This Disneyland Store is a MESS
It definitely doesn’t make much sense as a retail space, but knowing what used to be there does put it all in context 😂
The candle shop was an absolute must for Walt Disney, in order to capture the spirit of the turn of the century when many people still use candles for lighting their homes. Those shops would have been a fixture in that era. Walt and Lillian also or inspired by all the candle shops they encountered in Europe, particularly Germany. And when they were traveling abroad, they would pick up some unique candles to bring back for the shop for Disneyland. Some of these candles cost as much as $250, but many were just fun novelty ones. They had candles in the shape of hamburgers, milkshakes ice cream, and all kinds of unique tapers. That shop is now just part of the sprawling Emporium, as individually sponsored shops on Main Street disappeared long ago.
There are a couple of reasons why the shops themselves are so small on Main Street USA. For one, Walt Disney wanted Main Street to be “pony-size,” which just means scaled down so that it feels more quaint and nostalgic. But he also consulted the manager of the Los Angeles farmers market when he was trying to figure out how to organize the retail spaces. The manager’s advice was to keep all the shops single-story, and also to keep them small, because small shops look like they are filled with people, which entices buyers want to go in because there must be something worth purchasing inside.
If you’d like to know more about the history of West Center Street, I have a podcast episode featuring it on our history with Kate and Kirk podcast 🎧
#disneyland #disneylandpark #mainstreetusa #disneylandshopping #upjohnpharmacy #bookandcandleshop #disneyparks #disney #disneyhistory #disneysecrets #disneynerd #disneynerds #disneytrivia #disneyshop #disneyshopping #disneytherapy #disneyfacts #disneyfactsyoudontknow #waltdisney #disneylandcalifornia #distory #disneyreel #disneyreels #disneyyoutube