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[Anthony]

What are people expecting to see from this shop because all I can see is a lot of money being spent on a shop that will be full of the same merchandise available elsewhere in the park but more of it. All this is happening while a walk from the park to the new shop could see you breaking a leg in the craters on the walkways. Surely the money could be better spent elsewhere?

The only positive I can see is that it frees up some of the shop spaces already in Disney Village to give us some more restaurants or entertainment. Is a bigger Disney Store really that exciting?

Just because something is new, does not make it exciting. I am a little excited by dreams, and I am very excited about the refers, but the last project that excited me at DLP was tower of terror, the time before that was the opening of WDSP

We might find a lot of the current merchandise useless, but I'd bet this store will pay for itself (and then some) over a very short space of time given the prominent location and expanded floorspace.

As well as those two benefits, the current Disney Store is simply hopelessly outdated and would need a drastic overhaul anyway. Just as the new World of Disney will absolutely rake in the cash, I'd imagine the current Disney Store is possibly underperforming, for what it could be taking, given how unfit for the job it has become.

Another major benefit is that this store opens directly onto the main resort hub. Previously a bit of a windswept wasteland of street sellers, mounted police and so on, it provides much needed filler to join the parks to the Village and hotels, improving the overall experience. Something would need to do that job, so it makes sense for it to be a flagship store. If Philippe Gas finally signs a deed for that land as we've heard, it will completely transform it. Yes, freeing up for former Disney Store space is a big benefit. They could put a very sorely needed new restaurant or two there.

I find this meta-discussion of people being "excited" weird, as if you think anyone who shows an ounce of interest is fervently booking for July to be first through the door, when instead we should be grumpily sat in front of our computers deciding to exactly what degree of "excited" other people should be for each project. This build has been on and off for over 10 years, it's an absolute miracle it's finally happening, and to such a high quality. I'd prefer to be watching Soarin' being built, but I'm certainly happy to see this development going ahead.

Heck, if it boosts Disney Village revenues enough it might help pay for Soarin' anyway.

[peter]

good point anthony.

i love the idea of a disney owned hub area is exciting. although not a lot can be done, we could expect a disney-fied area

[sebassah]

I just love wondering around in the WODS in Florida. They have so many things that you never see in the parks. Im excited for it to open and think it is a great improvement to the Disney Village area.

[madondisney]

I was hoping this would be open by April, seems not. Hopefully I'll manage to persuade my parents to go a few months/year whatever after its opened. Fairly disappointed, I really would love for it to open when I go. ;(

[pussinboots]

Another major benefit is that this store opens directly onto the main resort hub. Previously a bit of a windswept wasteland of street sellers, mounted police and so on, it provides much needed filler to join the parks to the Village and hotels, improving the overall experience. Something would need to do that job, so it makes sense for it to be a flagship store. If Philippe Gas finally signs a deed for that land as we've heard, it will completely transform it.

Really, I thought that was just wishful thinking?

More photos of the unwrapped sides here for those who've missed them: http://twitter.com/#!/InsideDLParis/med ... 2FNzR79aPw

Like everyone else I absolutely love the way it's turning out — can you imagine how it will look with the domes and all the green deco ornaments? Marvelous really. But it's also becoming more and more apparent that the store will do very little indeed to hide the massive, featureless Gaumont building behind it.

The old Disney Village is just so massive and unconventional that it is almost impossible to cover up. Which brings me to the old Disney Store. I really think it will be necessary to demolish the entire block between Annette's and Cafe Mickey in order to make anything of that at all. The row of plain buildings sitting underneath that enormous canopy... How do you make that attractive?

Then again, they did manage to build an two-storey pseudohistorical Castorama over in Val d'Europe, haha. (I can hear architectural snobs everywhere cringing as I write this.) Maybe the treatment would work for all those Duplo blocks in the Village after all.

[ulak]

When it will open, please?

[15MagicalYears]

When it will open, please?

July, like it says on the thread title.

On the topic of what will be on offer, I thought (as well as resort specific merchandise) doesn't WOD stores include store exclusive merchandise? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, though.

[Josh]

That's what I'm hoping, but don't be surprised if it's the usual stuff.

[Festival Disney]

Here's a picture of the dome frame:



There's a very short YouTube video, that also confirms that the dome will spin!

[youtube:2wsvji17]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YrHG_TqsSM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube:2wsvji17]

Source

[peter]

Well that's interesting!

[DopeyDad]

:shock:

now why would it spin? A globe perhaps?

[DopeyDad]

New concept arts for World of Disney have popped up!





Source: G-Force at Disney Central Plaza

ah ah, found this earlier in the thread! So will both top and bottom halves of the globe spin around then? nice touch!

[peter]

That would be something.

[DopeyDad]

I think a bit of kinetics in the village area could look great.

[BadKid]

Nice touch!