Art

Image: lorenjavier, Flickr (license)

In the last 10 years, Disney has done a fantastic job expanding and broadening the artwork it sells within its parks. Not only does Disney produce its own prints and sculptures and collectables, but it has begun offering gallery space and residencies to artists that showcase Disney’s characters and attractions in new and unique ways.

The Wonderground Gallery out in Disneyland, and its miniature spinoff at Disney Springs’ Marketplace Co-op, has been at the forefront of this movement. However, Disney hasn’t gone far enough.

While the art for sale is all great, it tends to fit a similar aesthetic and feel — very playful, but ultimately somewhat juvenile. That’s understandable — Disney is a family park, after all — but in commissioning artwork that all looks broadly the same, Disney is leaving behind a differentiation that could potentially broaden the audience for this incredible art.

Not that we don’t all love Hipster Mickey. 

Fashion T-shirts

Image: aloha75, Flickr (license)

Disney’s boutique Twenty-Eight and Main brand has been an absolute boon to anyone wanting to wear fashionable graphic tees that are modern and nice. For too long, Disney shirts were playful and fun, but were somewhat ostentatious for wearing out in daily life. Now, thankfully, we have more choices than ever before.

But, while Twenty-Eight and Main is an unmitigated success, its status as a boutique subbrand for Disney has meant that its shirts are a bit more expensive than your usual Disney shirt.

This is in large part due to the premium fabric these shirts are made with, yes, but Disney could potentially compose similar designs for another line of more budget-friendly fashion shirts, as well as a women’s version that offers the same reference-heavy vibe of Twenty-Eight and Main, but in a more fitting pattern.