The Princess Castle

The Shops at Montebello are home to Disney’s newest retail store, but this one is more than just a place to buy some merchandise. The store is designed to be a cross between a child’s imagination and a park, complete with a gazebo. High-def projectors throw fun moving images onto the store’s “trees”,  and sometimes you can catch Tinkerbell flying around, spreading her pixie dust.

Each day the store opens they look for a child to turn the magic key, which opens the store and sends off a blast of light and sound. Even the trees light up! At the end the child gets a key to keep so they can cherish the memory.

On one side of the store lies the Princess’s castle complete with dresses and tiaras, that small children can enter. Upon entering they come face to face with a magic mirror; depending on what crown a child is wearing, the mirror will play clips from that particular princess’s movie.

On the other side of the store is the gazebo theater. Here kids can sit at a table and play with their new toys, all while watching clips, music videos, and trailers on a big curved screen. They can even choose what clips they want to watch with a touch screen on the side.

At the center of the store are a couple of iPads that allow you to browse the full Disney catalog, so if something’s not in stock you email yourself a link to the item online.

Right by the gazebo is the not-so-free-but-still-totally-fun “Disney’s Ridemarkerz”, previously only found in the parks themselves. Kids get a chance to put together their own custom cars based on Pixar’s “Cars.” They even get to use some real power tools!

At the end of the day there is also a closing ceremony to let everyone know it’s time to wrap up the shopping. Disney has really put a lot into making this location not just another store, but a tiny, magical slice of Disneyland. Be sure to check it out!