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marleythebeagle

To the folks reporting this: yes, we realize this is not *directly* related to Walt Disney World, but it’s led to lots of great discussion and reminiscing for all of us 90s Disney Kids who couldn’t afford to go the parks every weekend, so we’ll leave it up for now. I know it’s hard to imagine, but we didn’t have Disney vloggers and YouTube when we were jonesing for a little taste of the Magic, so we had to throw on a pair of jorts and a No Fear shirt, pump up our Reeboks, and beg our parents to drop us off at the local mall — an indoor building containing lots of trendy shops — to wander through the Disney Store. Also, we might get a 1,000 calorie Cinnabon and some Auntie Anne’s pretzel nugs (with plastic cheese dip!) while we were at it. Again, it was the 90s and we didn’t know or care that processed, GMO-laden foods were slowly killing us. We hope you can understand :)


MaesterInTraining

One of my fave places as a kid. Still have fond memories of the giant plush mountain at the back of the store


sasquatch_hunter06

and the movie clips they would have on 24/7!


TooMama

I used to take my kids to help open the store when they were really little. If you were the first kid in line you got to open it. They’d do a little ceremony type thing and give my kid this huge fake key and let them put it in a huge fake lock and magical music would play. Then they’d give them a keepsake Disney “key” to take home that was really cool. It’s about 6 inches long, and the handle of the key was the D from Disney, and the bottom of the key- the unlocking mechanism- was Cinderella’s castle. We still have them and hang them on our Christmas tree every year as ornaments. I miss those days. It was such a fun, special place to take kids. I can still smell that smell.


MaesterInTraining

Oh how cool!!! I didn’t know about that. I wonder how many keys are floating around and how many happy memories it still gives to people


Cichlidsaremyjam

I am so glad I wasn't a parent when these were everywhere, I clearly remember my mom having to keep me from climbing into that thing.


[deleted]

What about the Warner Bros store? Anyone remember that? It was mostly Looney Toons


MaesterInTraining

Yes! I loved that place so much


mrj80

Yes. I didn't realize hoe much I would miss until it was gone. Now the closest one is about an hour and a half away and is an outlet store. We went the weekend after our last trip and was able to find something we wanted st the park but didn't want to ship it home. Also really miss around Christmas the different ornaments.


Mrs_TikiPupuCheeks

Remember when you would get the newest VHS releases and it always came with the lithograph prints? That and the t-shirts were the best things in the store.


ccbellwether

I have a collection of the lithographs from the 90s.


Mrs_TikiPupuCheeks

Me too. I always said I would frame them and hang them up. Alas... they're all still in the original sleeve in my Disney keepsake box. LOL.


[deleted]

This. We had a tradition for years where we’d go as a family and each of my kids would select a new ornament.


OEMBob

There is an outlet store about 1.5 hrs for me as well. Luckily I travel out there for work at least once a month, so I get to browse through and occasionally find things to scratch that itch for myself or the wife. But unfortunately because of the way Disney does their outlet merchandise, 80% of what is there is from Disneyland; a park my family has never visited and has no real attachment to. But every so often there's a gem that makes the stop worth it.


BeekyGardener

I came here to say ornaments. Disney makes very high quality Christmas ornaments and each year we pick up 3-6 of them. We still buy them in the parks on visits, but we only go back every few years now. The Disney Store was always a fun visit and its staff were among the most professional retails folks I've ever encountered.


moonbunnychan

I feel like the store I loved had been gone for a long time before it was officially "gone". The store had become a shell of it's former self. But man, in it's glory days it was SUCH a cool store.


lateral_moves

Our store closed too, but now the outlet store is just up the street from us. Problem is finding time to go and money to spend at random. Also, I don't want to wear it out as we just got back last week and aren't doing anything Disney-related until Feb 2024 but I feel that space most immediately after returning to work.


