Half of the World of Disney store reopened in Disney Springs on July 2, 2018 after being shut down for a refurbishment. The store now sports an industrial look that matches the rest of Disney Springs, as well as the store’s sister location in Downtown Disney Anaheim.
Logistically, I think that the store will be a much more comfortable place to shop. The store isn’t as chopped up into smaller, separate rooms in the same was as the previous version of the store.
The areas seem more open to each other, the ceilings seem higher, and the displays and shelving in the store seem a bit smaller, allowing more room for visitors to roam. If you’ve been stuffed into the World of Disney store on a busy day, you know how crowded it can be. I think the openness is a welcome design change that will make for a far more pleasant shopping experience.
Based on comments in the Facebook Live video walk-through of the store (posted below), comments were mixed on the decorations and atmosphere. Some people said the store lacked a magical, Disney feel. Others compared the interior design to a Bass Pro Shop.
Hidden Surprise?
The sparse look may take some time to get used to, but I think that Disney may still have a trick up its sleeve to make the store more Disney-like and more magical.
Why do I think that?
One of the few store embellishments with a distinctly Disney look are these pencil animation drawings, on white backgrounds, which appears on walls in the store.
Directly above, and pointed directly at, these pieces of art are powerful video projectors. They were not operational at the time I saw them.
Could Disney have some type of projection mapping planned to bring the animation drawings to life? That would be very Disney-like, and very magical!
New World of Disney store design – does it need more excitement?