Can’t get to the theme park? No worries. Because Disney is bringing the theme park to you!
The company announced last week that it is going forward with plans to introduce more of its “immersive” stores in 2011. Most of the new stores will be remodels of existing Disney retail locations. But a few will be brand new – including locations for the first time ever in Minnesota’s Mall of America, as well the first Disney stores in Puerto Rico, Dublin, Ireland, and Copenhagen, Denmark. Jim Fielding, Disney Store’s president, sees it as a continuation of the company’s driving theme to make the Disney Store “the best 30 minutes of a child’s day”:
“Guests told us that we brought the magic back to Disney Store with the launch of our new design and responded by staying in the stores longer and purchasing more. The future of Disney Store is brighter than ever as we expand our reach by opening in new markets, leverage the latest technology to enhance the guest experience and improve efficiency, showcase incredible new Disney content, and bring a magical Disney experience to local communities everywhere.”
The new store concept is bringing lots of changes to the way that the company has done business up to this point. Interactive displays, like talking mirrors, will entertain children, while roving employees armed with Apple iPod Touch devices will be able to ring customers up anywhere in the store, thus alleviating the need for register queues. This new feature will save the customer time, but will also provide another convenience: personnel will be able to access Disney Store online merchandise right at the point of sale, a benefit that will come in handy if the store is out of the item that the customer is seeking.
Newly remodeled stores will debut in locations like Seattle and San Antonio. The stores will be similar to others that Disney opened in 2010, including its flagship store in Times Square. Eventually, the company plans to remodel all of its 350+ existing stores to fit the immersive experience.
Here is a list of new and remodeled stores planned for 2011 from the Disney Store Blog:
Disney Store Locations: US, Canada and Puerto Rico
- Atlanta, Georgia: Perimeter Mall
- Seattle, Washington: Westfield Southcenter Mall and at Bellevue Square
- Bloomington, Minnesota: Mall of America
- Puerto Rico: Plaza Las Americas
- Mississauga, Ontario: Square One Mall
- Vancouver, British Columbia: Metropolis
- Culver City, California: Westfield
- West Nyack, NY: Palisades Shopping Center
- Arizona: Chandler Fashion Center
- San Antonio, Texas: Norstar Mall
Disney Store Locations: Europe
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Dublin, the Republic of Ireland
- Antwerp, Belgium
- Oxford Street, London, UK
- Bromley, UK
- Nottingham, UK
- Lyon, France
- Naples, Italy
- Cadiz, Spain
- Las Arenas on Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