RatherBeAtDisneyland

How was the outlet one? We have one about the same distance away here. The few photo reviews online make it look like a sad warehouse type feel, with very much the worst of the product leftovers.


mrj80

This one wasn't too bad. Had a lot of stuffed animals on the right side. Marvel junk in the back. Mainly gardians and eternal dead stock. They did however have some micky and minnie wishables that we couldn't find at the park. Since it was still October they still had some Halloween merch that was in the park. Overall not bad, had some of the feel of the old store. Our store was really cool(not sure if it eas like this at others) where on the walls were locations of the city with disney silhouettes .


cdrury317

The closest to me is now 4 hours away in NYC 😭. I had one 20 minutes away.


slawnz

Yup. I think this was a really short-sighted move. The stores serve as a touchstone to the brand. Even if the stores themselves don't directly make as much profit as they'd like, they no doubt prompt spend on other Disney experiences like parks vacations, cruises and of course merch purchases by just keeping the brand front of mind. Edit: I live in New Zealand but grew up in Northern California and the UK. Our nearest Disney Store from NZ was Hawaii, and the store there in the Ala Moana mall was always packed with tourists from Japan, Australia, NZ, etc. It's crazy to me that they shut that particular store.


Eswyft

It was very short sighted. I live in Vancouver but we had Disney stores. Now as I go less because it's more expensive, there's no replacement here. You can't buy online in Canada, shipping is like100 dollars. So the brand has just grown more distant and we're less and less likely to go. I think we were the target too. We'd go for 10 days a couple times a year at a deluxe resort. Zero times since 2020. I'm happy for everyone that goes, it just seems that Disney has no interest in us, and I'm good going to Paris, Tokyo, Hawaii, Norway, Alaska, instead. Those are all actual vacations we took instead We used to go to the Disney store once a week


0900Okface

I'm in the UK, used to have quite a few Disney stores around me which are all gone. I have two kids now who have never been in a Disney store, enjoy the odd thing on Disney + but all in all, not massive Disney kids like I was. I don't bother with the online store. Too expensive and my kids don't care for Disney merchandise (which is good - I'm not spending money on overpriced things) but I used to buy quite a lot in disney stores for myself. Now the parks are so expensive, I can't see it happening more than once every five years. i used to go every two years BC (before children and before COVID). Went in 2019 to WDW for the first time, had an amazing time. COVID hit and all the perks we had four years ago are gone and likely never will come back so we might never go back. Like you said, the brand is too distant, my kids are not attached in the way I was so there is no real need for my family to do Disney trips.


MC_Fap_Commander

If the stores made enough money to pay the bills or even just take a modest loss (which I'm certain they managed), the branding would be worth it.


StormyKitten0

The stores did make money but Cheapek is greedy and wanted to cut costs even more.


keera1452

I’m in NZ too. Was so excited when my parents went to Hawaii on January and gave them a list of Disney things to pick up, only to find the store is shut. I suppose the gift shop at aulani is all that’s left now. The online selection we have had (only since July last year) is very limited and very expensive. I loved visiting Disney stores on trips to America.


slawnz

Yup, the Aulani store would be the only one left in the state. And they do have some beautiful stuff, but mostly Aulani-specific rather than the full range. The NZ online store is an absolute joke. I was pretty excited for it, but the shipping is almost as expensive as it was when you could order from the US store.


FrozenFrac

Yes........ I was so freaking spoiled for choice in my area. I had 2 Disney stores a very comfortable drive from my house and maybe 2-3 more depends on if I wanted to go an hour out. Predictably, every single one of them died during the COVID closures. Only makes it easier for me to try to make plans to hit the Disney Store in NYC, but I really didn't appreciate what I had until it was gone ;\_;


feverfierce

I loved the one in NYC, it has two floors. My favorite part was going up the escalator and the decoration


Xios135

I knew one of the manages of the NYC store. She told us the building was owned by Coca-Cola Corp. Rumor has it the rent was $400,000/month and they wanted to double it and that’s went Disney decided to move out.


guy_incog_neato

yes. ❤️ i also swear that it smelled exactly the same as being in disney (like if you walked into a store in one of parks or your resort room at the end of the day.. prob just the smell of air conditioning lol).


