The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (71 page)

Courteous Cast Members guided us as we first purchased
Dream It!  Do It!
and then moved to the opera house next door where
Sklar
sat a podium, signing books and greeting Guests as amiably as one would expect from his writing and his lectures.  Each Guest had a moment to speak with the living legend and pose for a photograph. 
Sklar
remarked to me that his daughter is named Leslie.

What a thrill to meet
the amazing
Marty Sklar
and exchange a few words.  I had heard him speak at the first
D23
conference in 2009.  The summer book-signing is the type of exciting, smoothly run opportunity to meet
Disney
artists and authors that
Disneyana
offers Guests.

It’s rare that I visit
Disneyland
without popping into
Disneyana
for at least a few minutes, to see what’s new in
Disney
books, art, and memorabilia.  If you time it right, your visit here will be one of the bright spots of your day! 
Did You Know?
  Why was
Disneyana
moved?  So that the adjacent
Market House
could expand.  And why did the
Market House
expand?  To add a
Starbucks
location.

Disney Clothiers LTD

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Stylish
Disney
clothing for everyone in the family, from baby to grampa.
]

If you’re looking for high-end
Disney
-themed clothing with an unusual and imaginative style, look no further than
Disney Clothiers LTD
.  Dominating the northeastern corner of
Main
and
Center
, just across from the
Market House
, this handsome store is so extensive that it stretches behind
Crystal Arts
and the
Silhouette Studio
and transitions into the
China Closet
.

There are multiple entrances along
Center
and
Main Street
.  The southern portion of the store is devoted to clothing for women and teen girls, including colorful hip-hop and anime influenced designs that put a fresh spin on
Disney
clothing. 
Tinker Bell
and
Minnie
and
Jack Skellington
are among the
Disney
characters you’ll often find on the T-shirts, jackets, sweats, pajamas and accessories here.

Need a
Disney
bag or purse?  This is one of the stores in the park that sells them.  This is also a
Disneyland
clothing store where you can find socks or underwear, good to know if you or your little one just got unexpectedly soaked or splashed by one of the attractions or an unexpected rain storm, or if you just didn’t pack enough!

The women’s/
juniors’ clothing transitions into the men’s section,
Castle Brothers
, as you move north.  The gentlemen’s styles are more traditional than the ladies’, with a handsome, often vintage (1950’s or 1960’s) look to the polo shirts, jackets, shorts and caps. 
Grumpy
and
Mickey
are often portrayed on the men’s fashions; there’s an entire line devoted to
Grumpy
, who’s become a sort of mascot for dudes of a certain age who are cranky and proud of it!

You’ll also find men’s accessories, boxer shorts
, and traditionally masculine gifts like
Disney
-themed golf balls.

Tip for
zaftig
lady Guests:  Many of the men’s
Disney
T-shirts are unisex in style, and a men’s Large or XL will fit you better than the ladies’ XL or XXL.

Moving east of the men’s section, you transition into
Chester Drawers
, the children’s clothing and accessories section, with boys’ fashions displayed to the south and girls’ to the north.  It’s a compact space, but packed with a wide array of styles and price points. 
Tinker Bell
and
Princesses
are popular themes for the girls’ merchandise,
Cars
and
Jake and the Never Land Pirates
and
Phineas and Ferb
for the boys.  Whatever your budget, you’re sure to find something special for the children in your group or the little ones back home.

Although some of the prices seem steep, the merchandise sold at
Disney Clothiers LTD
is high quality.  It looks great and wears well.  The clothing keeps its color and shape after multiple washes.  If you have the dollars, a purchase here is a solid investment.

Because
Disney Clothiers LTD
wends its way through the northeastern block of
Main Street
, if you’re trapped on the east side of
Main
during a particularly crowded time, detouring through this clothing store delivers you from the pedestrian madness outside.  And you might find a great new fashion item while you’re cutting through! 
Did You Know?
  According to
Chris Strodder
’s
The Disneyland Encyclopedia
, before
Disney Clothiers LTD
opened its doors in 1985 this corner was anchored by card shops: 
Gibson Greetings Cards
from
Opening Day
until 1959, then the
Hallmark Card Shop
until 1985.

Disney Showcase

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Seasonal pins, clothing, and merchandise.  Always worth a browse.
]

Located on the southeast corner of
Main Street
, at the northern edge of
Town Square
, the
Disney Showcase
connects to
Celebration Custom Printers
on the east and the
Main Street Magic Shop
to the north.  This is an important corner because it’s near the
Fab Five
meet-and-greet areas, and is one of the first shops Guests see when transitioning from the civic environment of
Town Square
to the mercantile corridor.

