Disney Store

Disney Store Worldwide

File:1201 Flower Street.jpg Headquarters of the Disney Store located in Glendale
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Retail
Founded	March 28, 1987 (1987-03-28) Glendale, California
Headquarters	Grand Central Creative Campus, Glendale, California, U.S.
Number of locations	21
Area served	Japan, North America, Europe, China, Philippines
Parent	Disney Experiences
Website

The Disney Store is a specialty retail chain launched on March 28, 1987, that exclusively retails merchandise related to The Walt Disney Company, including many items unique to the brand. It functions as a division under the Disney Experiences segment of The Walt Disney Company.

As an innovator in "retail-tainment," the Disney Store blended shopping with entertainment elements. Besides its main stores, the company has operated other concepts like ESPN-The Store and Mickey's Kitchen. Present-day operations feature standalone outlets such as Disney Baby, the Walt Disney Gallery, and Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store. The brand also collaborated on Disney at Harrods, which included the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salon.

Between 2004 and 2008, North American locations were owned by Hoop Holdings, a subsidiary of The Children's Place. From 2002 until 2010, Japanese stores were managed by Retail Networks Co., Ltd., affiliated with The Oriental Land Company. Since 2012, Disney departments have been incorporated within approximately 520 JCPenney stores. In India, licensed chains such as Disney Jeans and Disney Artist are operated by Indus Clothing and Ravi Jaipuria Corporation respectively. At the 2019 D23 Expo, Disney revealed plans to expand its presence within Target stores across the United States starting in October, ahead of the Frozen II release; these products are also available online through Target.com and the Disney Store website (previously known as "shopDisney" from 2017 to 2024).

The Character Warehouse Outlet Store sells surplus and discontinued merchandise from Disney Experiences parks through Asset Management & Sales LLC, owned by Janie and Gary Stump. This outlet maintains several permanent sites alongside temporary pop-up locations.

History

The inaugural Disney Store opened on March 28, 1987, at the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California. The first store outside California debuted on June 18, 1988, at Bridgewater Commons in Bridgewater, New Jersey, followed by the first international location in London, England in November 1990.

Doug Murphy became manager of new business development in 1991 and was promoted to lead business development in 1993. The initial Japanese and Australian stores launched in 1992. That same year marked the introduction of Disney Dollars at Disney Stores.

A flagship store opened in San Francisco’s Union Square in 1994. That year also saw the establishment of Disney Store (Hong Kong) Ltd., extending operations into Asia. The New York City flagship location began operations in 1996, with an additional store adjacent to the El Capitan Theatre opening in 1998.

In November 1994, the first Walt Disney Gallery outside theme parks opened near the Disney Store at Main Place Santa Ana, California; this was managed by Disney Store under vice president Doug Murphy.

Store Numbers
Year	Licensed	Disney Owned
1987	N/A	1
1990	N/A	78
1992	N/A	126
1993	N/A	215
1994	N/A	310
1997	N/A	749
2001	N/A	700
2004	313
2008	322 (March)	220
2009	357
2013	520	200
2014	564	200
2015	680

In the year 2000, the Munich location was closed. That September saw the launch of prototype stores featuring increased space and advanced technology in Costa Mesa and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. While planning to implement this model across approximately 350 stores, Disney also announced closures of nearly one hundred locations globally due to overexpansion. By April of the following year, twenty stores had been remodeled under new president Peter Whitford.

Towards late 2002, additional prototype stores opened in Canoga Park and Torrance. The company introduced two store concepts: Disney Play—focusing on toys and costumes for young children—and Disney Kids at Home—offering children's apparel and home furnishings. This rebranding aimed for roughly 350 stores by mid-2000s; however, all sixteen Australian outlets shuttered in March 2003.

Amid declining sales driven by high product prices and overexpansion issues, Disney shuttered hundreds of stores to restore profitability. Whitford exited his role in 2003 amid leadership restructuring intended to improve financial results.

Licensed Operations in North America and Japan

Although sales remained robust, escalating expenses and the departure of key leadership prompted The Walt Disney Company to license its Disney Stores operations. In 2002, ownership of the Japanese outlets transferred to The Oriental Land Company. Subsequently, in November 2004, the majority of North American stores were licensed to The Children's Place.

Disney maintained control over its European locations and the Manhattan flagship store, which was rebranded as a World of Disney outlet under Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in 2004. Meanwhile, the Chicago flagship was acquired by The Children's Place. On June 2, 2005, Disney introduced the Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store within the El Capitan Building, replacing a former Disney Store.