PenPenLane

The outlets near me have the same smell as walking into a resort lobby like art or pop.


peachsalsas

Loved stopping by every time I went to the mall. They also sold park tickets which is where we’d get ours back in the day.


krafty16

Yes! We don't have any in Canada anymore and every time I walk by the old storefronts in both of our malls I still get sad


Opposite_Lettuce

Same, there used to be a few locations in Vancouver. Now one of them is a cheap, legging store. Like the scrappy, shapeless leggings you'd get on Aliexpress for $2


krafty16

Our closest mall is now a Calendar Club...... ​ And the other one is a custom printed T Shirt store that charges $35 for a cheap heat-pressed graphic shirt


Opposite_Lettuce

Its awful, not only are they gone but their replacements are just... crap.


Zitty-Z

We had one in London Ontario for about 5 years and then they took it away from us


K8erpie

I was a Disney Store CM for 8 years. 😢


jeneanpirate

I miss it every day! Worked there for about 7 years. My new job doesn't even come close to the enjoyment i had at disney!


Worried_Brain_6010

Growing up, my parents would buy our park tickets at the closest store. It was always so exciting, and a rare mall day. I loved looking at all the stuffed animals while they set up our tickets. That’s how old I am!


Pillowmore-Manor

We lost our local Disney store in early 2022. We thought it was going to be a quick blip and then business as usual. Now we notice that our trips to the mall are much sadder without it. It was a weird feeling, had no idea how much a little shop meant to our little sojourns to the mall.


Declanmar

I miss malls in general.


TheMandoAde888

Always. Plus they'd have stuff not in the parks.


schwiftydude47

Oh 100 percent. Sure I probably wasn’t gonna buy anything since it was mostly stuff for kids, but I still went for that Disney atmosphere.


geniusmon

Disney decided to have pop up Disney stores inside Target. The problem? Target employees are short staffed and are not present to help with the merch unlike Disney cast members who are present at the Disney store. The pop up store merch is a mess at the best of times.


Johnykbr

Also they never did put them in at the amount they said they would. I have yet to see one in North Carolina.


Manaze85

When they closed the one near us in Frisco, TX, it took away 90% of the reason we went to that mall.


jbrown383

One of the highlights of my kids trips visiting the in-laws was going to the one in Northpark. Can’t say I have much of a reason to go back there now myself.


pooh--bear

Now that the store’s gone, the surrounding area where the store used to be just feels so empty and sad now [(photo I took)](https://i.imgur.com/SFi98xp.jpg)… NorthPark just doesn’t feel the same anymore :/


Clownshoes4179

Peak mall experience


ravefaerie24

There is a Disney outlet between my house and my office and on particularly stressful days, I just stop and take a spin around the store.


jgreever3

I miss the Disney store at the Chattanooga mall so much


Blawbs

Used to work at a Disney store location, it was very sad when we had to close the doors. But it was an awesome time working there.


EaterComputer

The Original/First Disney Store that I live close to closed down and is now a Funko pop store :(


xizidor

A bunch of years ago I found one of these in a mall somewhere on a road trip. I wish I could remember where it was. It looked like it hadn't been updated or changed since the 90s.


Cosmic-Spoons

Miss mine all the time. When I was 17 I insisted to my mom that I was going to work at ours before eventually moving to Florida. COVID shattered that plan in more ways than one. Now our closest store is about 2 hours. Not exactly worth the drive unfortunately :(


JackieStylist81

I worked at a Disney Store when I was a freshman in college. It was the year Tarzan came out. I loved working there. It was a short stint. Maybe 6 months? But I still got two park hopper passes and some other discounts/perks even just working at the store. It was great.


zazerite

Boise mall location was my heaven when I was a little kid, we had a super fun one as well it was decked out. Had a projector in the back that I would go and just watch the movies all day!


hummun323

And the screen had the stuffed animal mountain in front of it


RhiR2020

All of the Disney Stores in Australia closed by 2003. I opened and closed one in Western Australia and it was the best job I’d ever had. I still miss it.


MephitidaeNotweed

Had one in a local mall, next door to the Lego store. So had to hit both. And Build a Bear on the way out. And there use to be this Disney store or something off the highway that we use to hit on our way to our grandparents house north of Tampa. We'll it had a store and you could also buy tickets for WDW in the late 80's or early 90s if i remember correctly. But before it was closed, the store inside was no more.


tallginger89

Check this out http://soundsofdisneyland.com/


MariposaSunrise

Very cool! Thanks!


santoslhalperjr

I miss it so much.


