Credit: Androland °o° on UnsplashWhat would you do if you paid to enter a Disney Park, walked into a store, and found out you couldn’t use the exit unless you made a purchase?
When Guests visit Disney Parks around the globe, they will always have different experiences. Sometimes, those experiences are removed, however, resulting in an experiential loss for Guests.
At Walt Disney World Resort, Guests have the chance to enjoy a mecca of theme parks, water parks, and more! From Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT — there is a world created by Mickey Mouse full of rides, theming, food, and shopping. When Guests visit Disneyland in Anaheim, California, they are able to enjoy a smaller Disney, with a very magical and intimate feel, considering Walt was there for the creation and opening of Disneyland. Around the world, the Disney theme parks also have unique offerings. Let’s take Tokyo Disney Resort, for example. Comprised of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, Tokyo Disney Resort has merchandise that is so unique to the American tourist’s eye, and food in magical shapes that the American Parks have never touched.
If there is one thing that we can say is a common thread throughout the parks that remain the same, it is that there is a surplus of merchandise and food to be bought!
Things at Disneyland Paris are the same. The Park that started as Euro Disney and then transformed into Disneyland Paris with Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studio Park has grown so much over the past 30 years, and now as the Park continues to expand, we are finally able to kick off the amazing celebrations of the 30th anniversary, which will come to an end on September 30.
Sleeping Beauty Castle is now lit with LED lighting, the decor is in place, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and the rest of the gang have their outfits ready, Illuminations returned, and there is an all-new song for the celebration that sends a party down Main Street, U.S.A.! And that is just the tip of the iceberg; we haven’t even discussed the new drone technology that lit up the night sky. If you want to know what has changed, in short, there is new packaging on everything, from water bottles to sandwich boxes, Minnie Mouse is looking chic as ever in her new pantsuit, and the After Glow show illuminates Sleeping Beauty Castle with an amazing drone experience, The all-new Dream… and Shine Brighter has also debuted, and so much more.
Now, one Disney Store in Disneyland Paris has blocked off their exit for Guests who enter and exit without making a purchase. DLP Report (@DLPReport) shared the new interior look of the Emporium at Disneyland Paris, which now has furniture stands blocking the exit, unless you made a purchase and are going through the tills.
At Emporium, the Town Square exit is blocked by furniture and can now only be used by Guests who have gone through the tills:
🛍 At Emporium, the Town Square exit is blocked by furniture and can now only be used by Guests who have gone through the tills: pic.twitter.com/95QB8Q80dO
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) August 6, 2023
Other Disney fans who noticed the change were surprised. Wakkun (@WakkunSoma) said: “Is that legal, as this seems to be an emergency exit? This seems to be dangerous if there is a danger in the Arcade just next to Emporium.” Pointing out the emergency exit. Another fan said, “pay to exit?”.
Is that legal, as this seems to be an emergency exit? This seems to be dangerous if there is a danger in the Arcade just next to Emporium. pic.twitter.com/CL1FHAfaUl
— Wakkun (@WakkunSoma) August 6, 2023
There are other areas that Guests can backtrack and exit from, but many may not be aware of what is going on, especially if they have never visited Disenyland Paris before. By doing this, some Guests may feel forced to make a purchase when visiting.
Related: Disney Store to Shut Down Forever as Park Ban Begins, Reports Say
Shopping at Disneyland
Most recently, we wrote about the new receipt ban that has been put into place in France, affecting the Parisian theme park.
When Guests visit Disneyland Paris, things will no longer be the same beginning tomorrow. Paper receipts will no longer be available due to a ban from the French government. Although the cash register receipt, printed automatically after every purchase in a store, was due to be banned in France on January 1, 2023, the measure was subsequently postponed several times. The government finally decided to postpone its effective date for a third time, to August 1, 2023.
Reportedly, “The measurement is being brought in as part of wider anti-waste laws – 30 billion receipts are printed each year in France, according to the government. Although the automatic printing of receipts will be banned, it will still be possible to request a receipt if you want one – and shops are legally obliged to provide you with one if so.”
More on Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris opened their newest live show has undergone multiple changes since it was first announced during last year’s Disney D23 Expo, from its name to its debut date. Initially called Pixar: We Belong Together — likely referencing Randy Newman’s catchy song featured in Toy Story 3 (2010), “We Belong Together” — changed its name to TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure earlier this year. And while the show was initially scheduled to debut on July 8, 2023, its premiere was pushed back to July 15, 2023, likely due to the ongoing Cast Member strikes taking place at Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park — which have forced Disney to lose thousands of dollars. Read more on that here.
The Pixar-inspired live musical would combine state-of-the-art stage technology, lighting effects, choreography, and iconic songs from fan-favorite Pixar movies, including Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo (2003), Toy Story, Up (2009), and Coco (2017).
What do you think of Disneyland Paris’ exit plan for their main shop in Disneyland?