The Disney Store celebrated the grand opening of its new store location in Aventura Mall—the old store on the opposite end of the mall closed about six months ago—on Saturday with more than 1,300 people in attendance throughout the daylong event. The first 100 kids to arrive at the newly remodeled store—there are only two other locations in the country with the same design—received free Mickey Mouse ears. Nearly 150 people arrived about an hour before the store opened to see Mickey and Minnie Mouse preside over the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
"We love the ribbon-cutting ceremony aspect of [the event]," said Mark Villalovas, senior manager of Disney store events for the retail division of the Walt Disney Company, "and we try to get as many people out as possible to really celebrate the fact that we're a brand-new store in their community." The event also offered the company an opportunity to spur sales, as those who attended received coupons for a 20 percent discount on purchases made during the weekend.
Disney fans lined up in the mall's center court for their chance to take a picture with Mickey and Minnie. The line grew to nearly 600 people by noon, when the two guests of honor took the stage to pose for pictures and sign autographs.
Radio Disney’s Road Crew, the mobile team of Disney employees that organize games and activities for kids at local events around the country, also set up shop in the courtyard, with arts and crafts stations, hula hoop contests, and over-under relay races to keep kids entertained. All participants in the games received Disney giveaways, though winners from each game took home top prizes like posters of the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana CD board games.
The event wrapped up around 4:45 p.m., about 45 minutes later than scheduled to allow all the guests in line a chance to meet Mickey and Minnie.