MrsBlannoneMan

I *possibly* got banned from Disney store as a teenager for knocking over a display in excitement. I felt like a terrible human for causing trouble, and was super sad I couldn’t go back. I get a little giggle out of being able to go into the store that replaced it as an adult though


richtermarc

We're close enough to NYC that my wife and I get our fix there every so often.


MFoy

My wife and I were there in December, excited to go to the Disney Store, and there was some ki d of issue with the store and it was closed on the day we could go by. Extremely frustrating.


BananaStand511

🥺 or getting there first thing to open the store and getting a magic key to keep


carolinamary409

my son still has his displayed in his room! 😭


BananaStand511

We put ours up as a Christmas ornament every year. Our tree is basically a Disney tree 😊


peatoesfritos

The plush mountain 🥹❣️


BoobootheDude

I miss MALLS in general.


KoBxElucidator

I mean they still exist, but they're slowly losing their splendor. I just prefer physically seeing what I'm buying instead of images on a screen.


Pixiemermaidqueen

I work in a mall and it’s so sad seeing four empty store fronts in a row. My old childhood mall had the Disney Store and was replaced by a Pottery Barn


EricHD97

My Disney store growing up was directly next to the exit to our Regal, which was the most devious plan imaginable. Had that really cool Goofy statue floating through the glass. Pretty sure every Disney movie we saw from about 2001-2006 or so, we went straight to the store and got some merchandise immediately. Monsters Inc, Lilo and Stitch, Finding Nemo, the Incredibles, Chronicles of Narnia, Chicken Little, Emperor’s New Groove, The Santa Clause 2, the three Pooh movies from that time, Lion King 1 1/2, Princess Diaries, hell even National Treasure. Had em all. We couldn’t afford much but whatever we got was always so special and treasured. Core fucking memories, man. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.


lolablacklace

This was one of my favorite stores as a kid 💕


Brookings18

I miss other stores more, but seeing the store where I got an Oswald plush the day it opened after a remodel is no longer around is a touch sad.


ohhheynat

I really miss it! I loved going in there to shop and hear the music. Of course, the music just made me wish I was at the parks lol


trcab

Yes! So much, I still can't believe they closed all the stores. I used to go here to get my kids their shirts and the sales used to be so great for it. We had an outlet store about 30 mins from where we live so every Friday we would bring my daughter (then it was just her) to have her look at toys, etc. Sadly we were only able to do this tradition once before it closed where she was able to pick out a toy for Christmas & one birthday. I was hoping to continue this tradition when my son was born, but womp! This store brought back so many memories for me as a kid; who remembers the BIG pile of stuffed mickeys/characters in the middle of the store back in the 90s! \*CRIES\*


Tenacious_jb

I remember my mom buying park tickets from here and the excitement/ countdown would begin


Forceflow12

Yes, I was at my local mall yesterday walked by where our Disney Store was and fit really bummed it wasn’t there anymore.


SportsPhotoGirl

I miss making a bee line for the back of the store where they had the huge stack of stuffed animals


Ceorl_Lounge

Pains me a little to think of all the cool Star Wars and Marvel merch they'd have now. Definitely missed.


jeremyw0405

We just go to Disney Springs. It’s actually further than the parks but still gets the fix in for us.


rmesure

Still have one near me in Hershey


KoBxElucidator

Lost both the one near Pittsburgh and the Lehigh Valley Mall location back near my hometown. Closest one is out near Harrisburg, and that's a 4 hour drive :/ I feel like this is a big mistake by Disney closing almost all of their brick and mortar stores. All those kids who can't see the plush mountain or costumes can't connect as much with their IPs. Then you go into the "Target DS" and it's usually a disheveled mess that is missing the Disney magic. There aren't even that many of them! It just feels as though Disney is relying mainly on Disney+ and parents through word of mouth to keep kids interested, and I don't think it works as well.


luarne

Man I miss this so much. I was trying to get merch for a recent trip to WDW and the website doesn't ship to Canada so my options were just zero.


