So — given that she has two parents that make their living writing about the Walt Disney Company — guess what my darling daughter collects? You are correct, sir! Pokémon figures.
Which is why — late Sunday afternoon — Michelle, Alice and I found ourselves in Manhattan. So that my daughter could visit the stateside version of Pokémon fan nirvana. Which is the Pokémon Center New York, this two-story-tall, 13,000-square-foot shop in Rockefeller Center. Which is packed to the gills with Pokémon crud.
$50 later, my daughter strolled happily out of the Pokémon Center New York. Clutching a miniature play set that one can usually only purchase in Japan. Then my ex-wife — being the hardcore Disney fan that she is -asked: “Can we please go to the flagship Disney Store on 5th Avenue?”
I actually tried to talk Michelle out of. Reminding my ex that — since the Walt Disney Company had quietly put its retail chain up for sale earlier this year — that the Mouse had been putting zero dollars into upkeep at the Disney Stores. Which was really had a horrible impact on the 5th Avenue store.
But — even so — my ex could not be dissuaded. She HAD to make a pilgrimage to Manhattan’s version of Mickey Mecca. Which is why she insisted that the three of us hike the eight city blocks to the corner of 5 and 55th. Where this three-story-tall former showplace still stands.
Even from the outside of the shop, it was clear that there had been significant cutbacks at Disney’s flagship store. Those two bronze statues of Mickey and Minnie that used to grace the enormous brass-and-copper film scroll marquee over the store’s entrance? They’re gone. Likewise those oversized paintbrushes and ink pens. These outside decorations were supposedly pulled down to get the building ready for its next tenant. Which is rumored to be Alfred Dunhill of London, the boutique chain best known for its fragrances and beauty products.
Inside, all of those wonderful hand-painted murals of Disney characters? They’re now all covered up by these giant photo banners of happy holiday shoppers. All that great Disney-Store-5th-Avenue-exclusive merchandise that used to be on sale here? It’s been replaced by all this generic NYC stuff.
Walking through the 5th Avenue store today, it’s really hard to remember what a showplace Disney’s flagship store store once was. Back when this place first opened up in the late winter / early spring of 1997. When the Imagineers were determined to turn this shop into one of the top tourist spots in NYC.
That’s why no expense was spared on Disney’s flagship store. WDI designed every square inch of the place. Which — occurring to the back story that the Imagineers cooked up for this space — was originally supposed to have been the mansion that Walt Disney had purchased for Mickey and his friends back in the 1930s. So that the Disney characters would always have someplace to stay whenever they were visiting Manhattan.
And when I say “characters,” I mean ALL of the Disney characters. Take — for example — the third floor of the 5th Avenue store. Which was themed to look as if it was the attic of the mansion. This was where the Disney villains had supposedly set up shop. Which was why you had all this great hand-painted mural of Lady Tremaine, the Big Bad Wolf and Mad Madam Mim lurking around in a dark, cluttered attic looming over this part of the store.
But that was in the past. Now your view of this rogues’ gallery is obscured by these giant brightly colored photo banners. Which show holiday shoppers happily clutching Disney plush.
To be honest, it was my stroll around the third floor of the 5th Avenue Disney Store that I found to be most depressing part of our trip to the shop. For this used to be the Disney Gallery space within the NYC flagship store. Where you used to be able to see one of the largest displays of Disney animation art in the country.
Nowadays, what used to be the main gallery space at the 5th Avenue Disney Store is now loaded with t-shirts. What little remains of the flagship store’s once formidable selection of lithos and limited edition cels has been shunted over to the stair area. A similar sort of thing has been done with the store’s stock of Walt Disney Classics Collection pieces. They’re now all been crammed into this small series of shelves.
And Otto Matic — that great little minimatronic figure (Which was voiced by Penn Jillette of Penn and Teller fame) — that visitors to the 5th Avenue Disney Store were once invited to try and control by hand. He’s gone too. (Keep an eye on eBay. I was told by store employees that that’s where Otto is heading. Along with the Mickey and Minnie bronze statues that used to stand over the store’s entrance.)
