Creations Shop, EPCOT’s new flagship store, is now open for business! Just in case you’ll be in need of a new Mickey tee or Spaceship Earth-inspired literally anything on your next visit, let’s take a virtual spin around the store and check things out.
First things first: if you’re looking for the new store, you’ll find it in the same spot in which you found the shop that came before, Mouse Gear.
Creations Shop will help anchor the new World Celebration neighborhood, and, if you’re on the hunt for a little Beverly, the new Club Cool location can be found just behind Creations Shop and can be accessed via the breezeway.
Secondly, Creations Shop is not your momma’s Mouse Gear. I loved Mouse Gear; the cast members, the music (I can’t be the only one who enjoyed hearing Here’s to the Ears of Love, right?), the large arm rotating overhead, the seemingly endless shelves filled with all the things.
From the word go, Creations Shop makes a bold statement. This place is different. The most noticeable difference is the natural light that floods the space. Gone is the dark interior of Mouse Gear and the windows covered with sets and props and black sheeting; Creations Shop boasts floor to ceiling windows (and that ceiling is high and gorgeous, by the way) that not only lend much-needed light to the space, they also visually extend the area. Don’t get me wrong; Creations Shop is huge on its own. The windows allow the sight lines to continue past the physical footprint of the space. And once World Celebration is fully installed in whatever fashion it will be (still waiting to see what’s been dropped from the plans due to the ripple effects of the pandemic), the large windows will likely allow the disparate spaces to feel cohesive and unified. One will flow into the other and vice versa.
Mickey Mouse still plays a large role in the physical space of EPCOT’s anchor merchandise location. Two large Mickey murals flank either end of the store, statues of the Big Cheese designed by the Imagineers are on display, and signage pays homage to the mouse here and there. Mickey’s prominent presence strikes me as funny as this park was initially devoid – by design – of said mouse, but I digress. The murals are lovely and lend color and motion to the shop.
Additional pops of color can be found enveloping the store’s entrances (along with the shop’s name in World Bold font), on the section headers, and in the backlit merchandise displays.
Speaking of motion, if you were trying to purchase merch at the shop on opening day, you know that the checkout lines weren’t seeing much of it. Lines extended throughout the store, including the line for guests trying to take advantage of Disney’s mobile checkout service. Lengthy lines are to be expected whenever a new Walt Disney World spot opens, so if you’re headed to Creations Shop soon, you might need to take a bit of patience along with you.
New EPCOT merch (and pretty much anything else) can be found in the store. The separate merchandise areas and displays are organized, well lit, and were designed to allow good guest flow. In this day and age, enough space to move around is a very welcomed thing.
There’s something for all ages at Creations Shop, and I can’t wait for the completion of World Celebration when you and I can once again walk straight from World Showcase Plaza toward the front of the park. Was a day at EPCOT complete without a nighttime stop at Mouse Gear? Many would answer a resounding no. As guests approach Creations Shop, those large windows will allow everyone to see all of the merchy goodness that awaits inside. Just try getting your 5-year-old past those plushes in the window. Oh, those Imagineers are good. Sneaky good.
If you’re headed to EPCOT in the days ahead and decide to stop by Creations Shop, please let me know what you think of the new space!