|
||||
 |
||||
Photo by Werner Weiss, 1974 Interior designed by Imagineer Rolly Crump |
||||
Photo by Marion Caswell, 1975, courtesy Dennis Caswell Futuristic shapes above the cashier station at The Character Shop |
||||
|
Welcome to The Character Shop, where you can shop for a souvenir of your visit to the park. But don’t just examine the merchandise. Admire the store itself, with its whimsical, futuristic design. The fixtures and decor are black-and-white, allowing the plush and other colorful wares to “pop” visually. The shapes might remind you of the bandshell at Tomorrowland Terrace. Spherical lights hang on electrical cords from the high ceiling High on the store’s south wall, a steady stream of PeopleMover trains passes behind glass. It’s an entirely new way to go window shopping. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
The Character Shop opened in 1967 as part of Disneyland’s New Tomorrowland. The space had previously been occupied by Fun Photos. When Star Tours opened in 1987 adjacent to The Character Shop, the shop was re-themed as The Star Trader. |
||||
Disneyland Guide Book excerpt © 1967 Walt Disney Productions The Character Shop at #12 on the map of New Tomorowland in a 1967 Disneyland Guide Book |
||||
Photo by Allen Huffman, 2009 The Star Trader, as it looked in 2009 |
||||
Photo by Werner Weiss, 2010 Captain EO merchandise at The Star Trader in 2010, when Captain EO returned |
||||
Photo by Allen Huffman, 2017 Neon Mickeys on The Star Trader |
||||
Photo by Allen Huffman, 2017 The Star Trader in 2017, packed with Star Wars merchandise |
||||
Photo by Allen Huffman, 2017 Star Traders customers under the watchful eyes of Storm Troopers |
||||
|
The Character Shop has been gone since 1987, but almost every shop in Disneyland had become a “character shop.” In stores throughout the park, Disneyland relies heavily on Disney plush toys, current Disney movie-themed merchandise, and other goods featuring characters from Disney shorts, Disney features, Pixar features, and the Star Wars franchise. But no store at Disneyland today has the cool interior of The Character Shop. |
||||
|
|
Click here to post comments at MiceChat about this article.
© 1995-2019 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated November 1, 2019. |
|||
