gets in the way for no reason, my Android tablet/phone can be just turned on without any synching BS and when I want to add a file to I just click and drag with anything which has a file manager.


                                      As for having an Apple store in WDW I see a few reasons against it but there is potentials for sales. Jobs was part of the board of directors and people are always suckers for their overpriced products. Then again like others have pointed out people bring them to the park. Plus I have no clue how the hell you would bring an iMac or Mac Pro with you on the plane ride back (I can imagine the faces of the blokes at TSA). It would make more sense at another park.


                                      Comment

                                      • josefalero
                                        around for awhile
                                        • Aug 2009
                                        • 15

                                        #20
                                        Re: Would an Apple Store belong in Downtown Disney?

                                        Originally posted by Twist1234 View Post
                                        You need a PC (a Mac is also a "PC" EI: Personal Computer) with iTunes installed to "synch" the thing.
                                        Wrong. See iOS 5
                                        Originally posted by Twist1234 View Post
                                        If you don't get it I hate iTunes the thing gets in the way for no reason, my Android tablet/phone can be just turned on without any synching BS and when I want to add a file to I just click and drag with anything which has a file manager.
                                        When I want to sync my phone with my computer I turn on iCloud and all my contacts, calendars, music, pictures ect are automatically synced. I can even use iTunes Match to have access to my whole music library without one sync. The backup of my phone is done in the background when it is plugged in charging at night. Enjoy your file manager.

                                        Comment

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