The Disney Store

Leslie Moreno

English 114B

Professor Macklin

March 28, 2012

The Disney Store

Ethnography is when you observe a certain place or institute to provide evidence for a study you are conducting. At first I wanted to observe Disneyland, but because I was too far away and the tickets were of high price, I decided to do a study on a "Disney" closer to me...the Disney Store! I had gone home during the weekend so I decided to do my study at the Disney store located at Montebello in the Montebello mall. I arrived at the Montebello mall around 12:30pm on Sunday March 25,2012 and marched straight for the Disney store. As soon as I reached my destination I could tell right of the bat that the store was packed. There were a couple of parents, mostly dads, waiting outside with the baby strollers an purchases from other stores waiting for their children and wives to come out of the store. As I walked into the store the first thing I noticed were the many people in that store. I have heard people say that no one goes to the Disney store and yet when I went there were so many people. When you first walk into the store you see that on your right side they have the toys for boys and on your left is the section with all the toys for girls. The little boys were with their fathers choosing a toy while some mothers were telling them no because it is too expensive. When you turn to your right the first thing you see is the miniature princess castle. They have the princesses section where all the little girls are with their mothers trying to find their favorite Disney princess. I saw a couple of mothers going around with their sons trying to find that perfect gift. As I am observing something catches my attention, I hear the song from the best movie in the world. I heard the song "kiss the girl" from the Little Mermaid, playing from a section on the left middle of the store. There was an area where adults were sitting around or standing watching a big screen television playing scenes from Disney movies. The little kids are sitting around giggling and chatting about the scenes that are passing on the screen. I get so caught up in the screen that I wasn't even noticing I was being bumped by other people. At one moment I got bumped and I turned around to say I was sorry when I noticed the most beautiful tree ever! There was a cut out display of a tree with projections of different lights and Disney characters playing in the tree. They were displayed all around the store which made it seem like a magical forest. As I was observing the tree I noticed on the back wall something interesting. On the top of the wall there was a projection of the famous flying scene from Peter Pan. I noticed that all around the room there were projections from scene of Disney movies. The projection also shows Disney characters fly across the store or Disney characters float on balloons. While I am watching the projections my attention comes to the walls where there are shelves stacked with Disney merchandise. All around the store there are furniture filled with Disney things. There are shirts in one and ceramic cups on another, collectables on display and stuff animals stacked together. Throughout the whole store there wasn't a single place that was empty; when a shelf was almost empty the employees would restock it with more.

During my observations of Disney store I started to think about Disneyland and how it is the same as the Disney store. The both appeal to our emotions of happiness, we feel happy when we are at both places. Society enjoys being happy and stress free, and what better way to do it than spend an entire day with your family and having fun. Most parents save up and work hard to take their family to Disneyland, they see the smiles on their children’s faces and they can’t help but to be happy. Disney has a power that society can’t help but get lost in it, because now a day’s people are miserable with how the world it turning, if there is even an ounce of happiness what can be better. Walt Disney once said, “Laughter is timeless, Imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” I believe they are all true, there is nothing better in the world than laughter and I am eighteen and I love Disney with all my heart. I think it is Disney strong belief of in joy and happiness that we love it so much and are willing to pay all of that money to get in and enjoy it. Disney has a power that is indescribable, even in the Disney store you feel that magic of happiness. Then again not all Disney stores are the same, there are a few that are not as “magical” as the one in the Montebello mall. I had gone to the Disney store in the Northridge fashion center and it was plain. I have been told when I moved to Northridge that no one ever goes to the store so I decided to check it out myself. It was a really plain store, the only thing I liked about the store was where the paying table was under it was sketches from famous Disney movies, and it light up! That was the only thing I liked from the store, I didn’t even feel like buying anything, which makes me to believe that first impressions are everything. Disneyland and the Disney store at the Montebello mall had exactly that, they both had great first impressions, the impressions of happiness.