This past Saturday at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, a brand new Disney Store opened to the public. With the mall’s new redeveloped look, the Disney Store reopened with a new location and fresh look. So as excited as I could be, I attended the opening hours of the store to see what Disney magic could be sprinkled at this local mall.
With an invite on Facebook, I soon discovered that the long closed Disney Store would soon be opened! To double check, I searched on the Disney Store website confirming that yes, this location would be opening. First 500 guests would receive a special gift, a gift being Mickey ears with the Disney Store logo. The store and mall were set to open at 10 AM. Knowing that there would be a lot of people in attendance, I arrived around 9:15 AM. The line was already longer than I expected. Number wise, I was probably in the 100s. I got my spot and my ears, all there was to do was wait.
To make the experience a bit more enjoyable, there was a DJ set up playing a variety of Disney tunes. The number one song of the morning was “Let it Go.” All the families in line knew the words which I thought was pretty funny. Disney Store cast members were in a great mood and kept the line very entertained. With trivia and sing along sessions, it was soon that the store would open.
After a brief countdown, the store opened and a few groups of guests were allowed in time. The setup was very organized and cast members were there to answer any questions. With much staff around, I knew that this was a special day. I even believe that there were some executive cast members scoping the scene out.
Now before I entered the building, a bright display of the new store greeted customers. This was a huge improvement compared to the previous Disney Store in the mall. Once inside, merchandise displays were nicely themed and labeled. In addition to the merchandise being laid out neatly, the artistic aesthetic of the store was amazing. Silhouettes lined the tops of the wall. You could recognize a lot of Disney characters throughout the shadows. The best part though, if you got real close to them and looked at the location of what the characters were walking around in, they were placed in iconic landmarks from the city of Torrance!! I seriously freaked out because this town I knew so well was now being incorporated with Disney characters. It was amazing!
In addition to my freak out on the artwork on the walls, there were also tree cutouts in the stores. The trees looked like tree but the closer you got, you started to see Disney characters in the shapes of the leaves. So much thought was placed into the theming.
Another awesome thing I enjoyed about this Disney Store location is that they had a little area for children to wait in which had a table and things to color. On top of that, there was a television set up playing various Disney things. Even as one point, there was a sign along session with all the children and a cast member as word from songs placed up on the screen. There were scheduled entertainment events throughout the day.
After I got my Disney merchandise fix, it was time to head out to see the lovely Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. The lovely characters were doing a meet and greet just a ways down. It was kind of weird seeing the characters outside of the parks.
My friend and I grabbed a spot in line and waited. We were fully entertained by the little games the children were playing with the cast members. The DJ had moved his station near the meet and greet spot. As time passed, more trivia was asked to those waiting in line. Stickers and other small prizes were handed out if you got the question correct.
Mickey soon came out and the line unanimously cheered. The first rotation was Mickey Mouse, the second Minnie. We posed for photos and told him what a great job he did with the store remodel. My friend also got a chance to take a photo with her holding her Disney College Program letter of acceptance with Mickey. Mickey Mouse was very proud.
Overall, the Disney Store grand opening was a lot more than I expected. With much organization and thought put towards this event, it was a great way to see Disney interacting with the local community.
