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The Starbucks invasion of the Disneyland Resort continued with the opening of its first shop in Downtown Disney yesterday. Located next to the Sunglass Icon shop and across from the entrance to World of Disney, this is the third Starbucks offering at the resort.
Conveniently placed across from the tram station and near the security checkpoint, it is sure to become a popular stop for guests entering from the Downtown Disney side of the resort, serving the usual menu of favorites as well as offering free wifi.
The shop opened for business at 8:30 AM Monday morning and already had a line of people waiting to get in to have their morning latte.
But this is not the usual Starbucks. It boasts a large shaded outdoor patio, designed with a California Fresco look, according to Bill Sleeth, its Vice President of Store Designs for the Americas. “We had physical constraints with the location, but we had this patio and we wanted to give Disney’s guests a place where they could stop and have more of a respite unlike the ones inside the parks,” said Sleeth.
The tall ceilings and décor of the shop feature extensive use of wood and glass. But in keeping with the company’s forward look, the entire shop was built to LEED standards. This shop also has a coffee bar labeled “Starbucks Reserve,” which Sleeth calls “our finest quality coffee selected by our experts.”
One of the issues Starbucks has to deal with at this location is the larger number of children that will be present. Store designers added an alcove just for kids with a large picnic style bench.
At the end of the alcove is an electronic chalkboard. The chalkboard captures, at regular intervals, images of the people in front of it, and presents the image in chalk outline form. An additional feature is touch screen technology that allows people to draw on the screen. Kids were immediately modifying the images with their own additions.
There are plans for an additional Starbucks location in the future at one of the Kiosks near the AMC theaters, according to Disneyland Resort officials. But that exact location and opening date have not yet been determined.