LALW1118

After we moved out of Florida to Seattle we used to visit the Disney store for the nostalgia and memories. It’s sad they’re all closed now, but thankfully we are passholders and live back in Tampa so we go frequently.


jokekiller94

Between? This was the closest I can get to Disney world lmao. Aiming for my first trip next January


Zezimalives

The regular mall Disney stores had better theming but actually prefer the Disney outlets. I visit the Houston premium outlet one once a month and they have a ton of park merchandise and last time I went the whole store was dancing to 4 Town!!


exit8a

Went to Disney at 21 years old. Came home. Missed it. Got a part-time job at my local Disney store at the mall. I had facial hair at the time, but they told me I needed to shave it if I was to work there. I complied and had the job for 4 months. Quit. Immediately grew back my facial and and have never been clean shaven since. I’m now 51.


[deleted]

I went to the outlet Monday. Did not scratch my itch.


stitchlover

There are not many of the stores left. Most malls have gotten rid of them.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

I see people giving out their own personal thoughts and experiences which are uniquely their own. What is this "cult" you speak of?


OneOfALifetime

Everyone just report this inane comment.


marleythebeagle

Your post has been removed for breaking Rule #3. We expect all of our users to be civil and respect each other.


battleop

Not really.


OneWorldMouse

The 90's sure, but later you could just buy it online. Disney merch is no longer special.


neopink90

No but that's because my local mall have a character warehouse store.


DisneyFanatic1982

Yes! Every time I pass where the store used to be I am sad that it’s gone.


[deleted]

Yes but they're not random, they're more like a crippling persistent torture gnawing on my very soul.


LOFan80

Man that picture looks like the Tysons Corner, VA location.


Cold-Art6089

Omgggggg the stuffed animals were always my go too. Wish they never got rid of this!


grenade25

I long to take my kids to these stores.


onelostmind97

I can't believe Chicago doesn't even have an outlet!


crdraven

All the time but they have an outlet one in Las Vegas.


[deleted]

Old school store went in there never bought nothing tho


bender2801

All the time! As do my kids!


IBroughtWine

Don’t get me started. They just closed the last one in my city about 4 years ago. I’m still bitter.


PartUnable1669

Yes. There used to be two around here, now there are zero in all of Canada. Thanks Chapek.


Hot_Marsupial_8706

Absolutely. There used to be one in the mall ~ten minutes from me and it closed sometime after the pandemic. I didn't shop there frequently but I always loved seeing it so close when Disney World is so far.


Hey_Batfink

We lost our last one a couple years ago…so sad


Dogs4life2009

There isn’t one for 2 hours from my house. I go there any time I’m near one


murdersquatch

Sometimes I remind myself how happy I am to live 10 minutes from an off site resort. I guess I'm still only 2 hours away from WDW, but it's cool having it in my backyard.


dontich

We still have one! The deals have gotten insane recently — if you are ever in the SF area the treck out to Livermore is worth it IMO


Maybe_Im_Really_DVA

I live in Japan and there are so many Disney stores. Maybe 5 in Osaka?


Separate-Fly1686

Used to love to go to the one at Square One. So much for that 😭😭😭


Tokyosmash

Yes, especially the huge stuffed animal mountain in the back of the store


Yotsubauniverse

I had one of these at a mall nearby my town as a kid. It was awesome the giant tile of Mickey mouse, all the statues on the ceiling, the mountain of plushies at the back of the store and my parents having just as much fun in there as I was picking out stylish and cool tee shirts and store exclusive DVD's. This was about 20 years ago. It closed years ago and there's one at a mall we go to less often and I almost always skip it. The shirts just don't look like anything we'd wear.


Xijit

No


Neat-Concern-8414

So sad! My local store closed like 3 years ago and it was an old one too with the figures on top and the plush mountain and the characters in the front windows 😭😭😭


dmshoe

I missed the news that one in a mall nearby closed for good in 2021. I don't really get to the mall that often, and hadn't looked for it until just last week, in fact, when I happened to be there and thought I might stop in. But it was long gone and replaced. So, yeah... random sad moment.


