Exit through the gift shop

[Mendelson]

Just had a conversation with a co-worker about this.

And you know what? I don't care. I so don't care about having to do this, but it vexes people so. I guess it is a blatant money grab, but you are not (yet) obligated to buy anything to leave the gift shop, so just consider it an extended themed exit. In fact, it's a buffer between the ride and the elements so you can use the time here to enjoy a little bit of AC or get your poncho out, etc.

Why does this bother people so much?

[Belle of the Ball 051411]

It doesn't bother me one bit, and like you, I love a chance to get some AC! I am thinking this may bother some people if they have kids and the kids want to touch stuff and buy stuff....

[Mendelson]

Ah, true. Dang kids. No place for them at WDW, I tell you! :mickey:

[Butters]

It doesn't bother me but I see it for what it is.... A great opportunity to get people on impulse buys... Plus it's a 100% sure way to get people in the shops. If you have no interest in sueveniers then you can just walk down Main Street and skip all those shops. Next try and ride Splash Mountain and avoid a shop! :mickey:

[DVC2004]

I don't mind it. Sometimes I look around, sometimes I just exit. I am sure for some people with small kids, it can be a pain if the kids see something they want and get upset.

[EJS-Houston]

Doesn't bother me either. More often than not I welcome it.

[T-Belle]

Doesn't bother me either. I'm a big girl, I understand that WDW is magical and also a business. It is what it is and it will continue to be my happy place!

[mechanic]

I'm laughing because last month dw and I went to a special faberge exhibit at the Detroit art institute. As we exited the galleries, we were funneled into a temporary gift shop. We turned and looked at each other and at the same time said "just like disney world".

[Tigerinvestigator]

I actually really like it. My favorite are POTC, which we all spend a little time in after the ride, TOT which is probably the best themed of all the attraction gift shops, and Star Tours. Even though the Muppets shop is not technically one that you have to walk thru, it is still pretty cool near the exit. I always love looking around in there at the props from the television show. I think when they are well themed as most at WDW are, they are a plus to the attraction!:thumbsup:

[Jeri]

It has never bothered me & we have always gone with our kids.
I always tell them that we are going to look but not buy, and they know they can't touch anything without asking us first.

I have never had an issue with my kids getting upset, they know ahead of time what my expectations are of them. They will often show me something they want, but I tell them to remember it and later in the trip if they still want it then we can get it.

[dml]

Doesn't bother me a bit either. The Super Bowl was just here in New Orleans and to exit the NFL Expereicne you had to walk through a huge gift shop, so everyone does it. It's smart business.

:mickey::mickey:

[Donald]

My son once asked me if the ride (space mountain ) was scary, and I told him" the only scary part is the gift shop at the end....and the answer is no!":mickey:

[SBETigg]

Has never bothered me at all.

[retiredfigment]

This has never bothered me, and it is not just a 'Disney' concept. Even special exhibits at museums do this. I think some people don't like it because they do not know how to use the word no in such a way that their kids get it. LOL

[MargaretMessler]

Doesn't bother me at all. I love window shopping, and sometimes we even have fun trying on funny hats or taking pictures with oddball items.

We laugh about it, as we get off the ride or go thru the door, etc. "Oh, what do you know, it's a gift shop!"

Much like someone previously said about telling their kids if they still want it later they can think about it, I tell myself the same thing. More often than not, I have forgotten about it.

[tiggerbuddy]

Personally, I cant stand it...
I think many people are looking at it from an adult viewpoint...

When you are there with a young child/children who throw a tantrum over a huge stuffed animal and you have to wind up carrying it with you all around the park it becomes a problem...

We like to get our souvenirs as we exit the park...

Just my 2 cents

[beksy]

They actually make my life a lot EASIER! My Dmom has several health problems that limit what she can ride but my Dsis and I still enjoy going on them. Dmom is an admitted shop-a-holic and can window shop for hours without getting bored :cart: but can't be in the sun or heat for long periods. Thanks to the shops, my Dsis and I can do the rides without feeling guilty and we know exactly where to find Dmom when we are done...our only problem is BTMRR where we wish there was a shop! Dmom gets bored with the Splash one. (Now as long as she doesn't figure out how to actually PAY, we'll be fine! Did I mention I also love the shipping back to the resort? :secret:)

[stephicakes]

:ditto: They don't bother me a bit. It is what it is! I specifically enjoy the gift shop at RnR - gives me some more time to enjoy the music after an awesome ride :coaster:

I still enjoy watching DD16 browse through the shops remembering her do the same thing when she was younger. Gives us a few minutes to slow down and just enjoy our vaca :thumbsup:

[DisneyDawgette]

I love the gift shops! For some reason the Dinosaur one gets me everytime... Maybe it's because in the picture I'm always in a fetal position every year? :blush:

[Caroleh]

Doesn't bother me, sometimes we look, sometimes we don't. It becomes part of the attraction..the exit!!

