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Disney Retail Nametags, Part 2

Disney isn't just theme parks, movies, and merchandise, you know. It's also retail! Over the years, Disney has opened quite a few retail venues, often unsuccessfully. Benson Myers is back to look at two more such venues - with nametags, of course.

- Benson Myers, March 31, 2011

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Last week I wrote about several of Disney's commercial expansions, most of which ultimately failed. Here's two more to keep the theme going.

The Walt Disney Gallery

You might be thinking: "Isn't the Disney Gallery that part of Disneyland where they have all sorts of high-end paintings?"

Yes and no.

In 1994, Disney created a companion store to its existing Disney Store in Santa Ana, California. Named 'The Walt Disney Gallery', it featured expensive Disney animation art, collectibles, fashions, and home accessories.

click an image to expand and read notes:

Nametag: The Walt Disney Gallery

Someone thought the Walt Disney Gallery would be a hit with typical Disney fans.

Nametag: DisneyQuest

DisneyQuest: Orlando

DisneyQuest: Chicago

Disney President Michael Eisner said of the Gallery:

"It celebrates the history, creativity, and inspiration of the Walt Disney Company. When we opened the first Disney Store in 1987, no one would have predicted that today, seven years later, we would have 310 stores operating in eight nations. Given the growing popularity of Disney animation art, I believe the Walt Disney Gallery will prove to be our next strong winner in the retail environment."

Eisner was wrong in his prophetic prognostication.

The 'boutique' nature of the Disney Gallery, along with the high prices of the artwork and niche collectibles, did not appeal to regular Disney Store customers. The Gallery in Santa Ana (and a second location in Las Vegas) closed after only two years.

However, its concept does survive somewhat in the World of Disney stores near Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

(You'll find a a video tour of the Walt Disney Gallery on YouTube. The audio fades in and out, but the video provides a clear picture of what you'd have found inside a Walt Disnney Gallery.

DisneyQuest

DisneyQuest was marketed as "an Indoor Interactive theme park, a one-of-a-kind gaming experience. Discover 5 floors of cutting-edge technology, virtual reality and 3D encounters fueled by Disney innovation and imagination."

The games inside DisneyQuest are mostly virtual reality simulations hosted by Genie, from Aladdin. The initial plan was to constantly refresh the DisneyQuest games and attractions to take advantage of current computer technology.

Coin-operated video games and prize machines are on the top floor, as well as a counter-service restaurant dishing pizza and hamburgers.

A DisneyQuest was built at the Walt Disney World Resort, and also in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago location closed in 2001 due to low attendance. Had it been successful, Disney planned to expand DisneyQuest into other urban centers such as Toronto and Philadelphia. That never happened. The Walt Disney World location remains open, though it has not been updated in several years.

What exactly was the reason behind the failure of DisneyQuest? Its high price of admission: a one-day ticket cost $42 per person. Parents just didn't want to spend that much money to send their children to a video arcade.

At Disney World, admission to DisneyQuest is not included in theme park admission, and many parents balk at forking over additional money for a 'video game experience' when they have so much else available to them in the parks.

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