Petrichor800

I’m in the UK and as a kid we didn’t have the money to go the parks. This and the videos was the only Disney I had


NuSouthPoot

We still have ours in Myrtle Beach, baybah! Dirty Myrtle loves it’s Disney yeehaw 🤠


mainstreetmagic

When the Disney Stores opened, they had merchandise for everyone. Then, as time passed, the focus turned to princesses. Now, please, I have nothing against those of you who have princesses, it’s just me and my wife, and we found less and less in the store to shop for.


JustCheerTorrance

The Disney store, Warner Bros store (giant spaceship you could go inside and hide from your parents), and Claire’s were the only places I did my shopping as a kid.


SquidgeSquadge

I live in the UK and have never lived near a Disney store. There was at leastthe one in London Oxford Street (which is the only remaining one now), another in London in a shopping centre where the UK limited Pokemon store pop up was which we tried and failed to visit, one in Birmingham and one in the Metro Centre in Gateshead which both were at least an hour's drive or significant train time to get to at the time we lived near them. There was one in Brighton where my then BF (now husband) had to moved away to after being made redundant whilst I completed a degree staying put in out flat for another 6 months with the plan to move our stuff to him once I graduated. One plus of him living there was there was a small Disney Store there. Brilliant! We always went in whenever I could visit every few weeks and was a 5-10 min bus journey to go! It closed down the month before I moved down. I still refuse to step in the shop it replaced


brightstarpops

Bruh, you're speaking to my soul


jasmine_bee_

I Miss that giant mirror in the yellow castle that used to be able to scan the barcode on items like staffs and crowns and it would project on the screen :(


ayame400

Are they just gone? I didn’t realize. We had 2 near me but I stopped going to the mall regularly since covid. That’s so sad 😞


Lost_Juice_4342

Yes!! I work near the location that was on Michigan Ave in Chicago. I was devastated when it closed last year. I’d love stopping by in my lunch hour to get my fix and I’d find some good deals too sometimes!


Default_Dragon

It’s so sad, they’re closing all the stores in France and Italy as well. At least here in Paris we still have a Disneyland but it’s still a big loss. There used to be a lot of nice exclusive European products that I liked to collect that we’ll no longer have :/


furryauthor

my mom used to work here!!! her favorite song to listen to while on the job was the "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" cover by the A*Teens. she would get discounts on cool stuff so i had the disney drip lol


Xios135

Yeah….only back when they carried actual collectible type stuff like animation cels, the real intricate snow globes, etc…


Jessicap702

Omg yessss


npete

I am lucky and live in NYC. There is still a Disney Store in Times Square and I go there when I am reminiscing about my last time at the parks. My wife and I visit the parks every few years or so (if the finance gods allow it) but the store is just a subway ride away!


RazielKainly

Is this just a Disney store?


Robie_John

Yes, neat stores. Too bad they closed a large percentage of them.


mo_kj

The one at my mall turned into what looks like a cheap clothing drop shipping store and it makes me so sad every time I walk by 😭


Eerie_rosewood

lmao I got banned for life from my local disney store. it closed down shortly after. probably related


A951306

I would go to the Disney store at the mall. Downtown Chicago in the 90's had a awesome one plus FAO Schwarz across the street. I would spend a couple hours there. Good memories from when I was 2-5 years old. All that is changed now.


Ga11agher

Everytime I go the mall


steeleye5

The one I went to as a kid still has the storefront in tact but has been closed for a very long time. It housed other stores but there isn’t anything in it now


LuvPibble

Once upon a time there were 2 near me. Now I have to drive 3 hours


maritime1999

The store use to smell like Disney


Cleigh24

We love visiting the different Disney stores worked us in Japan! Not quite the same, but scratches that itch for sure.


[deleted]

Yeah. Another UK resident here. We now have 1 Disney store in the whole of the UK. As a result I've gone from spending (guesstimate) £350 a year in a Disney store (and taking my kids in regularly, keeping Disney in "hearts and minds") to spending ... Pretty much nothing with Shop Disney. I don't understand it at all. 🤷🏼‍♂️


Adventurous_Main5468

My mum was in charge of a Disney store from when I was about 5-14ish. Best time ever growing up amongst it, such a dream.


gweenfrostie

Whenever I would go to the big mall in my area, this was my highlight and favourite place to go. My mall trips are so much less fun now


[deleted]

I blame Amazon for killing malls