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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Disney Reinventing Stores as 'Imagination Parks'

Apple's expertise will help transform shopping into entertainment

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(Newser) – Disney has unveiled ambitious plans to bring the theme park to the shopping mall by turning its network of stores into interactive "Imagination Parks." The overhaul—designed using the expertise of Steve Jobs and his Apple Stores team—will cost some $1 million per store and focus on providing entertainment and a sense of community. Computer chips in packaging will trigger interactive features, and kids will be allowed to watch film clips of their choosing and chat with Disney stars via satellite.

"This only works if it’s an experience,” Disney Stores Worldwide president Jim Fielding tells the New York Times. The reboot for Disney Stores was approved after much internal debate, with some execs fearing parents might treat the stores like day-care centers. The new look will be rolled out next May at the company's existing stores and some new ones, including a possible new flagship store in Times Square.

Shoppers walk by the Disney store on the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Shoppers walk by the Disney store on the Champs Elysees in Paris.   (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere)
Shoppers walk past a Disney Store in Daly City, Calif.
Shoppers walk past a Disney Store in Daly City, Calif.   (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
A mother and a son check out a Disney bag at a store in Shanghai, China.
A mother and a son check out a Disney bag at a store in Shanghai, China.   (AP Photo)
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Every mall in America is desperate for newness and freshness. - Jim Fielding, president
of Disney Stores Worldwide

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3 comments
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Collusive
Oct 13, 09 3:00 AM CDT
As Holden Caulfield would declare, the experience is "phony." I can picture it now, future generations of adolescents reminiscing of their simple childhoods highlighted by visits to the Imagination Park around the corner. Childhood TM. This will make life easier for us. Reply
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BleeBloo
Oct 13, 09 10:37 AM CDT
Parents are DEFINITELY going to treat these stores as day-cares. They already do! Reply
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wwwonderer
Oct 13, 09 12:17 PM CDT
The question is, if they are going to run this like a theme park, how much will admission be? They could very well give the Chuckie Cheese-type establishments -games, prizes, food, mischief and mayhem activities, etc.- a run for their money, as long as they don't try to gouge consumers with the 'Disney luxury brand'. Reply
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