The North American retail chain was sold to Hoop Holdings, a subsidiary of The Children's Place, at inventory cost. The transaction included a 15-year licensing contract featuring a royalty-free period until October 2006. After this grace period, royalties were set at 5% for in-store sales and between 9% and 10% for online transactions. Hoop Holdings assumed $48 million in equipment and property expenses. In March 2005, Hoop Holdings inaugurated its first Disney Store Outlet.

The Children's Place sought to rejuvenate the brand by increasing store count and reducing initial price points, addressing earlier challenges related to high launch prices followed by discounting. They also launched outlet stores designed with lower operating costs but higher profit margins despite offering reduced prices. Nevertheless, stringent licensing requirements mandating substantial investment in store renovations contributed to their eventual withdrawal from the venture.

In 2006, Hoop Holdings experienced a 15% increase in sales over an eleven-month span, bolstered by successful Disney film releases and the popular Disney Channel production High School Musical. A dedicated website for the stores was launched in April 2007. That year also saw Hoop Retail Stores secure a 13-year lease on the Royal Laundry Complex.

On June 8, 2007, Disney Consumer Products and The Children's Place resolved a licensing dispute involving approximately 130 violations. The agreement required The Children's Place to obtain Disney’s approval for a new prototype store design by the end of June, with plans to implement it across 234 stores by January 2012 and develop 18 new prototypes by early 2009. Maintenance upgrades were scheduled for roughly 165 locations by mid-2008. Additionally, restrictions on granting direct merchandising licenses to other retailers were relaxed.

In India, Disney Consumer Products collaborated with retail partners to establish Disney Corners offering licensed products starting in 2005. On September 26, 2006, the Disney Jeans brand debuted under license to Indus Clothing, targeting expansion to 30 outlets by the end of 2007. In October of that year, DCP licensed rights to Ravi Jaipuria Corporation for five years to open up to 150 Disney Artist brand stores across India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Maldives featuring character-branded greeting cards, stationery, and arts and crafts supplies.

Consolidation of Operations

Amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in March 2008, Hoop Retail—The Children's Place’s subsidiary managing Disney Stores—announced negotiations to sell the brand back to The Walt Disney Company. On May 1, 2008, control of 231 North American Disney Stores reverted to Disney’s Consumer Products division with James Fielding appointed president of Disney Stores Worldwide. At that time, Europe operated 107 locations. The San Francisco flagship store was shuttered later that year.

In November 2009, plans emerged for a major store rebranding spearheaded by Apple’s Steve Jobs, renowned for pioneering Apple Retail Stores. Designed by New York-based Pompei A.D., this initiative introduced 'Imagination Parks'—technology-driven retail environments featuring interactive experiences—with an estimated investment of $1 million per location. The inaugural stores opened in May 2010 across Long Island, Madrid, and Southern California with an additional forty planned for rollout in 2011.

Following the January 2010 closure of the World of Disney store on Fifth Avenue, a new flagship Disney Store launched on Broadway later that year. On March 31, 2010, Disney acquired Retail Networks Co., Ltd., from Oriental Land Company in Japan. Ireland welcomed its first Disney Store in May 2011.

After James Fielding’s departure in May 2012, Molly Adams and Paul Gainer assumed executive vice president roles overseeing global retail operations. September 2012 saw the opening of the first flagship Disney Baby Store in Glendale, California, alongside plans to integrate dedicated Disney Baby sections within existing stores. In November 2013, Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store partnered with Ghirardelli Chocolate Company to manage its soda fountain offerings.

In January 2012, Disney announced intentions to establish between twenty-five and forty stores across China within three years; the Shanghai flagship opened its doors in May 2015. A collaboration with JCPenney launched in September 2012 introduced Disney shops inside approximately five hundred twenty Penney outlets plus online availability by October 2013. Due to strong sales performance and exclusive merchandise linked to the live-action Cinderella film promotion, these shops expanded to six hundred twenty locations by 2015.

Responding to an inquiry from the New York Attorney General regarding on-call scheduling practices in early 2016, Disney Stores ceased this practice during that year. For Christmas season in the UK that same year, nine temporary pop-up stores were established.

Disney Stores re-entered the German market with a Munich location opening in November 2017; however, it closed permanently in June 2020. To promote its sleep shop launch in August 2018, Disney operated a bedtime hotline featuring Mickey Mouse and other characters. Later that year in November, U.S.-based Disney Stores headquarters relocated from Pasadena to Glendale, California.

