What was the first Disney Store location, opened in 1987?

The first Disney Store location opened at Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California, in 1987.

The store marked Disney’s move into a dedicated retail format selling toys, apparel, home goods, videos, books, and character merchandise directly to consumers. Its location in a shopping mall helped place Disney products in a branded environment outside the company’s theme parks.

Disney Stores later expanded across the United States and internationally. Their retail design commonly used bright colors, character displays, themed areas, and large selections of exclusive products. The chain became distinct from Disney Parks merchandise shops, even though many product categories overlapped.

The Glendale opening is sometimes confused with the launch of later flagship stores or the Disney Store’s online expansion. Those were separate developments. The first store was a mall location at Glendale Galleria, and its 1987 opening established the retail chain that would later operate in numerous countries.