Downtown Disney: Two new stores, Enhanced Theater Experience {Merged Threads}

[fielin]

The official Disney Blog now mentions that D Street will open in West Side at Pleasure Island. No date is announced for the moment.

D Street, will be located in the Downtown Disney West Side and showcase a mix of products for both men and women. Items include cutting-edge apparel, pop culture novelties, Vinylmation figures and collectibles, artwork, handbags, accessories, jewelry and more. The store will have a raw, unfinished industrial look, an provide a great venue to showcase Disney art created by local artists.
Product lines will feature vintage looks from Disney Couture and urban styles inspired by the surf and skate lifestyle. Vintage apparel includes artwork from classic Disney attractions and characters. D Street will also showcase jewelry designers Tarina Tarantino and Classic Hardware, and fashion labels Mighty Fine and Harajuku Lovers.
The new urban-style location will also pave the way for everything in Vinylmation figures. D Street will become the flagship stores for Vinylmation figures, and become the platform to showcase the latest releases from the various collections, including the Park Series, Urban Series, Holiday Series, Cutesters and more. Designed by the creative talents from our Disney Design Group, Disney’s Vinylmation figures take on a whole new meaning in the world of collectibles. These 3″ and 9″ figures are often designed to represent icons, attractions and characters from Disney Parks & Resorts or have more of street feel with their urban-inspired looks.

[GothMickey]

This is taking over the Planet Hollywood store.

[Figment!]

Downtown Disney: Two new stores, Enhanced Theater Experience coming soon

By Dewayne Bevil
Orlando Sentinel
March 2, 2010

Disney World is in the process of adding two stores and upgrading a movie theater at its Downtown Disney shopping and dining complex.

First up: AMC Entertainment is transforming auditorium 1 of the Pleasure Island 24 into its first Enhanced Theater Experience (a.k.a. ETX) in the United States. (One opened last year in Toronto). What that means: a 20 percent larger screen that goes from floor to ceiling, 3D technology, digital projection and 12-channel audio.

“What you’re getting is an eye-popping image that makes you feel like you’re seeing a movie like never before,” says Justin Scott, director of corporate communciations from AMC’s headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. He says the digital projection “delivers an image with higher resolution than HD.”
Oh, and feel the synergy: ETX will be in place by Friday’s debut of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.

Scott also touts the audio system. “The audio really carries the image… the audio is really what makes you feel ‘Wow, I’m in the movie.’ ”

It comes at a price, though. To see a regular-run film in ETX at PI24, add $2 to your ticket price; for a 3-D production, add $4.

The stores coming to Downtown Disney are D Street, an apparel store, and Ridemakerz, which sells customized radio-controlled vehicles.

Ridemakerz has already had a presence in California’s Downtown Disney, and it will open here March 25, Disney says. It will set up in the former Virgin Mega Store, which more recently housed a tribute to Princess Diana.

Guests will build and trick out their purchases in a variety of ways — 649 million of them. The store is booked to stay through fall 2010.

D Street, also on Downtown Disney’s West Side, will present urban inspired apparel. It builds of the concept of Tren-D on the Marketplace side, but D Street will have both men’s and women’s products plus Vinylmation figures, artwork and novelties. It’s set to open in April where a Planet Hollywood souvenir store was.

[MinnieMommie]

Exciting! I wish I could see Alice for its opening on Friday. Can't wait to see something in this enhanced theater. Wow!

[DizneyFreak2002]

Wow, that theater sounds amazing... And I think it is a good thing Disney is opening its own store and not one owned by a third party....

[pdrlkr]

Thanks for the update!

[fielin]

Well, I think that's three exciting news !

And it seems D-Street will be open when I'm at WDW, at the end of April. Great !

[Mousemates]

looking forward to the theater upgrade.

[LauraleeH]

I think the store sounds too trendy. What happens when these looks are outdated a few years from now?

So the Planet Hollywood gift shop closed? The restaurant is still open, right???

[BrerGnat]

That's AWESOME news! D-Street is a great store! Really. I love it! It's been open at DtD @ DLR for a couple months and I always go in there. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff is pretty pricey, but it's got some TRULY unique merchandise, and that is exactly what WDW needs now! Lots of collectible, artsy stuff (like, actual art) as well as really well designed clothes with great colors (not loud and obnoxiously bright) and graphic art. They have lots of Classic Disney, Star Wars, and now, LOTS of Alice in Wonderland stuff. Really, a lot of the art on the clothing looks like it came directly from animation cells. Beautiful stuff!

Ridemakerz is also SO COOL! My husband actually chose to get a car there for HIS birthday. It's supposed to be for kids, and he let DS5 help build it, but it was for him. The cars are actually really good quality RC vehicles, and the amount of options for customization is really good. The price is also not prohibitive. DH's complete car cost just under $100, which is not bad for an RC car at all! He "tricked" it out quite a bit, though. You can get out of there for much less.

Two thumbs up for two great additions to WDW.

[BrerGnat]

Forgot to add, I was NOT impressed by "Tren-D" last year at WDW. That store had a lot of junk, IMO. D-Street is WAY better than that store, so I don't think that comparison in the article was fair.

[BrerGnat]

I think the store sounds too trendy. What happens when these looks are outdated a few years from now?

The clothing at D-Street is not really "trendy". It's just very simple styling. Jeans and t-shirts mostly. Some hoodies as well. It's just, I suppose, NICE, stylish "casual" clothing. T-shirts are more tailored with gender specific fitting. Jeans are embellished with artwork or unique accents. The clothes are not "dated". You can continue to wear this stuff for years, and it will always look good.

[LauraleeH]

The clothing at D-Street is not really "trendy". It's just very simple styling. Jeans and t-shirts mostly. Some hoodies as well. It's just, I suppose, NICE, stylish "casual" clothing. T-shirts are more tailored with gender specific fitting. Jeans are embellished with artwork or unique accents. The clothes are not "dated". You can continue to wear this stuff for years, and it will always look good.

Good to know! I misunderstood the article or totally envisioned something different. That sounds exactly like stuff I would wear. Thanks for correcting me!