Despite community efforts aimed at preserving the Huntington Mall location in West Virginia amid closure announcements in May 2019, reports indicated these closures were part of broader systematic downsizing rather than issues with lease agreements.

At D23 Expo held in August 2019, Disney unveiled a partnership with Target Corporation to open twenty-five "shop-within-shop" concepts inside Target stores beginning October 4.

Closure

In March 2021, Disney declared plans to shut down a minimum of 155 Disney Store outlets throughout North America, prioritizing a shift toward online retail. By May 2021, nearly all Disney Stores across Europe were scheduled to close, with exceptions including key locations such as the flagship store at Disney Village in Disneyland Paris. The original Glendale Galleria location ceased operations in July 2021, accompanied by the closure of 16 additional stores. Most Canadian outlets had closed by August 2021, leaving only a handful operational in the Toronto vicinity. By mid-September 2021, just 22 stores remained open in the United States as Disney continued to downsize its physical retail presence.

Additional shutdowns followed, including the Bellevue, Washington store closing in January 2022. In April 2025, Disney announced the permanent closure of the flagship Disney Village location at Disneyland Paris, which will be replaced by a new retail concept named Disney Wonders.

These closures represent a strategic pivot in Disney’s business approach toward digital commerce and e-commerce platforms, aiming to improve operational efficiency and respond to evolving global market trends and consumer preferences.

Lawsuit

In July 2021, UBS Realty filed a lawsuit against Disney seeking $275,000 in unpaid rent for the property at The Shops at Montebello in Montebello, California.

Locations

Countries
Country	Opened	locations (#)
US	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting || 21
UK	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting || 1
Japan	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting ||
France	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting || 2
Hong Kong	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting ||
Ireland	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting || 1
China	2015
Germany (2nd time)	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting ||
Philippines	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting || 1

Disney Stores are located within shopping malls and commercial centers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines. Australian stores were closed in 2003. The only Hong Kong store is situated at Hong Kong International Airport and is branded as The Magic of Hong Kong Disneyland, operated by Hong Kong International Theme Parks. Around 15 smaller airport-based locations in the United States were closed by 2004.

Disney made a return to Germany with a flagship store opening in Munich in November 2017.

Ownership of Disney Stores in the US, Canada, and Europe remains with The Walt Disney Company. Japanese stores were formerly run under license by The Oriental Land Company but have since been reacquired by Disney itself. Between 2004 and 2008, operations of US and Canadian stores were managed by Hoop Retail Stores, a subsidiary of The Children's Place. As of early 2021, approximately 300 Disney Stores operated globally; however, at least one-fifth began closing as part of a strategy to emphasize e-commerce.

Features

In 2010, Disney launched an innovative retail concept known as Imagination Parks, designed by Steve Jobs. These stores provide interactive shopping experiences that include features such as a large castle with a mirror reflecting images of Disney princesses and projectors casting Disney characters onto tree leaves. The exterior design incorporates local landmarks alongside Disney themes to create an immersive "magical world" atmosphere. Inside each store, a pixie dust trail leads visitors through the space, with many locations offering region-specific merchandise—for instance, Las Vegas features 35 exclusive items like showgirl Minnie and Stitch dressed as Elvis.

Daily opening ceremonies further engage customers: a Cast Member selects a child who uses an oversized key to unlock the store. This event triggers Tinker Bell’s animated flight accompanied by an interior light display with projected fireworks.

China flagship

Disney's premier store in China is situated in Shanghai's Lujiazui financial hub, covering an area of , making it the world's largest Disney Store. At the heart of this location stands a Magic Kingdom castle that presents a musical projection every hour. The venue also boasts an outdoor plaza featuring a Mickey Mouse-shaped flower arrangement and a Marvel section displaying statues of Iron Man, Thor, and a towering 8-foot Hulk. Beloved characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, and Donald are depicted in hot-air balloons, while the rooftop is illuminated to resemble Mickey Mouse’s silhouette.

Inaugurated on May 20, 2015, the store drew crowds who waited up to three hours before opening and had to close temporarily after just one hour due to overwhelming visitor numbers.

Chicago flagship

The Chicago flagship Disney Store is located on the Magnificent Mile at 717 N. Michigan Avenue and spans , twice the size of typical stores. It replaced the original Water Tower Place location and complemented nearby Disney Regional Entertainment venues like DisneyQuest and ESPN Zone within the North Bridge complex. This store opened its doors on July 26, 1999, with an official dedication ceremony held on August 5, 1999, featuring appearances by Chicago native and DCP president Anne Osberg alongside Mickey Mouse. To commemorate the occasion, an exclusive "Blues Mickey" plush was launched.

