Starbucks coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort

[iluvdumbo]

Maybe it'll open the door for Tim Hortons in the Canadian pavilion??

I totally agree!! Tim Hortons is so much better than Starbucks!!

[readytogo2]

I am not a starbucks fan, so the coffee issue is not an issue for me. With that being said, this is wrong, wrong, wrong. I do not want a commercialized main st bakery. I also did not macdonalds on property. If they want to diversify, let them come to downtown disney. Period. There is another thread on the board about where you do not want to see disney. This is the same idea.

I am feeling rather like Charlie Brown discovering the commercialization of Christmas.

couldnt agree more

[Melanie]

The commercialization of it all shouldn't surprise anyone. Regardless of whether it was a necessity or not, Walt Disney himself persued and encouraged it. Well known commercial brands have been present in Disney parks since 1955.

[joonyer]

Maybe Starbucks should follow the lead of Coca-Cola and set up one location where they give away free samples of different coffees and then sell their product in EVERY OTHER WDW food service location. Quite frankly I don't see much difference here. Seems like most people on the Intercot boards are upset about the temporary closing of the Main St. Bakery without having any real idea about what menu items the Bakery will or will not have when it re-opens. Seems like jumping to conclusions to me.

One thing I will bet on. The Main Street Bakery's sales revenue will skyrocket when after they start selling Starbucks coffee, no matter what else is on the menu. If it didn't make a LOT of monetary sense for Disney, they wouldn't be considering this change. I, like many others, don't really care that much for Starbucks coffee, but quite frankly, anything is better than Nescafe!

[wiltsan]

I find it interesting that much of this discussion is about the coffee and not what this will do to MK and Epcot.

I think it is complete blasphemy. Not quite like "walkin right down the middle of Main Street USA." Main Street USA was Mom and Pop shops, not chains stores with poseurs and wifi. How will that black and green logo ever fit into the scheme of things. What are they thinking? Trying to be Universal? (as one poster mentioned that is their favorite stop at Universal).

Ugh.

[BrerGnat]

I'm not so much up in arms about the Starbucks in the parks at all. I mean, they did it over at Disneyland and DCA and the world has not ended over it. It was tastefully done and it's not in your face. You have to really look closely to even know it's a Starbucks location, so really, it's not a big deal.

I just don't get why they didn't go all in and just sign a deal with Disney to be the EXCLUSIVE coffee at Disney parks and give Nescafe the boot? I wouldn't mind that. I don't love Starbucks coffee, but I HATE Nescafe.

I just personally dislike the idea that they may get rid of what makes the Main Street Bakery the Main Street Bakery...namely, the baked goods! Hopefully, it will be like the Jolly Holiday Bakery/Cafe over at DL where they kept most of the favorites and improved on the sandwiches, at least. Those sandwiches at the Main Street Bakery look seriously to me. But, I love the cinnamon rolls, cakes, and cookies they have now at Main Street, and I hope they don't get rid of them.

[BrerGnat]

The commercialization of it all shouldn't surprise anyone. Regardless of whether it was a necessity or not, Walt Disney himself persued and encouraged it. Well known commercial brands have been present in Disney parks since 1955.

True. Clearly, many are oblivious to the days of The Frito Kid at Disneyland. Corporations have always been "in" the parks, and were actually way more conspicuous in the early days of Disneyland and WDW... It's just too bad that the old Pepsi sponsorship didn't stick.

[wiltsan]

This poster hit the nail on the head:

I don't really see and issue with serving Starbucks in the parks in a fashion that features their coffee in an already existing location like the Main Street Bakery. It seems wrong to modify a location, theme and uniforms to cater to a corporation in a theme park that I pay admission to attend. That is a key difference here I think. If it were DTD I wouldn't be as up in arms about this. That area is free to the public and obviously set up as a name brand retail area or the Disney mall as I refer to it. Am I sad that one of my favorite spots with some of my favorite treats is going away, and now I have to hunt some of them down in other areas if what some of you say is true and they are out there somewhere? Yes. Am I upset that I will be there in May and my go to spot for a sweet late night snack is shuttered temporarily? Yes. Am I nervous about what will be there when I return in September? Who isn’t? The thing that scares me though is where this could be headed. Why not just replace all those retail locations with corporate presences unique with their own branded themes? Then when you enter MK it will have the familiarity of your local strip mall complete with all of your favorites. I can’t wait to see the Disney version of Culver’s, Subway, and maybe even B&L for the Wally fans out there. "Directive?" "To brainwash me into thinking I can't go a week without a Starbucks coffee."

[PirateLover]

I just personally dislike the idea that they may get rid of what makes the Main Street Bakery the Main Street Bakery...namely, the baked goods! Hopefully, it will be like the Jolly Holiday Bakery/Cafe over at DL where they kept most of the favorites and improved on the sandwiches, at least. Those sandwiches at the Main Street Bakery look seriously to me. But, I love the cinnamon rolls, cakes, and cookies they have now at Main Street, and I hope they don't get rid of them.

See, this is what I'm assuming they WILL do, based on DCA. I don't know why they aren't being explicit about it, though, and that's what's causing everyone to panic. I would be shocked if they took away everything and it was just a Starbucks selling Starbucks goods. I'm imagining it just like DCA Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe. Granted, they won't have as much of a seating area, but maybe the redesign will make better use of the space? They had soup and sandwich options, one or two rows of your typical Starbucks offerings, and I think there were 3 rows of "Disney" goodies. If they don't do the same thing in MK they will really miss the boat.

[Disney Hungarian]

Disney clarified their postion on the subject, by adding an update to the blog post.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blo...pen-next-year/

"Here’s some additional information about our Walt Disney World Resort Starbucks locations. The Main Street Bakery will keep its name and theming when it reopens in early summer. It’ll also continue to serve Disney favorites like cookies, brownies and seasonal cupcakes, in addition to Starbucks signature beverages and other items. And for those of you who asked in comments, the cinnamon rolls are available at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland, and the ice cream sandwiches are available at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, U.S.A."

