More "Malling" of Main Street

Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey

BTW, as long as they keep the Victorian theme of the shop, as well as the telephone near the register, I will be perfectly happy.

 

Originally Posted By pitapan16

I think some of you automatically complain the minute Disney makes an announcement. When you think about this, it's really beneficial to the park and its guests.


Agreed.

 

Originally Posted By TDLFAN

>>And what was the theme of Market House? It was a place where they sold housewares-not historic or collectible housewares, but Mickey salt and pepper shakers<<

Well Nikki, there was a time when the Market House sold sweets and other edible treats and such like the "mom and dad-operated" ones you would find in your neighborhood back in the days when you were growing up. *That* was the original theme to it. Of course, now the Market House it's just a glorified Disney cookware store.

 

Originally Posted By leemac

<<Is Arribas the glass blowers, or the shadow artists?>>

If I recall correctly Arribas are also the licensee for the silhouette studio (if that is what you mean). They definitely are at HKDL.

 

Originally Posted By DlandDug

Arribas Brothers runs the glass shops in Disneyland (Main Street and New Orleans Square) as well. They have been at WDW since day one.

I am always saddened to see unique shops lost on Main Street. I am not as familiar with the MK's, but it sounds like another round of musical chairs. The 90s were not kind to MK's Main Street anyway, so I am not so sure this is such a bad thing. After all, this is the Main Street where the Cinema and Firehouse were turned into shops...

 

Originally Posted By jmuboy

"After all, this is the Main Street where the Cinema and Firehouse were turned into shops..."

The above are two of Main Streets "BIG THREE" mistakes, the other being removing center street to add more toy plush displays in the Emporium.

 

Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey

<<Well Nikki, there was a time when the Market House sold sweets and other edible treats and such like the "mom and dad-operated" ones you would find in your neighborhood back in the days when you were growing up. *That* was the original theme to it. Of course, now the Market House it's just a glorified Disney cookware store.>>

I do remember that, and I think that moving Arribas Brothers into Market House is a step back to those days because it is such a unique shop. I prefer to think of it as a step towards the "unmalling" of Main Street.

 

Originally Posted By smctopia

Back when there were rumors that Market House was becoming a toy shop, I documented it (and the phone dialouge) in case it left. I really hoped I wouldn't have to add it to Walt Dated World...

Visit Walt Dated World
<a href="http://waltdatedworld.bravepages.com" target="_blank">http://waltdatedworld.bravepag
es.com</a>

 

Originally Posted By TDLFAN

A toy shop?? Isn't that what the Emporium has become?

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<The Market House, as someone stated earlier, sells Disney housewares. It's nothing particularly special, and I certainly wouldn't call it unique.>>

Well, Nikki, nothing is unique on Main Street or in MK merchandise at all anymore.

But, at one time, it was.

And to take it away just to add seating, when that's already been done, just speaks to more WalMarting of WDW to me.

<<The bakery will be provided with a larger seating area, as opposed to the four tables they have now. Try and sit down to have breakfast in there around 9:00 in the morning - it's practically impossible. >>

I'm usually asleep at 9 a.m., especially when on vacation. And when last I checked, th bakery wasn't a breakfast location perse ... just a place to pick up a quick muffin and OJ. You don't need seating for that.

<<I think it's a good idea. >>

Guess what? I don't (I know ... shocking.)

 

Originally Posted By Spirit of 74

<<I am always saddened to see unique shops lost on Main Street. I am not as familiar with the MK's, but it sounds like another round of musical chairs. The 90s were not kind to MK's Main Street anyway, so I am not so sure this is such a bad thing. After all, this is the Main Street where the Cinema and Firehouse were turned into shops...>>

Yep. Main Street USA at the MK might as well be an Orlando outlet mall, just one with all low quality Disney merchandise.

Having spent a few days over this past weekend at DL, I am reminded yet again of how special it is, and how blanded down the MK has become.

Anyone notice how the entire left side of Main Street is just one shop where you can now literally carry a basket from one end to another? With signs signifying 'mens' ... 'kids' etc ... Gee, Dan Cockerell, do you think that's the kind of vision for Main Street that Walt had? Or even the folks who created the MK?

 

Originally Posted By TDLFAN

Some of this is now creeping into TDL as well.. (I wonder who is telling OLC to do this..?) TDL's Clock shop, once a nice shop carrying gorgeous and unique clocks, is now selling cellstraps and other garbagy stuff. Truly sad. I guess that no one needs a fancy clock anymore with the coming of technology as we head into the 21st century. I am just glad we still have the Magic shop, and Penny Arcade at TDL.

