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Inside the New Disney Store in Times Square

By Cynthia Drescher

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  • Mickey's back.
  • The view from halfway down the line to enter.
  • Limited-edition Minnie ears!
  • The first floor
  • The required ode to New York
  • The princess palace on the second floor
  • The palace's chandelier
  • The limited-edition Belle dress is huge
  • Expensive for an 8 year old!
  • Nice shoes, Belle.
  • We always wanted to be Jasmine most.
  • Dress your baby as Tinkerbelle
  • The boy costumes: Buzz Lightyear and Woody
  • The kids draw and watch Mary Poppins
  • Plastic cell phones for kids to pretend they're important.
  • Candyyyyyyyy
  • A headband-thing to pretend you're Rapunzel.
  • Sleeping Beauty! Our second favorite princess, after Jasmine

For one year New York City has been Disney-less. For one year the tourist children of New York have had nowhere to spend their tooth fairy money on plastic Mickey ears. Well, yesterday all that was resolved when the new Disney Store opened in Times Square.

It's two floors, and although shoppers may be tempted to linger on the first floor with the stuffed animals dressed a Lady Liberty and the "New Year's 2011" tchotchkes that are already for sale, the real action is upstairs. It's half magical forest, half princess palace up there, and most of the focus seems to be on selling character costumes.

We kind of wish we were eight years old again, with a piggy bank holding $45 in quarters, nickels and dimes, because that's what almost every sparkly princess dress costs...unless you find the limited-edition Belle gown for $150, complete with hoop skirt. For boys, you've basically just got a choice of dressing like Woody or Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.

Oh yeah, this place will practically print money now that it's in Times Square. There was a line to enter yesterday afternoon, and yes we patiently waited in it, getting our free pair of Mickey Mouse ears to don. They may still be giving them away, so swing by, if only to think about how much cooler kids have it with playing dress-up these days.
· Who Will Take Advantage of the Disney Departure? [Racked NY]
· Discontinued: Fifth Avenue Is No Longer Where Disney Dreams Come True [Racked NY]