Guests leaving Tokyo Disneyland often stop in the Grand Emporium which is a shop devoted to selling candy and sweets. I’ve visited the Emporium before leaving TDL several times to purchase gifts for others as well as a treat or two for myself.
The store interior is cheerful and time period appropriate with lighting fixtures, murals and set pieces that reenforce to guests that they are in a Disney quantity experience.
Mickey holding a candy cane underlines that this isn’t only a shopping experience but a show experience. Candy shopping was never so much fun. This is the expected show standard in a Disney Park and it is achieved in the Grand Emporium at TDL.
Image Credit: WDWMagic
But that’s not the standard of excellence that been held too in the remodeled Emporium on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. Instead of period appropriate lighting fixtures standard lights hang from the ceiling. Rather than custom display racks there is a wall of peg board.
Once the Disney rule was the area above the merchandise was reserved for show, but that rule was broken in the remodel. A few framed pictures are near the ceiling, but beyond that there is nothing to suggest this is a shop, or that the purpose of this retail is anything other than to sell merchandise in as efficient and quick manner as possible.
Standard out of time period tile with a carpet strip documents that the design occupied a low rung for this project. Judging on retail results it could be called a success, but at what cost. When Disney Parks are defined by environments that are standard and common the result is a brand withdrawal.
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