Disney Store - A Magical Interactive Shopping Experience

When the invite for the exclusive Disney Store preview at Yorkdale Mall arrived in my inbox, I felt as excited as Winnie the Pooh would be getting invited to an all-he-could-eat hunny buffet.

What's behind the black curtains?
A magical, interactive shopping experience!

The newly-designed Yorkdale location opens to the public on July 25, 2012, with Grand Opening celebrations taking place on Saturday, July 28, 2012 (9:30 a.m. marks the opening ceremony when two Make-A-Wish children "Unlock Imagination", plus the first 500 guests will receive a free gift. That afternoon, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., there will be a Meet and Greet with Mickey and Minnie in Yorkdale's Centre Court).

Disney Princess Castle
with Magic Mirror

Disney Store carries high-quality products, including exclusive product lines that support and promote Disney's key entertainment initiatives and characters.

Disney Store offers a magical, interactive shopping experience, aiming to deliver the best 30 minutes of a child’s day. And the Yorkdale location does just that.

Can you see Casa Loma
moonlighting as Cinderella's Castle?

From the Disney Princess Castle with Magic Mirror (that comes alive with scenes from specific princess stories when guests walk by) to the Translucent Trees, there is so much to see. The unique skyline of the store includes five popular Toronto landmarks, one being Casa Loma moonlighting as Cinderella's castle.

There are also daily events for guests including Storytime, Learn to Draw, Trivia, the Imagination Parade, and Showtime (when guests learn how to do the hot dog dance). Just ask a Cast Member for scheduled timing.

Why do I have a feeling I'll be spending
a LOT of time in the baby section?

Every day the store is opened by a child who uses a large Disney key to "Unlock Imagination" - the guest (chosen randomly) is then given a smaller key to keep to mark the occasion. There is also a closing ceremony at the end of the day.

Along with daily events, many rituals also take place throughout the day in the store. I don't want to ruin all the surprises, but make sure you pay special attention to the Translucent Trees at Yorkdale...and hope Tinker Bell is around to come to the rescue!

No visit is complete without a stop at the Disney Store Theatre - you can ask a Cast Member how to celebrate birthdays, unbirthdays, engagements, anniversaries - or in our case, Hannah's first visit! There is also a table with crayons and colouring sheets to entertain younger guests, while they watch the celebrations or Disney videos on the big screen.

And of course, being that it is the Disney Store, there's great shopping (toys, clothes, DVDs and lots more!) organized by classic Disney characters and Disney films.

If you don't live close to Yorkdale, newly-designed Disney Stores are also located at Square One in Mississauga and Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket. Scarborough Town Centre will be the location of the next Disney Store in the GTA, opening in October 2012. There are currently more than 200 Disney Stores in North America, and more than 340 worldwide. You can also buy Disney Store products online.

I wish I could visit Disney World every week. But since I can't, a weekly visit to the Disney Store is a pretty great (and just as magical) substitute! My experience definitely left me as satisfied as Winnie the Pooh would be after hours of eating yummy hunny.

© 2012 YYZ Bambina. All Rights Reserved.