I decided to start writing this blog when I was home on maternity leave with my son. As you see in previous pictures, he’s not exactly a newborn. In fact, he is over two!
It took a little bit of courage to press that first publish button and I am learning as I go along. I love that I have a facebook group of other social media moms in the area. I know I can reach out to them for support or when I am in a total panic. I may be new to the world of personal blogging, but one thing I feel pretty well versed in is Disney.
When I talk about Disneyworld, my eyes kind of glaze over and the words tumble out of my mouth a mile a minute. It’s really just a magical place to me and fills my heart with memories as a child, college student, adult and now parent. It’s an emotional connection to my family, my husband and my children.
I was recently asked if I would be interested in a getting a sneak peek at the new Disney Store opening at the Perimeter Mall. I said yes, thinking it would be pretty cool to see a new store before everyone else, and be able to take my own little princess to a place that is just plain fun to visit.
I had no idea what was in store for me.
The store in Perimeter is the first newly designed Disney Store in Georgia, and the first in 2011! It is amazing! Now I know you are probably thinking…c’mon, it’s just a store filled with stuff. This is where you would be mistaken. The new Disney Store’s Mission is to deliver “the best 30 minutes of a child’s day“. The new store is designed to be interactive and allows the imagination to flourish, not only in children but adults as well. The Grand Opening is today, March 30th, 2011. See here for event details and store happenings, and here for pictures of the celebration.
As you enter the store you are immediately surrounded by fun and a little magic. There are carved 12’ trees all around the store. The trees are essentially large screens for beautiful animated projections. The projections will vary, but last night they looked like cherry blossom trees in full bloom, later to be followed by tons of twinkling stars for the closing of the store.
You can follow a glittery blue path all through the store. I love that the path is wide enough for a stroller too. This way your little ones don’t have to miss seeing all the fun too. Sometimes retail stores forget that parents shop with strollers. Disney certainly kept that in mind.
As you wander to the left of the store you are surrounded by everything princess! There is even a princess castle complete with tunnel and magic mirror. The mirror is activated by waving certain princess accessories in front of sensors. Baby loved this! She thought it was wonderful to hear the different princesses tell parts of their stories through the film clips.
If you wander to the right of the store, there is a Disney-Pixar CARS branded work bench where you can build your own version of characters from the movie. Components are sold separately so you can mix and match how you choose to design your car. There are even screwdrivers hanging from above to use to build your car. I can already picture Jed’s Poppy getting all mechanic on us and having a ball building a car with his grandson.
Each newly designed Disney Store will feature scenes high on the walls of the stores, and host cities will even have their own skyline and historic landmarks featured beside traditional Disney themes. The new Atlanta store even features the fabulous Fox Theater on its wall. I was sad my picture turned out blurry, so you will have to make sure you look for it when you visit.
You know I had to take a pic of my favorite Nanny ever….Mary Poppins! Can you see her floating throgh the air? Seriously. The scenes are just so cool!
As you make your way through the store following the glittery blue path, you’ll pass a toddler tunnel with chunky gears and buttons to push perfect for little hands. Not to mention that it is filled to the brim with super soft stuffed Disney charaters. 🙂
Eventually at the end of the path, is not the end at all. You are standing at the entrance of the Disney Store Theater. A pretty white gazebo houses a 12′ curved movie screen and a mini table and chairs for little ones to play and color. The Disney Store Theater will feature movie clips, conduct storytime, have mini sessions to teach animation, and a ton of other fun activities for kids. The store will even post the available activities for the week, so you can plan your return visits.
I had as much fun simply touring the store as Baby had playing princess with cast members and answering trivia questions. It truly is a place where the Disney characters and stories we both love can come to life, even if it is for only the time we are there.
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Disclosure: The opinions above are entirely my own and I was not compensated to provide them.
I was given access to the store before opening and received a token gift for attending (which I lost shortly after returning home see here).
Beautiful blog with great content. Thanks for sharing.