Need a Disneyland fix but can’t afford theme park prices? Head to one of the newly designed Disney stores for some fun! My daughter and I attended the grand-opening of the Glendale Galleria’s redesigned Disney Store last weekend. The new store is beautiful! You can’t help to have a “wow” moment as you walk through the Disney threshold. Not only were guests celebrating the grand opening but they were also honoring World Wish Day! World Wish Day is a celebration of the day that sparked a global wish-granting movement by Make-A-Wish. The Disney store donated 5 percent of their gross sales venture to Make A Wish America. The day was full of free Mickey Mouse ears plus meet and greets with your favorite Disney Princesses. Like the theme park, the lines were long! I could sense the excitement amongst guests as they were waiting to be a part of the magical merriment that Disney is so good at creating!
Picture courtesy of Disney Store
Seeing that my daughter is a fan of Princesses, we spent a lot of time in the Princess “neighborhood”. My daughter’s favorite is the Lost Princess. It’s hard to not want to buy everything in this section. Also, I’m loving the summer products! I have to get my daughter the Rapunzel beach towel and bathing suit. We were also eyeing the Disney Animators’ Collection Rapunzel Doll. The large anime eyes are adorable!
We’ve actually been back to the store since last weekend’s opening. It’s so easy to lose track of time in this store. This time we went with friends and the girls played in front of the Disney Castle with Magic Mirror for a good portion of our visit. The girls browsed the store and selected items for their wish lists from the hundreds of Disney products. The theater was also a fun stop for coloring where we all watched clips from their video library.
My DD loves Rapunzel's wedding dress
– Tee
The new stores has so much for your children to enjoy. Check out the highlights!
“Unlock Imagination” at Disney Store
A unique opening ceremony takes place every single day at every new Disney Store. One lucky child is chosen each day to take part in the opening ceremony and officially ―Unlock Imagination at Disney Store with an oversized lock and key. The child also receives their very own replica key to take home as a keepsake to remind them of that special day. The ―unlocking imagination opening ceremony is a Disney Store ritual which creates magic every morning.
Pixie Dust Trail
As you enter the newly designed Disney Store, the story begins with one of Disney Store’s signature attractions, the Pixie Dust Trail. The Pixie Dust Trail is purposefully colored blue to indicate that there is something magical about to happen along the path. Storytelling ―neighborhoods are on either side of the Pixie path tempting you off your journey.
Disney Princess Neighborhood & Disney Princess Castle with Magic Mirror
The Disney Princess neighborhood is home of all the Disney Princess characters, and anchored by the iconic Disney Princess Caste with Magic Mirror. Once a child enters the castle, she encounters the magic mirror and with the wave of a wand, the princess will appear in the mirror allowing the child to become a part of the story. All the favorite princesses—Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Tiana each tell their stories through short film clips when they are brought to life by little princesses in the store. All the princess voices were recorded exclusively for the Disney Store magic mirror, and many were recorded by the original voice talent from the films.
Picture courtesy of Disney Store
Disney-Pixar CARS and Toy Story Neighborhood
The Disney-Piar CARS and Toy Story neighborhood is where all the CARS and Toy Story characters live at Disney store. Boys of all ages can race into action and find their favorite CARS diecast toys, plush, apparel, sleepwear and more. A wide assortment of everyone’s favorite toys from Toy Story is featured in this area as well, including exclusive talking action figures, figurine playsets and roleplay costumes. A playground for children to explore and interact with products from their favorite Disney films all year long, the Disney-Pixar CARS and Toy Story neighborhood is the perfect destination at Disney Store for kids of all ages to live out their ideal Disney adventure!
“Magical Trees”
Disney Store’s signature ―magical trees not only give our Store a unique identity, they help create the mood of the Store and play a role in the storytelling. The magical trees will change with the four seasons, play a part in a one of our celebrations with fireworks in the trees or simply show the franchise focus. During the summer, the trees come to life with fresh green leaves to reflect the season whereas in the autumn, they will turn a rich orange and red, and the leaves will start to fall. Guests will watch as some of Disney’s favorite characters make appearances in the trees – look out for Tinker Bell or Buzz Lightyear and Woody-themed trees celebrating Toy Story, and hidden Mickeys have also been subtly inserted into the animation that appears on the trees.
Custom Skyline
Each newly designed Disney Store has a custom skyline which incorporates Disney storytelling moments and iconic elements. The custom skyline lines the perimeter of the Store above the product, and adds another ambient effect to the design. The skyline’s light and color changes can be timed to coincide with the ―magical trees,‖ the different times of day and also some of our ceremonial rituals. Disney Store’s silhouetted skyline helps give the Store depth and the illusion that you are at the center of a much bigger magical Disney world. The Skyline includes landmarks from around the world that have been featured in Disney films, such as Big Ben (Peter Pan) and the Notre Dame (Hunchback of Notre Dame) and also features some favorite, including Dumbo, Wall-E and Eve, Peter Pan, and look out for Mickey Mouse-shaped balloons.
Disney Store Theatre
Continuing down to the end of the Pixie Dust Trail, guests will finally arrive at the ultimate payoff for their Disney Store journey, as they encounter the Disney Store Theatre. Disney Store Theatre is like a giant video library containing Disney film trailers, film clips, music videos, classic animation and more. Guests can choose from over 50 clips which can then be watched on a 12-foot long curved screen. New content will be uploaded on a regular basis to keep the experience options fresh and new every time a child enters. The Disney Store Theatre is much more than just for viewing video content, it also acts as a ―community center,‖ and will be the place where Disney Store hosts family activities and events such as Disney character drawing workshops, storytelling experiences, trivia events, and more. New activities will continually be added to the calendar to bring families back to the store over and over again.
Picture courtesy of Disney Store
To find a Disney store location visit www.disneystore.com/
We did not receive monetary compensation for this review. That’s IT Mommy attending the grand opening and received a goodie bag from Disney Store free of charge to facilitate this review. This will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service. The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.
4 comments
We just went to the remodeled store at the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square. I also felt it was a little like going to Disneyland. I loved the new decor.
That looks phenomenal! Forget about just a store…that’s an experience! Looks like SO much fun.
We love Rapunzel’s wedding dress, too! Can’t wait to check out the new store!
The store looks awesome! Wish Peter Pan would stop by with some pixie dust so we could fly to California to see it in person. =)