Main Street USA at Walt Disney World
Three Disney tour buses took 100 + participants to various on-stage and off-stage locations the public rarely gets to see.
Pool & Spa retailers tour the World of Disney store; Disney's highest volume retail store, located at Downtown Disney. We're enjoying a few days in the sun at the International Pool & Spa Expo in Orlando.
Yesterday, we presented two of our store planning, design and visual merchandising programs at the Advanced Retailers Day Program. After our presentations, we loaded three buses for a behind the scenes tour of Disney World presented by the Disney Institute.
What a day! You know all those store layout trick of the trade we share in our programs? Disney uses them, too and not just in their stores. Disney World is set in a similar manner: there is an obvious Decompression Zone; Speed Bumps are wheeled carts they can change in an instant, depending on time of day or weather. And since most guests enter the park and turn to the right, just as they do in your store, Disney places important product and attractions on the right side of the entrance. They get you on the way out, too -- the biggest retail store is on your right making it a must stop for almost every guest.
We took a retail store tour and learned how Disney buys for, and merchandises their stores. We toured the shop where every, single thing is made for Disney attractions. Disney purchases next to nothing from outside vendors, preferring to MAKE everything in their own shops. Yes, they even make the screws and washers, so they can control the quality of their guests experience. After that we hopped the tour bus for the Magic Kingdom where we experienced what Disney calls "Magical Moments."
This tour is not open to the public, in fact Disney only does a limited number a year for business groups. Our thanks to the APSP Retailers Council and Tracy Beaulieu, Pool & Spa Expo's Conference Manager Extraordinaire for putting together a magical day!
Yesterday, we presented two of our store planning, design and visual merchandising programs at the Advanced Retailers Day Program. After our presentations, we loaded three buses for a behind the scenes tour of Disney World presented by the Disney Institute.
What a day! You know all those store layout trick of the trade we share in our programs? Disney uses them, too and not just in their stores. Disney World is set in a similar manner: there is an obvious Decompression Zone; Speed Bumps are wheeled carts they can change in an instant, depending on time of day or weather. And since most guests enter the park and turn to the right, just as they do in your store, Disney places important product and attractions on the right side of the entrance. They get you on the way out, too -- the biggest retail store is on your right making it a must stop for almost every guest.
We took a retail store tour and learned how Disney buys for, and merchandises their stores. We toured the shop where every, single thing is made for Disney attractions. Disney purchases next to nothing from outside vendors, preferring to MAKE everything in their own shops. Yes, they even make the screws and washers, so they can control the quality of their guests experience. After that we hopped the tour bus for the Magic Kingdom where we experienced what Disney calls "Magical Moments."
This tour is not open to the public, in fact Disney only does a limited number a year for business groups. Our thanks to the APSP Retailers Council and Tracy Beaulieu, Pool & Spa Expo's Conference Manager Extraordinaire for putting together a magical day!