Between 2004 and 2008, Children's Place managed this flagship under its subsidiary. A smaller outlet opened at 108 North State Street in 2010 but ceased operations in March 2021. The Michigan Avenue flagship also shuttered on September 4, 2021.

New York City flagship

The original New York City flagship Disney Store debuted on May 22, 1996, at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, occupying the former site of La Côte Basque restaurant. Following the divestiture of U.S. locations, this Manhattan store was transformed into a World of Disney outlet operated by Disney Experiences in 2004. Due to steep rental costs, the Fifth Avenue World of Disney store closed in January 2010. Subsequently, the flagship relocated to 1540 Broadway in Times Square, opening on November 9, 2010—a year marked by the launch of twenty new stores. Its design features oversized Mickey and Minnie balloons inspired by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and incorporates Disney-themed Broadway playbills, underscoring its significant market presence.

Baby Store

Located in Americana at Brand in Glendale, California, the Disney Baby Store serves as the exclusive flagship for Disney’s infant product line and operates as a pilot site for new merchandise. Its proximity to Disney Consumer Products and Disney Store headquarters supports the company’s strategic emphasis on expanding its baby product offerings.

In early June 2011, Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products, announced plans to establish two Disney Baby Stores on each coast, with Glendale already chosen as one location. This move aligns with broader growth strategies including launching the Disney Junior programming block and a dedicated cable channel. Additionally, Disney partnered with Our365 to provide hospital-distributed samples of Disney Cuddly Bodysuits for newborns.

The flagship officially opened on September 6, 2012, highlighted by an Operation Shower event for military mothers and a grand opening attended by Disney Consumer Products President Bob Chapek, actress Alison Sweeney, and characters such as Winnie the Pooh. Kim Chapman was appointed as the inaugural store manager. The store permanently closed its doors on July 23, 2021.

Studio Store

Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store, often referred to as Disney Studio Store Hollywood, is a combined retail and dining venue situated within the El Capitan Theatre building. This establishment merges the Disney Studio Store with the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain, offering a unique shopping and dining experience.

The original Disney Store opened next to the El Capitan Theatre in 1998. On June 2, 2005, the current Disney's Soda Fountain and Studio Store took over the ground floor space of the El Capitan Building, replacing the previous store. This location features a take-out counter, a street-facing cone window, and table service inside, enhancing customer engagement and broadening the range of available products.

Character Warehouse Outlet Store

Operating through a licensing agreement with Asset Management & Sales LLC, Disney's Character Warehouse Outlet Store retails surplus and discontinued merchandise from Disney Parks. It maintains a small number of permanent outlets in Fullerton and Pomona, California, as well as Las Vegas, complemented by occasional temporary locations. Owned by Janie and Gary Stump, Asset Management & Sales launched a year-round store in Midvale, Utah in early 2007; however, this store closed in May 2008 due to disputes with the landlord and declining sales figures.

Asset Management & Sales, headquartered near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, also oversees Character Depot stores. Among these is a permanent outlet opened in Murfreesboro in January 2012, supporting ongoing growth through varied retail formats.

JCPenney store-in-store

In 2013, Disney formed a strategic alliance with JCPenney, debuting 525 "shop-within-shop" locations inside JCPenney stores nationwide on October 4, timed with the release of Frozen. This move extended Disney’s retail reach by utilizing JCPenney’s existing customer base to strengthen brand visibility and market penetration.

Target store-in-store

At the D23 Expo held in August 2019, Disney announced a collaboration with Target to introduce 25 "shop-within-shop" spaces inside Target stores starting October 4, coinciding with the launches of Frozen II and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. These locations averaged , featuring music, interactive elements, and clips from Disney films. A dedicated subsection was also created on Target’s website. Subsequently, Target and Disney revealed plans to open an additional 40 such outlets by October 2020, including one near Disney World. By December 25, 2021, another 100 locations were scheduled to open as most standalone Disney Stores permanently closed.

Disney at Harrods

Disney at Harrods represented a retail collaboration that operated Disney stores alongside Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and a Disney Cafe within Harrods from 2002 until 2017.

