Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

[mdeorian]

This is a slideshow of pictures from a Disney Store location that closed a while ago.... It's really sad to look at, but also brings back memories of five wonderful years I worked in this store. One of the lowest volume stores in the chain, but very large square footage.. proudly remained open for 13 years. It will be very interesting to see the direction the stores take with Steve Jobbs spear heading the new Imagination Park concept / redesign of all stores. I still think the Pink and Green stores were truly reminiscent of the parks- unlike the new hospital glow "Mickey" designs and the earlier "Castle" and "Millenium" designs of the early 200's.

Disney Store slideshow by bbqdflamingo - Photobucket
I have heard from a cast member that the company is considering launching new store locations in some areas (such as in S.F., where there were once 3 stores- and there are now zero)... Has anyone heard anythign about this? The Disney Store president has a twitter account which he has hinted some things on, ... not sure if he's just saying that to please people or if he means it... Anyhow....

I will always hold dear the memories of working for The Disney Store. It used to be an extremely awesome place to work (prior to TCP take over- and they closed my store for the Disney takeback...)

[Baloo]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

cool pictures, i wish you had taken more pictures of all the character props in the store. those were the best part of any DIsney store.

I wonder what they do with all those props they tore out from the dozens of stores they closed. They should have had a shelve and display sell. I am sure that Disney memorabilia fans would have bought a few.

[mdeorian]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

Sadly, when they shutter store locations- the construction crews are ordered to dismantle/destroy all of the character animations. In the early 2000's when Disney closed a large number of stores, they sold some of them on the Disney Auctions website- but due to copyright issues, they then decided that when shuttering TDS locations- the characters and anything distinguishably Disney must be destroyed.

I know this first hand, the first year I worked for the company- my SM sent me to a store about 100 miles away that was closing. They had a big container in the center of the store and the dismantling crew were just throwing the characters in there, breaking them apart. It's one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

When they closed the Disney Stores in Australia, the WDC donated ALL of the animations to a children's hospital and made it a Disney Children's ward. I don't know if this hospital ward exists any longer, but I felt this was a great thing of the WDC to do. At least make something positive out of the closing of all Australian stores.

It's a shame that they just break them apart and throw them away. They could sell them and donate the money to charity, or do SOMETHING positive with them--- this is so wasteful and sad.

[SummerInFL]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

^That is sad and tragic, I know I wouldn't mind owning some of those pieces myself.

I think selling them for charity would be a wonderful idea, would certainly make a better use out of them than trashing them.

[Dustysage]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

That style of store was my favorite. I hate the way Disney Stores look these days, sort of like Kmart.

[stitchon]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

So depressing.

I remember when it seemed like EVERYONE had a store at the mall. Disney, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, Discovery Channel.. and now they are pretty much all gone. However, I got to see one of the newest Disney Stores out there (not Imagination Park, but was very similar minus the lucite trees) and while it balanced sleek and modern with some Disney touches, there weren't enough of those touches to compensate for the fact that there wasn't much Disney left in this Disney Store.

Thankfully the Disney Store in Vintage Faire is one of the old Teal and Pink stores, but for how long, I wonder...

[NeverNeverland]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

What is the disney store president's twitter name?

[dfan07]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

How very sad. The Disney Store near me still retains the classic look.

[CMHusband]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

we have a store that looks pretty much like this one here at the Westminster Mall in OC. but, they don't stock enough variety. My son and I went there yesterday to try to buy some Disney sculptures, or what-ever and ended up going to World of Disney Downtown. The local store didin't have any Christmas decorations, mostly some kind of lame toys and kids clothes. Bigger better inventories are needed!!!

[Sosai X]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

What is the disney store president's twitter name?

James Fielding

http://twitter.com/disneystoreprez

[goofystitch]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

The last remaining Disney Store in Milwaukee, WI is the pink and green design. I was happy that it was the one they chose to keep open. However, when I move back to Orlando in 2 weeks, the only option is the newer red and white design.

[Disney Liz]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

Man oh man, how I miss the old classic look of the original stores. It was a real treat walking into one and feeling like I got to be in one of the parks for a tiny bit. The merchandise was better, there was so much to look at and now there is nothing magical or fun about the new ones. They seem empty, too bright and lack everything the previous stores had. I still wander in time to time but I might as well be in a Toys R Us because there's nothing unique to them anymore.

[loveberri87]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

James Fielding

Jim Fielding (DisneyStorePrez) on Twitter

he looks like a douche.

I just saw this thread the other day and yesterday I was at the Arden Mall in Sacramento and they also made the change. A part of me died a little since that store was one of my favorites to visit as a child and even today since it did feel like going to the parks a little bit. Those displays added so much atmosphere and now it's all been cheapened down and for what? I wonder how much it cost them to do all that instead of leaving everything be. I actually had to remind my cousin of what it used to be like and she agreed with me that it should never have changed, but it saddens me that people don't even remember what the stores used to look like.

[stitchon]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

he looks like a douche.

I just saw this thread the other day and yesterday I was at the Arden Mall in Sacramento and they also made the change. A part of me died a little since that store was one of my favorites to visit as a child and even today since it did feel like going to the parks a little bit. Those displays added so much atmosphere and now it's all been cheapened down and for what? I wonder how much it cost them to do all that instead of leaving everything be. I actually had to remind my cousin of what it used to be like and she agreed with me that it should never have changed, but it saddens me that people don't even remember what the stores used to look like.

Actually, unless their Disney Store has changed recently, it's actually still the Children's Place design (with the red Mickey arch). If you want to see what the newer Disney Stores look like, go to the Roseville Galleria.. theirs is brand new.

[mikeland]

Re: Disney Store Closure - Slideshow

So sad.