Feeling thoroughly depressed now, I took the elevator down to the basement level of the building. Which — back in the day — was where the Disney Travel Desk used to be located. So — as part of your Manhattan shopping experience — you could also book a trip to Disneyland, Walt Diney World, Tokyo Disneyland and/or Disneyland Paris.
Clearly that idea never panned out. Which is why the Travel Desk was torn out a few years back. And — in its place — row after row of naked mannequins now stand out in the open, for the whole world to see. There used to be a time when the Walt Disney Company would have considered something like this “Bad Show.” Not any longer. These days, it’s just business as usual at the 5th Avenue Disney Store.
Look, I know that things can’t always stay the same. And that change — and progress — are inevitable. But — that said — I can’t help but think that the 5th Avenue Disney Store is this tragically squandered opportunity. That — ‘way back in 1997, when this flagship store was initially opened — that this elegant NYC shop was viewed as Disney’s ultimate marriage between retail and entertainment. And now … Well … its’ clear that that marriage is on now the rocks.
Why for? Because — over the past six years — the entire Disney Store chain (Not just the 5th Avenue store) became less and less about show and more and more about business. About making a buck at all costs. And never mind the fact that consumers tend to get turned off by naked obvious greed.
Quick question here: When’s the last time you made a special trip to the Mall just to visit your local Disney Store? For those of us who live thousands of miles away from Anaheim or Orlando, this is how we used to get our Disney fix. We’d drop by our area Disney Store once or twice a month, check out all the merchandise. And — invariably — we’d buy something.
Of course, this was back in the day when TDS cast members were taught to treat each and every person who came through the door like a special guest. When the pressure wasn’t on to sell-SELL-SELL!? But — rather — their goal was to make every shopper think that going (Not just shopping, mind you. But just the simple act of going) to the Disney Store was to be “just as fun as going to Disneyland.”
Nowadays … A trip to the Disney Store is just unpleasant. At least for me. You’re just surrounded by all these high-priced toys that someone in market research decided that kids would go for. Which is why you have the “Disney Adventurer” action figures for boys and the “Disney Princess Ballerinas” for girls. And all around you are these alleged additional inducements to shop and spend. Save $20 on a Disney snow globe. Spend $50 and we’ll give you a $10 gift card and/or a free piece of plush. Pre-order “Pirates of the Caribbean.” On and on and on …
Which was why — after just 20 minutes in the 5th Avenue Disney Store — I was noodging Michelle and Alice along. Trying to get them out of the place. Just standing inside that shop (Particularly in the 1st floor Disney Princess area. Which — floor to ceiling — has been painted Pepto Bismal pink) was giving me a headache.
Eventually, the three of us found ourselves back outside in the cool night air. We had explored the entire 5th Avenue Disney Store from top to bottom in just under 30 minutes … And yet we hadn’t seen a single thing that any of us wanted to buy.
This may explain why the Walt Disney Company is having such a problem finding someone to buy its 300-plus Disney Stores. For — sometime over the past six years — the Mouse has lost its once-legendary hold on consumers. That that warm, fuzzy feeling that we all used to feel about Mickey and the products that the Disney corporation churned out has been replaced by this vague feeling of unease. That sense that — whenever the Mouse is about — you’d best be keeping a hand on your wallet. That Mickey isn’t really all that interested in making us smile anymore. That this soon-to-be-75-years-old rodent is far more interested in finding yet another way to separate us from our hard-earned dollars.
Looking back at the 5th Avenue Disney Store with its sadly stripped-down marquee, I couldn’t help but wonder: Will this place even be here the next time I get down to NYC? How much longer will the Mouse keep its Disney Store chain up and running? Or — if they fail to find a buyer soon — will Disney just do what Warners did back in 2001: Which is just pull the plug on its entire retail operation.
It was just too depressing to think about. Which is why I took Alice by the hand and — with Michelle snapping pictures as we walked along — headed over toward Times Square. With the hope that all the lights down there would help lighten our moods.
And — if that didn’t work … Well, there was always cheesecake.
Your thoughts?