On October 10, 2012, a 7,000-square-foot Disney pop-up shop debuted on Harrods’ fourth floor. It featured attractions such as a Princess Parlour, Cinderella Slipper salon, a Disney/Pixar section, and an Activity Zone. During National Princess Week and the Christmas season, Harrods spotlighted Disney Princesses by displaying Oscar de la Renta-designed dresses unveiled at the D23 Expo, which were later auctioned to benefit Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

The partnership grew with the introduction of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salon—the first European venue for this Disney Parks, Experiences and Products concept—opening on November 25, 2013. From July through August 2016, a ticketed Star Wars gallery presented immersive exhibits including the Millennium Falcon cockpit and prop replicas. Personalized scale models were crafted using advanced photogrammetry technology. The Disney at Harrods collaboration concluded on June 1, 2017.

Mickey's Kitchen

Mickey's Kitchen represented Disney’s first attempt at managing restaurant chains beyond its theme parks. Two outlets, each adjacent to a Disney Store, were operational from April 21, 1990, until April 1, 1992.

The inaugural outlet debuted on April 21, 1990, within Montclair Plaza mall in Montclair, California, marking the milestone of Disney Store’s 50th opening. This trial fast-casual dining establishment accommodated 190 guests in a 6,000 square-foot area, forming part of a combined 12,000 square-foot space shared with the Disney Store. The second site commenced operations on May 31, 1991, at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, occupying a total of 14,000 square feet alongside its Disney Store counterpart.

Although customer feedback was favorable, both restaurants ceased operations in April 1992 due to merely breaking even financially. Subsequently, Disney redirected its efforts toward international expansion of the Disney Stores. The adjoining Disney Stores continued functioning until a broad closure in 2021; notably, the Woodfield Mall location underwent renovations in the early 2000s, whereas the Montclair Plaza store preserved its original interior until it shut down.

ESPN Store

ESPN—The Store was a retail chain under Disney Stores that combined sports merchandise with broadcast-style interactive kiosks. After Disney acquired Capital Cities/ABC, ESPN became a focal point for CEO Michael Eisner’s brand diversification strategy, which included ventures such as magazines, ESPN Grill restaurants, video games, and retail outlets.

The first ESPN Store launched on September 16, 1997, at Glendale Galleria with sportscaster Dick Vitale in attendance. Two more stores opened subsequently; however, all locations were shuttered by September 1999 due to insufficient financial performance.

Merchandise included branded sportswear and collectibles like boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali priced at $350 and jerseys signed by icons such as Michael Jordan ($950) and Magic Johnson ($450). Sporting goods featured items under the X Games label to capitalize on ESPN’s association with extreme sports.

Online presence

The Walt Disney Company initiated its online retail operations on November 19, 1996, launching The Disney Store Online through its Disney Online division. In 1998, following acquisitions of Infoseek and Starwave, Disney expanded its digital holdings to encompass sites including Disney.com, DisneyStore.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, NASCAR.com, NHL.com among others. This expansion led to the establishment of Buena Vista Internet Group (BVIG), later rebranded as Go.com and spun off as a tracking stock in 1999. That same year saw DisneyStore.com transition under Disney Direct Marketing (DDM), a segment of Disney Consumer Products.

In October 2000, Disney Auctions debuted via collaboration with eBay to sell memorabilia from Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Walt Disney Studios. By 2001, DDM was integrated into The Disney Stores division. When The Disney Stores were divested to The Children's Place, the DisneyStore.com domain remained with Disney and was rebranded as DisneyDirect.com in 2004.

A significant rebranding occurred in 2006: Disney Direct Marketing transformed into Disney Shopping, Inc. (DSI), the website address changed to DisneyShopping.com, and the catalog business was discontinued. The partnership with eBay ended as Disney assumed full control over Disney Auctions. Following reacquisition of The Disney Store chain in 2008, the site reverted to using the DisneyStore.com domain. DisneyAuctions.com was discontinued in 2009.

In 2010, DSI was realigned under The Disney Store management with a revamped website; simultaneously Disneystore.co.uk relaunched on this platform. After acquiring Marvel Entertainment in 2009, MarvelStore.com was introduced in 2011 utilizing similar technology. Additionally, new online stores for France and Germany were launched.

From 2020 through 2023, these websites operated under the ShopDisney branding. In August 2016, an exclusive vintage apparel collection named "YesterEars" was released online celebrating classic theme park attractions and inspired by a former Downtown Disney retail shop.

External links

• (official website of the United States)
  • , Disney Store Locations (North America)
• DisneyStore (Japan)