[JerseyDad]

....not bothered by the exits directly into the shops ....nope ..not one little bit.

....beyond the "magic" ...WDW is a business ...a pretty darn good one at that. If the added income from gift, food , etc. sales in a park will continue to keep the "magic" available to me ...then I say more power to it.

....I also know that there are parents that loathe the experience of walking thru the gift shops with little ones for fear of the dreaded "Magical Tantrum" ....to them (including my own relatives with lil` ones) ...I say ..."Be a parent ...and recite the following to the kids "What Part Of NO Don't You Understand"? ;)

[Auntie B]

I actually kind of enjoy it, then again, I am a self-proclaimed "shop-a-holic". :mickey:

[DisneyFr33k]

Another vote for "it doesn't bother us". The one at the end of the Star Tours is absolutely slammed, though, and hard to exit sometimes.

[Scrappy2]

I would not say I hate them but I do not love them either. When traveling with the smaller kids it gets hard sometimes. We tell him we are not going to buy anything just passing through. It makes me sad for my babies to be so happy on the ride then to be so sad and upset because we are not buying anything and they leave the store crying. I know it's business for them.

[texas211]

Yeah, I like them. Nice opportunity to cool off, and might see something cool. I liked it more, when stores had more ride specific stuff.

[SandmanGStefani24]

i don't see it as the money grab that many do. yes, it is what it is, but I like to look around. i see it like this, I love the ride, so why not have the chance to take a piece of it home with me in some way, as most of the gifts are pretty well related to the ride in some way. plus, it's better than just getting kicked out of the ride with no "post show" of sorts...

that's just me..

[Going2HeavenRU]

Has anyone been to Dollywood? You have to go through a gift shop to exit the park. No other way out!

I love walking through the shops at the end of rides. Sometimes that is where you find the best themed merchandise for that attraction. I wish the Haunted Mansion had one. Disney is missing out on the opportunity to make money off people like my DH who would mortgage our house for anything to do with the Haunted Mansion.

[TheVBs]

They don't bother us either. We usually enjoy browsing after the ride, or if DH & DD12 are going on a ride that DD8 and I aren't, then it's a fun thing to do while we wait.

[GBBT]

WHOA...WHOA...WHOA.....Stop right there....take a little time to look at the shops......spend some money.....it'll spur Disney to pay me more dividends on my stock...:D:D:D:D

[DisneyorBust]

I'm not bothered by it at all.
1) I view going thru the gift shop at the end of an attraction like it's 'part of the queue'.
2) Just because they're selling something, doesn't mean that I have to buy any. :D

[roses]

They aren't part of the ride and theming? :scratch:

[grumpyguy]

Actually,I like it.I wish the TOT gift shop was bigger ! It is a brilliant idea.Amazingly,if I don't see something that want,need or desire,
I DON'T BUY IT !:thumbsup:

[ANG]

We usually just walk right thru. And I don't allow my kids to whine for anything.

[TinkerbellFan16]

I don't mind it, except when the gift shop is PACKED and accessibility is an issue, but this is very rare for the times that I usually go. I like seeing ride pictures, even if I don't buy them. And some of the merchandise is just cool to look at.

And it is sometimes an opportunity to find merch for characters that are underrepresented elsewhere (Peter Pan is one of the first that comes to mind for me)

[Mrs Bus Driver]

I say let the kids earn their own money to spend in the gift shops. Its a little harder to part with when you have to earn it. They may just learn a lesson in spending :mickey:

[PlutoPlanet]

It doesn't bother me one bit, and like you, I love a chance to get some AC! I am thinking this may bother some people if they have kids and the kids want to touch stuff and buy stuff....

Agreed. I need the AC.

[MrPeetrie]

Another vote for not bothering us at all.

For me, I think it makes great business sense and I agree with others: it's what helps to keep the doors open.

Also, sometimes after seeing an attraction (like Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time in over a year), we are so "juiced" for the ride, it's nice to let the kids take home a memento or two.

I agree, however, that if you have little ones and they've gotten enough already, sometimes it's hard to herd them out without a purchase. But it's not that much an issue that I'd complain.

