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Heaven forbid Disney actually adds anything to the parks that anyone over the age of ten wants to do.

Well, older guests *can* get things done at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, if they really want.

I think that this is a great idea.  Granted, you can buy a Hannah Montana wig at Walmart for $9.99, but it'll be fun for the girls...now more older girls will be interested in the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (or whatever this one will be called).  It's a smart business move by Disney, IMO.

Milk it, milk it milk it, milk it 'til it runs dry.  These high profit producers will allow Disney to do and build things that do not have as high a profit. Like the Lottery (which Andy Rooney refers to as "a tax on the stupid"), I am happy to have people who will pay so much for something that will wash off in a day subsidize the cost on new construction and themeing.  I am sure that one day we'll look at Hannah wigs as we do coonskin caps.

"I am sure that one day we'll look at Hannah wigs as we do coonskin caps."

Those coonskin caps also make a ton of money for the Walt Disney Company.

Well analogized, Moonliner.

I am glad to see that people are starting to understand that Disney can't spend money on new attractions if it doesn't have the money.

Princesses, HSM, HM, Tinkerbell, etc all bring HUGE amounts of money into the Disney coffers. And the more they have, the more they will be willing to spend it on the next BIG, AWESOME attraction.

Also something like this in a struggling park (like the studio park), will help management see that once they are there, we need more stuff for them to do.

You know... would it be so hard for them to come up with something in the same vein for boys? (and yes, I know that the brother of a BBB guest can get thier hair all moussed up), but how about a Prince dress up or pirate, or something?

The makeover idea definitely fits well with the Hollywood Studios park.  I think if they do it right they could attract women of all ages, not just HM-&-HSM-loving tweens.  If you think about the BBB, they do not name the styles after specific princesses.  They should do the same here, offer a range of looks some of which which may be inspired by the current sensations but not explicitly named for them.

I sense fail.

Princesses are classic.  Hannah Montana and HSM will be gone before you know it.  Another couple of years at the most.

Disney is striking while the iron's hot, and I have no problem with that. As a 20 year old male, this holds no real appeal to me, but I'm sure it does to a lot of  young girls out there, so I say good for them.

Agreed, atom. Anything that gets such a huge immediate fad-like following like HSM and HM is going to be short-lived, in my opinion.

I say go for it. It'll just delay some of the rivals all vying with you for fastpasses and a spot in a low-wait line. And you can tell who is and who is not an absolute shmuck by just looking at the parents of that little girl with the pricey makeover. Wouldn't that be handy? ;)

Disney's going to take all that cash they make on these flash-in-the-pan gimmicks and spend them on top-notch attractions and theming?

Suuuuuuurre they will.

I wonder if they will offer the portrait package (like the Princess option). What little tween wouldn't want to get all decked out then go to a "photo shoot". Thank goodness my daughter is just a liitle bit younger than the target audience. It would cost me a small fortune.

I say good for Disney. If crazy parents, like me, are willing to pay, charge'em! Besides, the more money Disney makes the more money they are willing to throw bak into the parks. Even better, the more tweens in the makeover boutiques, the less on the lines for the rides... we all win!

To clarify my earlier comment, which i think blackcauldron85 missed my point, it seems(as far as I can tell)that most of the additions to the parks anymore are geared toward little kids. Like all the Nemo attractions and the makeover places. Not much new for the over 13 crowd.

And the money they make on these gimmicks being used on new attractions? Yeah, right. Aside from Expedition Everest, no thought or creativity is put into theming any further than what  current or upcoming movie or tv show the attraction can be tied to.

Grizzly33 and pschnebs you really don't understand how things work at Disney right now do you.  Let me enlighten a little since I WORK at the World of Disney.  The profits  we made from the BBB and merchandise are going into an expansion project for the store this year that include a new roof and more storage room.  So yeah, it WILL go back into the park, maybe not for rides but those profits can pay for stuff that other money would have to, freeing up funds for the new.  Plus Hollywood Studios has one ride being built with possibly two more on the way, so stop with the pessimism already.

Oh, and I've seen groups of senior citizens come in and get the princess make over.  They're over 13.  Some people forget the not everyone likes going on rides...

Disney IS in the business of making money. If they have a property that they can capitalize on... more power to them.

