The Disney Store: The Dork's Perspective

My family frequents our local mall every couple of weeks, mostly to walk around and let our children blow off steam.  It is a pastime that we all enjoy -- mostly.  How does this relate to a blog devoted solely to Walt Disney World?  Well, this would be a true Disney Dork confession, one that my husband would again drop his head to his hands in embarrassment.  The mall has a Disney Store!

This feature is unsurpassed with all the other elements that the mall has to offer.  It is a store where we seldom make purchases, but ALWAYS visit.  My children actually believe for a small moment that they are back in the magical world of Disney World.  In their eyes, the other areas of the mall - hallways, bathrooms, department stores, coffee shops, photography studios and boutiques -- are all akin to the atmosphere of Downtown Disney.  Places that are fun to be, and that their parents enjoy, but don't matter much to them (except for when the DJ happens to be on stage leading the crowd in new dance crazes and handing out Mickey Mouse stickers).  The Disney Store for them is like entering into The World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney.  While these two stores are drastically different -- The World of Disney is Disney's largest retail space -- to my children any store with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in the window is a Disney World replica.

The Disney Store IS the mall for my kids.  In fact, when we mention that we might do a little shopping, my son and daughter both will assume their excited faces and squeal with delight, "We're going to The Mickey Mall!"  

On our last trip to "The Mickey Mall" my son took off as soon as he saw the place, and My daughter actually ran in and hugged the cast member who was greeting guests.  I, of course, in true Disney Dork fashion was parking the stroller in my unofficial reserved stroller parking space near the front of the store (Hey, if it happens at the real Disney World, it should happen at The Disney Store).  The kids moved from toy to toy, playing with anything in their reach.  They hugged EVERY "friend" in the back of the store, nearly squeezing their 2 for $25.00 stuffing out.  And we just let them.  Whether the store is full of shoppers or deserted, as it was this particular evening, the magical look on my children's faces is irreplaceable, lest we were actually at Disney World.

Muffin tries out the Toy Story Alien pens.

The look on his face says it all!

  

Following the suggestion of the sweet lady that hugged my child back as she ran to her with open arms and excitement written on her face, exclaiming, "She's my favorite one all day!" we began a new tradition of visiting the Mickey Mall.  We did what all pretend Disney World travelers should do: we rode a ride.  My husband coaxed the kids out of the store (where we purchased nothing) by allowing them to ride up and down the escalator that stands just outside the doors of The Disney Store.  They were elated.  It was the perfect ending to their pretend Disney World trip, and mine too.  

Our new "ride" at the Mickey Mall