Decline in merchandise

[DNS]

We have made many trips over the years to WDW and I'm finding that in the past few years, the merchandise seems to be going downhill to me. There is less and less variety of items offered, clothing quality seems to be declining and if you are not really into a couple of characters or pirates and princesses, you're out of luck. I've never understood why they have very few classic movie/character things, but it seems worse recently. Maybe it's just me, let me know what you all think. I know my bank account likes that I don't buy nearly as much anymore, but it's not as much fun.

[goofiecrazy]

The last time we went i really didnt see anything that i had to have...Ususally i come home with a little of everything.

[BrerSchultzy]

My parents just returned, and they said the exact same thing. My mom used to collect the Christmas bells, which they've pretty much stopped making. And it's getting harder and harder to find decent adult shirts.

Last time we were down, I commented that it is impossible to find anything with JUST Snow White on it. Dwarves? Only Grumpy and Dopey. Snow White with the other Princesses...sure. But we found ONE pin with just Snow White, and that was all.

My dad made the comment, though, that with all the repeat guests coming for DVC or DDP, that maybe they'll take a look at this...I can't imagine that they'd pass up the chance to sell new stuff to returning guests, who are currently just buying something on their first trip, then skipping the shops on later trips, since they've seen everything already.

[gwfx1031]

Agreed. We went a few weeks ago and it was cool out and we could not find hardly any sweatshirts, let alone ones we liked. We usually stock up too and only found a few "got to have" things.

[SgtTigger]

I too have found that every store has the same thing......
I remember when you could find things that were only in the Magic Kingdom but now it is the same where ever you go.......
Even the gift shops at the resort has pretty much the same things as the other stores. Resort merchandise is almost non existent....
DVC stuff is very limited.......

[kakn7294]

I totally agree! My fav is Ariel who happens to be everywhere but only if you are under 4 ft tall and still in elementary school. I'm long past those days. Having skipped a few years between trips in the past, there was different merchandise everytime we went but for the past couple of years with annual trips, the same stuff is still hanging around from 2003.

[comicguy]

I know what you mean. I like to find Snow White merchandice, but it is very hard to do that. They have a line of porceline princess dolls, they have 5 diff ones of princesses but no Snow White. Same thing with other merchadice, they have all the princesses rerpresnted but Snow White !! I even e-mailed disney about it. They said that "we are between merchahdice seasons" but that does not explain the lack of Snow White over the last 4 years.

I find that each time we go we buy less and less stuff.

[offero]

Thanks guys! I was starting to fel as if I was just getting old. I remember going to WDW and thinking all the merchandise was cool. When I went there the past two times I was let down by the quality and selection of the items. Disney has the Ability to offer much more in regards to merchandise and they don't. Granted I am thirty and not ten, but hey if want a Goofy shirt or something from the Haunted Mansion, that is not 'blah" I should not have to get it from some knock off store in Orlando.

[TIdoubleGR]

Agreed. Although, I am encouraged with some of the new Epcot merch. hat seems to be coming out....maybe we'll see more unique, worthwhile merchandice to come...

And offero!!

[disney100%]

I have noticed this mostly with the quality of T-shirts. I used to buy one every trip. Well, my shirts from several trips ago are still in pretty good shape. My new ones have faded and the material is much thinner than what it used to be made of.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I was hoping to find stuff that I had to have when I go since I'm getting the free dining.

I guess I'll just have to get a charm for my Disney charm bracelet instead. I hope they still have the 3D castle I saw last time.

[Crow]

i agree
hope it doesnt get as bad as the Disney stores, even though Disney doesnt own them now, nothing that i see to buy in them.
the Art of Disney store at DD used to b better...now posters are depleted...the bookstore part is scrapbooking...
snowglobes arent around as much..
etc

[JPL]

I definately agree. I have noticed that each trip I spend less and less on souvenirs. They have cutback on attraction specific merchandise. Pirates have taken over and before that it was Stitch. I find no reason to sell POTC playsets at the AK. It has all become cookie cutter generic merchandise basically you go in one big shop and you have seen at all with very few exceptions.

[DNS]

Okay, now that I know it's not just me, I'm going to email them about this if I can figure which email address would be best. It's fine to promote current movies like Pirates, but that's just not all that seems to be going on and where is all the Cars merchandise? I've looked since the movie came out and cannot find anything except one t-shirt. I cannot even find Christmas ornaments for Cars except a set I got at a Hallmark store last year. I just don't get it. What few things I did get this last trip, I remember seeing our last couple of trips.

[BritCody]

I agree. All the stores carry the same merchandise. How about some variety. There are 7 dwarfs not just 2. I want to be able to get a shirt with some of the less popular characters on it not just the same 8 or 9 characters. I want to see character merchandise from all of the movies past and present and this is not just limited to the shirts and clothing. I want to see more variety in the Christmas Ornaments, Scrap Book Material, Snow Globes, Glasses, etc, etc. About the only thing there is a more of a character variety in is in Pins, but even that is limited.

[EmiB]

I get disappointed because recently they seem to be selling the same merchandise in the park that one would find in a Disney Store at your local mall.
Now, I don't know if it's just my Disney Store or what, but the merchandise there often looks like a Toys'R'Us--messy and plastic.
I don't like the decline of the more adult-targeted or park-specific merchandise.

P.S.
I am not enjoying the lack of Snow White love either. The ORIGINAL princess should not be an "optional" one to include.

[DisnIse]

My mom is a total sale rack hunter. It's her calling in life. Anyway, there used to actually be sale racks in places on WDW property, and maybe this was before the outlets opened up. (She's a pro there, too)
She has lamented over the past year or two that she can't find a.) any sale merchandise outside of the Poly, GF, Contem gift shops (non-Disney); and b.) the merchandise that you find at one rack is at every other rack on the property.

Unless, of course, you are me. I tend to find something, tell myself that I'll get it at DTD or somewhere else, and NEVER SEE IT AGAIN.

That's totally just me. I agree 100% with the comments made on this post!

[Mousehead35]

You can add my name to the list of disappointed customers. There has been a definate decline in the quality and in the selection over years.

[DisneyGiant]

Wow. I thought it was just me.

I definitely came home with much less "stuff" last trip!

I find that I am buying T-shirts or things that are more attraction specific - as all the shirts in the parks seem to be the same.

[ToDisney]

Although I have to agree that EVERYthing has started to look the same.
And I do REALLY miss the Resort Specific merchandise.
Am I the only one that has a "big" problem with the $50 tee shirt?
Now that was just one of the overpriced items that I found on my last two visits. But after seeing it there the 1st time I had a dim hope that it might have been reduced a little by the 2nd trip. Not likely.
The updated styles also have upgraded prices.
But a gross lack of imagination for our wonderful "Disney Imaginers" reputation.