I do think this is a fad and will pass relatively soon so I am THRILLED this is being done in such temporary fashion (meaning a store as opposed to a ride).

It will be gone as quickly as it came... and Disney will have $$$ in their pockets.

Let the little girls blow wads of their parents money and be happier in the Happiest Place on Earth (is it still even called that?).

I have to agree with pschnebs.  Give me a recent example of them pouring money into the parks...I'm still waiting.  Tuckenie tried to gloss it over by saying "The profits  we made from the BBB and merchandise are going into an expansion project for the store this year that include a new roof and more storage room.  So yeah, it WILL go back into the park, maybe not for rides but those profits can pay for stuff that other money would have to, freeing up funds for the new."  That's a gigantic leap.  It's unsurprising to me that Disney is making their store nicer, that's about all they seem to put money into these days.  To then assume that they'll put the leftover money into the park is faulty at best.  Honestly, if Disney had done that in the past 5 years we wouldn't be so pessimistic.

So, to answer Jim's original question, no it doesn't creep me out that they're adding it, it just doesn't really affect me either.  What bothers me is that Disney of late seems to think that these are the experiences that make a theme park, the shopping and extravagance.  

Gigantic?  I WORK AT THE STORE.  You don't think maybe I know how the business operates?  World of Disney has been needing an expansion for awhile now.  Ever since we added the Boutique and refurbished we've had a growing number of guests and this last year was our most successful since our opening year.  

Oh and when has Disney poured money into the parks recently?  Let's see:  Expedition Everest, Toy Story Mania!, Haunted Mansion, Spaceship Earth, Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Finding Nemo: The Musical....

Yeah Disney is just concerned with SHOPPING lately.  Maybe a little less cynicism would help you see where the money is going...

Tuckenie, I think that's just fine that some of the money from the BBB is going to improve World of Disney -  they need to keep improving the place if they expect the shoppers to come back. But let's not kid ourselves here.  Disney's making a LOT of money from the theme parks right now - especially from all the nickel-and-diming they're doing to guests - and most of that money's going into improving the balance sheet, not into new attractions and rehabs.

Does that make Disney evil and me cynical for acknowledging this?  Nope. Disney's a publicly traded company, and the shareholders - myself included - demand a return on their investment. But given the amount of money they're making, I don't think it's asking a lot that Disney cut down their profit margin a little bit and sink that money into improving the guest experience. That doesn't mean just opening and refurbishing attractions (and I commend them for doing that, although I think they could do more). That also means giving guests back many of the little extras they used to receive as guests, and providing cast members incentive to do more for the guests by giving them better pay and benefits, as well as greater opportunity to make a career out of working at the parks and resorts.    

Does anyone else think this quickly becomes just a more 3-D version of those standard amusement park booths where your head is put into a magazine cover's body via chroma-key and you get to take home the printout for a few bucks?

Of course, I wonder what will happen when the first teen asks to get the "look" the H.S. Musical girl had in those naughty internet pix.....(okay, but SOMEbody had to say it!)

As for the naive belief by store employees that any specific profits of any specific store at WDW go "back into" a roof or anything else...please take a business class at a local junior college sometime, willya? As long as you believe everything your equally-uninformed supervisors tell you, you'll aways be a worker and not an OWNER of a business. These stores are not stand-alone businesses with stand-alone budgets. There is NEVER a reality where they HONESTLY do things this way: "If you kids sell a few more plush toys, we can afford to put glass in the windows of your locker room to keep the cold night air out! So work HARDER, children! We're all in this together, y'know!"

Really, grow up. Or don't....but low-wage themepark jobs are only more glamorous than and not more career-path-oriented than fast-food or other such jobs. They are not designed to be nor, in realty, do they become "careers" for the vast majority of people working at them. Have fun, make a few bucks, get some experience, make "lead" if you can...but "career"? Not if you want to get married, have kids, pay a mortgage, pay for college tuitions for those kids, get a new car once in a while....or afford a non-employee-discounted Disney vacation.

ONE ADDED POINT:

Re how much money makes from themeparks: Guess what? Per their recent financials, the ENTIRE Disney themepark universe makes LESS of a dent in the company's overall revenues as.....ESPN does. That's reality, sportsfans.