Unlike the massive
Emporium
across the street, the
Disney Showcase
is a compact, modest space that showcases
Disney
merchandise themed to current
Disney
and
Disneyland
events.  Is Halloween approaching?  You’ll find a wealth of
Disney
-themed Halloween accessories and costumes.  Is Christmas almost here? 
Disney
-themed Christmas items and clothes will be on display.  You’ll even find glorious green
Disney
St. Patrick’s Day merchandise and pastel spring offerings available seasonally.

Year-round, Guests can purchase goods and T-shirts proclaiming that it’s their birthday.  If you’re celebrating your birthday at the park, why not buy a
Disney
birthday T-shirt and have it customized next door at
Celebration Custom Printers
?  Lovebirds will find wedding and anniversary-themed
Disney
merchandise here and can have shirts customized next door too.

When there’s a special event in the park, like the
Haunted Mansion
’s 40
th
anniversary, related clothing and knick-knacks will be on sale in the
Disney Showcase
.  For the
Haunted Mansion
’s 40
th
, T-shirts printed with vintage
Haunted Mansion
poster designs were sold.

As is typical in
Disney
stores, prices vary so that there is something for every Guest’s budget, from small
tchotchkes
to high-end items.  However, be forewarned that the high-end price points dominate here.  If budget is an issue, look for sales; sometimes clothing in
Disneyland
stores, including the
Showcase
, is discounted as much as forty percent, or even more!  And if you’re an
Annual Passholder
, remember to present your pass for a discount.

This shop has an interesting history.  According the
endlessly fascinating
The Disneyland Encyclopedia
by
Chris Strodder
, before the
Disney Showcase
launched in 1989 this site housed previews of
Disneyland
attractions and before that, a tribute to
Walt
.  When the park opened in 1955, it was here that Guests could purchase their piano rolls at the
Wurlitzer Music Hall
.  What’s a piano roll?  A perforated roll of paper that, when installed in a player piano, triggers the keys to play a particular song or series of songs.  Piano rolls … true pre-iPod technology!

Emporium
 
(Opening Day
Shop
)

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A Guest favorite, the
Emporium
sells everything under the sun (or moon) under one old-timey roof.  Toys, clothing, pins, housewares, hats, and more at a wide variety of price points.  Be sure to look up to appreciate the old-fashioned emporia tableaux.  A recent refurb created wider aisles, better flow, and less clutter.
]

This big, mildly gaudy, glorious store anchoring the southwest corner of
Main Street
just north of
Town Square
, is a must-visit for every
Disneyland
Guest, even if you just breeze through it.  This is true
Disneyland
history and a piece of Americana of the sort that
Walt
wanted to preserve and present to Guests not as a dusty display but as a real-life experience.

The
Emporium
opened its doors on
Disneyland
’s
Opening Day
, July 17, 1955, and hasn’t closed them since, except in the wee hours of the morning, of course, when the park is closed to Guests and Cast Members busily scrub, polish, dust, vacuum, paint, and re-stock the store.

T
he largest store within
Disneyland Park
, the
Emporium
stretches from the southwest corner of
Main
, behind the
Crystal Arcade
entrance, behind
New Century Jewelry
and the
Fortuosity Shop
, finally terminating in a doorway that leads to the courtyard of the
Carnation Café
.  (Note that despite its huge, flashy entrance sign, the
Crystal Arcade
is not a separate shop, but part of the
Emporium
; it derives its name from its enormous crystal chandeliers, below which sit plush
Disney
dolls.)

The
Emporium
sells classic merchandise but a constantly rotating stock of the newest
Disney
products and seasonal goods keep things fresh; no matter how many times you visit the park, you always want to dash into the
Emporium
to see what’s new.

I
f you move through the store from south to north you first encounter
Carriage Place Clothing
, with
Disney
-themed clothes for all ages and sizes, then a large selection of mugs, kitchen wares,
Disney pins
, photo frames, art supplies–just about any
Disney
-themed
tchotchke
you can imagine.  The tiers of plush
Disney
dolls under the glittering chandeliers of the
Crystal Arcade
are next, and then the storybook-and-toy area, above which sit rows of little wooden toys, and around which an old-fashioned, brightly colored child’s train sometimes runs; this is the smallest train line in the park!

The
Emporium
charms even before Guests enter it.  Year-round, its huge, immaculately clean windows are filled with imaginative
tableaux
from
Disney
animated features, echoing the displays that most big department stores have always placed in their windows around the holiday seasons.  There are also displays of vintage products that make you feel as if you’re window-shopping in 1901.