If you're not a parent, or Disney fan, stop reading. On Wednesday August 24, 2011, attended the opening of the revamped Disney Store in Florida Mall.Prior to opening, press was led around the store and shown each department, some of the unique features and new products.
Local parents with small kids will enjoy this feature: any time their child has a celebration (good report card, birthday, etc) they can come in and get a free experience in which their name appears on a screen and the whole store plays celebration music.
The idea of the store is that you can come back repeatedly and there's always some new activity or event going on. Those will be listed on the monitor in the front window.
This key is held and turned each morning during the store's opening ceremony.
The first people to show up got free Mickey ears.
Disney fans waiting in line to get in.
If you wave a wand in front of these mirrors, a Princess video greeting plays.
The lock that gets opened by one lucky kid each day
Inside before the store opened
Now they're doing perfume and lotion.
The key that opens the store each morning is held in a case behind the cash registers. During the ceremony, a store employee step-touches their way from the back of the store to the front and hands the key to another employee who recites an excited script about imagination and wonder.
Along the top edges of the walls are shady paintings featuring Disney characters and.... the Amphitheatre at Lake Eola! Each store will have custom touches paying tribute to the city it's in.
Here's another one: Kennedy Space Center (and Space Mountian)
For special events, your child can have their name on the screen and music play in their honor.
In their research, they found that children didn't know what the word "jukebox" meant. So they named this area the Disney "Theatre."
Media snapping photos and taking notes
This is called "the sweet spot," the narrowest part of the store's main pathway. Here they have their halloween costumes, which apparently sell out every year.
Little Zoey, who also got to celebrate her special moment with her name on the jukebox theatre screen, is shown how to assemble a truck in the "Cars" area.
The trees have videos playing on both sides, changing images frequently. They're also timed with the seasons. So right now, the leaves are green.
Inside the castle, the wand waving commences and various Princesses appear in the mirror.
Outside the store minutes after it's official opening
The key you receive if you're chosen to be the one to open the store in the daily opening ceremonies.
Minutes after opening, Disney fans were already in line waiting to check out.
