Epcot will have a new flagship merchandise location opening this summer. Disney has announced that a new store called the Creations Shop will take over the former home of MouseGear. The store will pay homage to Mickey Mouse through murals, art and other expressions.
Below are some additional details on the Creations Shop from Disney’s announcement.
“Creations Shop features a bold, sleek design that creates a perfect showcase for the rich variety of items you’ll find as part of your EPCOT experience. It will be an open, bright, welcoming environment with huge glass walls that allow sunlight to pour in and make you feel like you’re in touch with nature even while indoors. We are using color, materials and light in new ways with some unique EPCOT touches that connect back to this park’s storied past while looking to the future.”
The concept art shows large windows that look out into other areas of Epcot. The space certainly appears to be much brighter and open compared to the old MouseGear.
A reimagined Club Cool will also open in Summer 2021 alongside the Creations Shop.
More info on the nods to Mickey.
“As you can see in this new artist concept rendering*, there’s a large mural of Mickey Mouse along one of the shop’s walls. We were inspired by Mickey as our subject for creativity – but this is Mickey like you’ve never seen him before. You’ll discover original homages to him throughout the space, including large, dynamic murals and new artist expressions that showcase the global, contemporary icon that Mickey has become for generations around the world. We are excited to feature this art program – completely original works that will live on in this space – as a testament to the park’s ability to inspire the dreamer in all of us.”
We can’t help but point out the irony that the new store will be a tribute to Mickey Mouse just as the MouseGear name is dropped. Seems like it would have been a perfect name for a store with a bunch of Mickey art, doesn’t it?
We hope that Disney embraces unique products in the Creations Shop and avoids stocking items that can be found all throughout Walt Disney World’s theme parks. If the Creations Shop is supposed to be an iconic destination, it needs one-of-a-kind merchandise that can only be found in Epcot.