 

Originally Posted By mrichmondj

<< I guess that no one needs a fancy clock anymore with the coming of technology as we head into the 21st century. >>

Actually, your statement has a air of truth to it. A recent report disclosed that wristwatch sales worldwide are falling off of a cliff. The reason? People use their cell phones to tell time instead of an old fashioned wristwatch.

It would be nice to have the Disney parks filled with themed stores that have lots of obscure merchandise, but at what point do you keep merchandise on shelves that just doesn't sell? Should the Disney shops really just be museum displays of items that people don't really want to buy but are interesting to look at? You'd have to raise the admission ticket price an awful lot to pay for a row of stores full of merchandise that no one cares to buy.

The purpose of a store is to offer items that people will purchase, not display museum pieces.

Have the Main Street shops been over-merchandised? Probably. However, to swing the pendulum to the absolute opposite direction wouldn't be very useful either.

 

Originally Posted By TDLFAN

>>Have the Main Street shops been over-merchandised?<<

Overmerchandised? Or do you mean "overstocked" with the same garbage in every shop? Because that is the real problem with retail at Disney... everywhere. TDR is becoming like that and HKDL is extremely guilty of it as well.

 

Originally Posted By jmuboy

I could take The mega Disney version of Wal Mart that Main Street has become IF the greedy folks at WDW used some of this money to fix up the RUN DOWN and embarassing MK rides like JC, HM, Space, etc. Instead, they stuff the money in their pockets and run back to their offices to count all their cash. Who cares about the enpereince all those stupid guests are having. Who cares you can't hear the sound on HM. Who cares that the 20k lagoon is now a giant flower bed. Who cares? Sell those stupid guests some more over priced candy and plush. They are too dumb to notice.

 

Originally Posted By jmuboy

I could take The mega Disney version of Wal Mart that Main Street has become IF the greedy folks at WDW used some of this money to fix up the RUN DOWN and embarassing MK rides like JC, HM, Space, etc. Instead, they stuff the money in their pockets and run back to their offices to count all their cash. Who cares about the enpereince all those stupid guests are having. Who cares you can't hear the sound on HM. Who cares that the 20k lagoon is now a giant flower bed. Who cares? Sell those stupid guests some more over priced candy and plush. They are too dumb to notice.

 

Originally Posted By mrichmondj

^^
Valid point if profit margins at the theme parks were on the rise. The fact is -- profit margins have been declining for some time. All that money that supposedly is getting stuffed into pockets is, in reality, going to pay for skyrocketing health care expenses, litigation expenses (courtesy of folks like the Monaco family), and security expenses that are way off the chart since 9/11.

I don't disagree that the shopping at WDW isn't all that compelling -- I'm also not sure it ever was. At the same time, I think you need to recognize that WDW is a very tough business model right now and is succeeding largely on time share and real estate sales and not on operational cash flow from just running the business.

 

Originally Posted By fundog58

I was at the MK on business back in the early 90's and was enchanted by the different little shops. That visit was what really started my adult interest in WDW. What a letdown when I went back a few years later only to find those little shops had been gutted to make one big shop. I guess the Wal Mart comparisons aren't that far off.

 

Originally Posted By Fe Maiden

^^^Were you enchanted enough to buy anything in those little shops?

 

Originally Posted By gurgitoy2

"It would be nice to have the Disney parks filled with themed stores that have lots of obscure merchandise, but at what point do you keep merchandise on shelves that just doesn't sell? Should the Disney shops really just be museum displays of items that people don't really want to buy but are interesting to look at? You'd have to raise the admission ticket price an awful lot to pay for a row of stores full of merchandise that no one cares to buy."

This makes sense. I mean, could they have a Wurlitzer shop on Main Street these days? I doubt it. However, that does not mean they should just cram princess and plush into every store.

You would think a happy medium could be achieved where each store had a unique theme and items to sell that were actually popular. Have just one toy store on Main Street, a book/music shop, a clothing store, a candy store, etc. Don't fold all of that into one big long store the length of Main Street.

That's what I like about Disneyland's Main Street is that the stores still have some distinct personalities, even though they aren't selling things that a "traditional" main street would sell, or things they used to sell on Main Street when Disneyland opened.