[minnie04]

They don't bother me at all. The kids have been taught over the years we don't buy anything we have to carry around the park or hang on the stroller (when we used them). We always wait until we are leaving the parks and walk through the main gift shops. (my kids are not perfect, but we started this the first time we went and it worked for us) Since we travel in such big groups all the time it was hard at first, but they all got the hang of it and it was so much easier on the adults we were all in the same page with it, so no ones kids got anything until the end of the day. I love to browse around the entire gift shop when we exit a ride, but it's always just that browsing. Thank god my kids never gave me a problem with this. I can see where it could get ugly. I have seen many people go through the crying and screaming to get out of the gift shop. Poor kids they have no clue that it’s a set up.. lol

And now that they are older I'M the one they have to drag out at the end of the day...:D

[cuteduck223]

we love the gift shops. Our DD4 loves to look around, and knows that we don't buy anything. We don't usually buy anything the first few days of our trip, "lets see what else we might want". She's never thrown a tantrum and if she sees something she really likes and chooses for her souvenir, we go back and get it later. We took her at 2, 3, and now 4. This time she's even making "envelopes" like mommy for her snacks and souvenirs. (that doesn't mean mom and dad won't help out, but its a great object lesson). She also LOVES piggy bank adventure..so here's to hoping shes better with money than her parents :thumbsup:

[hauntedmansiongirl]

I wish the Haunted Mansion had one. Disney is missing out on the opportunity to make money off people like my DH who would mortgage our house for anything to do with the Haunted Mansion.

:ditto: This is my favourite ride and I agree with you 100%!!!!

:cool:

[Terra]

....not bothered by the exits directly into the shops ....nope ..not one little bit.

....beyond the "magic" ...WDW is a business ...a pretty darn good one at that. If the added income from gift, food , etc. sales in a park will continue to keep the "magic" available to me ...then I say more power to it.

....I also know that there are parents that loathe the experience of walking thru the gift shops with little ones for fear of the dreaded "Magical Tantrum" ....to them (including my own relatives with lil` ones) ...I say ..."Be a parent ...and recite the following to the kids "What Part Of NO Don't You Understand"? ;)

As the parent of a 5 and 4.5 year old, that go at least 1-2x a month...I totally agree with you! I let them know up front if they can get something that day and whether it's something little or bigger.
Sure they ask, but I say no, and they may or may not whine some, but as soon as we step outside they are easily distracted and on to something else!

Personally, I love browsing all the items myself and dreaming :)
I'm finding that people complain so much about Disney all the time, yet continue to go all the time. You know what? If it bothers you that much, then don't go. It's a theme park, I expect high marketing with equally high prices. Does it mean I have to buy everything? Nope, but I just enjoy my day still and do what I can!

[K8screen]

My kids were always so keen to get to the next ride they either didnt notice the gift shop, or, if it was crowded, considered it a delaying tactic, trying to make their way through. I dont think it ever occurred to them that you could actually BUY stuff!

[Canuck Park Hopper]

I think the concept of being directed through an obvious money trap is a little disconcerting initially, but now I never really notice or care and maybe once in a while stop and browse.

What I really hate (and not found in any widespread way at Disney) are the "mandatory" photos that forced upon you when you venture on other touristy attractions... You know the ones where you and your party have to pose in front of some fake backdrop prior to enjoying the attraction/event and then pestered to buy it as a souvenir on the way out/off... Those I turn down 100% just on principle!

[thejens]

1. It's tacky and annoying.
2. As an adult, I would enjoy it more if the merchandise was always themed to the ride, but it is often the same old, same old, yawn.
3. Very small children are heartbroken and do not understand budgets when they are not allowed to take home the expensive stuffed toy and WDW is not really where I want to practice my tough love discipline techniques.

I enjoy gift shops aimed at adults, especially if they are clever and unique. Go ahead, entice me to spend my money. Creating difficult situations for parents and children = profits before magical experiences.

[PrincessJadesMom]

The gift shops don't bother me either. I actually enjoy most of them. A big part of our vacation is shopping, so I can ride the rides & not have to go out of my way to pick up the Disney items that I love so much. :mickey:

[MNNHFLTX]

I don't mind the idea of going through a gift shop at the end, but some of them are so small and congested with displays and merchandise that it impedes the flow of traffic as people exit the rides. Star Tours is a classic example of this. They should make sure there is a central aisle to exit and then the people that want to look can look.