While it may be hard for me to see it personally, the “made in the USA” trend is apparently here to stay. You can see it in Walt Disney World if you know where to look, but more on that in a moment.
The “Made in the USA” trend is gaining speed at least according to Time magazine. A few examples have hit the news recently, including the Telsa giga-factory for batteries and the Walmart decision to spend $50 billion with USA suppliers.
Time reported that the US economy has added more than 500,000 manufacturing jobs in the past three years. It’s the first time in a long time that the number of these manufacturing jobs has gone up instead of down.
The Disney USA Connection
So what does all this have to do with Walt Disney World, the place where you can see mountains of everything from plush toys to t-shirts that are made in China and Thailand?
At least in a small way, Disney seems to be joining in the push to offer products made in the USA.
Just where can you see this “made in the USA, Disney style” push? In Heritage Manor Gifts, the shop connected to one of the most patriotic places in all of Disney World: the American Adventure pavilion in Epcot.
Heritage Manor Gifts – American Style
During a recent visit to the gift shop, I saw a sign that announced a collection of gifts called the “American Story.” It includes merchandise from small American companies and entrepreneurs.
I know this small assortment of products made in the USA isn’t exactly the same story as a giga-factory or a multi-billion dollar purchasing plan, but it is interesting that you can visit a place on Disney property that specifically promotes items (mostly food products) made in the America.
Let’s take a look.
Do you like that Disney is offering products “Made in the USA”?