[Jeri]

Disney clarified their postion on the subject, by adding an update to the blog post.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blo...pen-next-year/

"Here’s some additional information about our Walt Disney World Resort Starbucks locations. The Main Street Bakery will keep its name and theming when it reopens in early summer. It’ll also continue to serve Disney favorites like cookies, brownies and seasonal cupcakes, in addition to Starbucks signature beverages and other items. And for those of you who asked in comments, the cinnamon rolls are available at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland, and the ice cream sandwiches are available at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, U.S.A."

I am glad to see someone posted this. I would have been sad to see the bakery go away, because I have never been in there. I also think Main Street needs to stay looking like Main Street.
So it would seem to me that everyones fears of the Bakery going away completely are not going to happen. It will still be Main Street Bakery, still have some of the treats, and still be basically the same.

I will say I am glad they will have a Starbucks somewhere, but being from Minnesota I would have loved if they had a Caribou Coffee. Yes, I know this isn't possible since they don't have them in the south or many places. I just perfer them over Starbucks.
I would be in heaven at Disney World drinking a Mint Condition!

[cer]

The following is a response on the WDW blog to the newly released menu explanation. I just thought it was interesting and eloquent...

Aydin from ON on November 13th, 2012 at 1:00 pm...

"I appreciate that you’re all listening to the online community, and there seems to be a bit of reexplaining/spin going on here.

Bottom line: for years, we’ve all been asking for better coffee resort-wide. We know that you have an agreement with one of the lesser-quality coffee companies, which is why, save for a few locations, coffee at WDW has been universally awful. We were hoping that Disney would sign a new agreement with a better coffee purveyor, such as Starbucks. But instead of better coffee resort-wide, we get ONE location in each park, which is sure to have EPCOT Photo Spot-like lines. That’s why we’re all pretty “meh” about it.

Add to it, the fact that it’s taking over one of the most beloved spots in a park with TONS of new square footage… it just doesn’t seem like such a sweet deal anymore.

We asked and asked for better coffee. It cost us an institution."

I think Aydin makes a good point....

[PopPhan]

Main Street Bakery to continue!

From the Disney Parks Blog:

“Here’s some additional information about our Walt Disney World Resort Starbucks locations. The Main Street Bakery will keep its name and theming when it reopens in early summer. It’ll also continue to serve Disney favorites like cookies, brownies and seasonal cupcakes, in addition to Starbucks signature beverages and other items. And for those of you who asked in comments, the cinnamon rolls are available at Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland, and the ice cream sandwiches are available at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, U.S.A.”

Is this additional information or a change of direction? Frankly, we don’t care and Disney super fans will be glad to have Main Street Bakery and selected food items available going forward. One of my good friends was in the Magic Kingdom this weekend and the talk was overwhelming negative about the change.

The outcry from fans was almost universally negative. The few positive comments heard were “Let’s wait and see.” DisDining was among the harshest of critics, so we want to be the first to say Thank You Walt Disney World!

We think this is a major victory for the Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA, and Disney fans everywhere.

Just an FYI.....

[cer]

I had a cinnamon roll at Gaston's and it was fairly bad. Very dry, hardly any icing. NOT like the ones at the Main Street bakery at all.

Just sayin'...

[joonyer]

Glad to see that the Main Street Bakery will still be there AND that some better coffee will be available. Nescafe isn't even real coffee.

But (and this is a question to those who know) aren't the baked good sold at the bakery cooked at a central industrial kitchen location, and then delivered to the parks, or does the Main Street Bakery really have real ovens with pastries baked right in the store? I know the "smell" pumped out into the street is artificially created, so that's why I'm asking.

[JerseyDad]

....if it's 'really' going to become a Starbucks ....will it come with the signature 'do-nothings' that seem to inhabit every one of their locations?

.....you know, those people that buy ONE cup of terrible coffee...and then sit in the place for about 7 hours, taking up seats, playing with their computers, and sending out vibes of smug self-importance.

[Patricia]

I totally agree!! Tim Hortons is so much better than Starbucks!!

I'm all for Tim Horton's in World Showcase! I can never understand how this has been missed. Tim started slingin' his coffee and doughnuts in 1964. The lines in our Tim's are usually longer than any of our Starbucks.. but they move much faster.

I'm not a Starbucks fan, I can only drink their lattes and WDW already makes a fine latte.

[Aurora]

....if it's 'really' going to become a Starbucks ....will it come with the signature 'do-nothings' that seem to inhabit every one of their locations?

.....you know, those people that buy ONE cup of terrible coffee...and then sit in the place for about 7 hours, taking up seats, playing with their computers, and sending out vibes of smug self-importance.

We have those in Chicago too!

[John]

Starting to think that if Disney changed the brand of water sold at the parks that there'd be an outcry... Dasani??? I like Zepherhills! How can you drink that Poland Spring??? It's aweful. Evian is so much better. But stay away from the Aquafina. Then there'd be those who like tap water and think bottled water is un-natural.

Now bring back Horizons - that's something we can all get worked up about... anyone? anyone?

[TinkerbellT421]

Starting to think that if Disney changed the brand of water sold at the parks that there'd be an outcry... Dasani??? I like Zepherhills! How can you drink that Poland Spring??? It's aweful. Evian is so much better. But stay away from the Aquafina. Then there'd be those who like tap water and think bottled water is un-natural.

Now bring back Horizons - that's something we can all get worked up about... anyone? anyone?

Like my dad used to say, you can please some of the people some of the time but can never please all of the people all of the time.

What's horizons?