Only a handful of people were up early today to stake their claim in line outside of the new Disney store in Bellevue Square, anxiously awaiting its opening and wanting to be one of the first to step foot in the door. The regular morning mall walkers didn’t think much of it, but as 9:30am crept closer, what started as a small gathering of 40 – 50 people grew to a line of moms, dads, kids, and kids at heart, from the store’s entrance (next to Helly Hansen) to the Guest Services desk in Center Court.
In proper Disney style, a key ceremony was performed with the help of a young boy who was eagerly waiting in line, and the new store officially opened. Adorned with Mickey Ears, handed out by the Disney store’s employees, avid Disney fans and excited little ones flooded into the first Imagination Park Disney store in the Northwest – a concept Disney launched just last year.
The store is much more than a retail shop; it is a place for magical experiences, which Disney has always been known for. Upon entering there’s a glittering ‘pixie dust’ trail that winds through the store, animated trees that will change colors with the seasons, and a large princess castle that kids can walk through.
There are 4 main interactive attractions to experience. The 1st is the Magic Mirror inside the princess castle. By waving a wand that represents your favorite Disney Princess across the mirror, the princess appears via translucent animation to tell you a story. The 2nd is the Cars RideMakerz, where you can build your own custom Cars character using a real drill. The 3rd is a large display of stuffed animals with a small tunnel at the bottom of it. Disney’s littlest guests can crawl through the tunnel or press the buttons at the bottom to make the top rotate. The 4th and biggest experience is the Disney Theater. From an interactive touch-screen, guests can choose to play clips, film trailers, or songs from their favorite Disney movies. A coloring area is also set up inside the theater round.
One of the most unique things about this Bellevue Square Disney store is the mural that’s painted along the top of every wall. Incorporating familiar silhouettes of Disney characters, representations of local places are depicted, like Bridle Trails Park, the Wilburton Trestle, and even the Downtown Bellevue city skyline!
This store is truly a place for guests of all ages, but especially kids, to spend time at on a regular basis. The in-store themes will always be changing, and there’s a line-up of activities happening every day that’s displayed on the media screen in the store window. If you remember Bellevue Square’s Disney store from years past, this new one is nothing like it. Bring the whole family by for a visit!
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