LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Aug. 1 -- Beloved characters from Disney and Hasbro gathered today at Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate the grand opening of Once Upon a Toy, a spectacular new toy store filled with creative playthings that combine the magic of Disney and the fun of Hasbro.
A gala ceremony marked the official opening of the playful new store at Downtown Disney Marketplace, with appearances from Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Pinocchio, and Hasbro icons including TONKA JOE and MR. POTATO HEAD.
"Once Upon a Toy is a magical addition to the Downtown Disney area and a terrific place where children and families can play together," said Al Weiss, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "For babies just starting to play or baby boomers rediscovering childhood favorites, the store offers plenty of fun for everyone."
Alan G. Hassenfeld, Hasbro's chairman and CEO, said, "Once Upon a Toy offers visitors to Downtown Disney an incredibly unique play experience for 'kids' of all ages. Together with Disney, we've created a destination filled with great toys, games, and fun."
Once Upon a Toy offers five uniquely themed rooms that add up to 16,000 square feet of fun, a retail playground created by Walt Disney Imagineering in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc., the official toy and game company of Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris Resort.
Creative new toys from Disney and Hasbro await shoppers seeking toys and games that combine classic Disney attractions with popular Hasbro brands, including:
- A new MR. POTATO HEAD with Disney theme park accessories such as Mickey Mouse ears, a character autograph book, a Mickey balloon, a sorcerer's hat and a teacup vehicle from Disney's Mad Tea Party attraction.
- Disney theme park editions of the world's most popular board games, including MONOPOLY and CANDY LAND, and a new version of the classic detective game CLUE set inside Disney's Haunted Mansion attraction.
- Star Tours action figures from the "Star Wars"-inspired attraction from the creative forces of Disney and George Lucas.
- PLAY-DOH playsets based on Disney's "It's a Small World" and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin attractions.
- A miniature version of Disney's Wilderness Lodge resort hotel made of the LINCOLN LOGS building set.
Inside, the store's spacious interior is bursting with whimsical touches and kinetic displays in all corners, including a ceiling-mounted spinner from THE GAME OF LIFE, a rotating conveyor bearing dozens of toys and games, and a child-size version of the Walt Disney World Railroad that travels a winding track suspended from the ceiling.
Guests will discover a wide selection of Disney playthings such as character stuffed toys, the new My Disney Girl doll and accessories, the new Disney Bear line of huggable friends, plus items inspired by the magic of Walt Disney World Resort, including miniature playsets of Disney's monorail system, Cinderella Castle, the Haunted Mansion, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and more.
Still more fun can be found in cherished Hasbro favorites including TINKERTOY, LINCOLN LOGS, PLAY-DOH, G.I. JOE, LITE-BRITE, TONKA vehicles and Disney theme park editions of popular board games such as MONOPOLY, CLUE and CANDY LAND. Guests can build their own MR. POTATO HEAD from thousands of playful parts at a larger-than-life construction station after previewing the design on one of five touch-screen terminals.
Adding to the great guest experience, Once Upon a Toy is the first retail location at Walt Disney World Resort to feature touch-screen terminals that allow shoppers to have their purchases delivered free of charge to a Walt Disney World hotel or shipped for a fee to any domestic or international mailing address.
For more information about Walt Disney World Resort, call 407/824-4321 or visit disneyworld.com.
