The Disney Store on Grafton Street has been shut ever since the Irish government had shut down the entirety of the Covid 19 pandemic. But today, the wait was finally over; it has reopened to the public, though with some apparent changes!
Wait…How come we didn’t know about this?!
Well… Disney kept this quiet, to the last minute, save for the staff knowing of course. There were initial reports of reopening on the 8th (nope…), then the 12th (wrong again…), and they both came and went. Then, only yesterday, Disney announced on their social media that some of the stores in the UK and Ireland, including Grafton Street in Dublin, would be reopening today.
We were in communication with some of the staff at the Disney Store this week, and so were able to find out that they were opening up today. So we headed along to see the new changes!
The Disney store in Grafton Street is open!
Yaaaay! Time to shop Disney in person, and not pay £5.95 just for shipping! (Seriously Disney, poor Ireland!) We went along just to see how things are set up and how staff were doing! We had some great chats with a lot of the cast members there, got some much needed merchandise, and had a fun morning in our favourite Dublin store!
Staff greeted us outside the store, stating that masks were mandatory, and on entry, sanitiser was provided for those without gloves. If you didnt have a mask, they had them on entry, but this was only for today. From now on, you’ll need to bring your own mask.
Big change of note; no opening ceremony to get in. No keys available to anyone.
What do they have in stock?
Honestly, it was like getting out of a time machine to Disney of three months ago; all the things from then are still there; the Frozen 2 merch, the Hercules hoodie, the Ink and Paint series; but, thankfully, the sale that is on shopdisney.co.uk is also in store, meaning that everything is a great price! So we bought lots of things we had our eye on, and a few extra too!
Product availability is limited; some Limited Edition, Limited Release items and Keys are not available in-store at this time. This includes the Minnie Mouse Main Attraction series (including March, which was delivered, but has been sent back!), the Pride series, and the Castle series, all no longer in the Dublin store.
What special measures are in place at the Grafton Street store?
There are a number of new measures for the Grafton Street Dublin Disney Store reopening, as to be expected. These include Face coverings for guests ages 3 and up in order to enter, which are also required for cast members. There are a number of signs around and markers on the floor to maintain 2 meters physical distancing at all times, and lots of staff around reminding you of this. Screens also protect the staff at the tills.
Even as the store opened, staff were frequently cleaning around the store. In-store occupancy is being limited and monitored, with only a few people allowed to enter at once; forming a queue on Grafton Street.
Special hours will vary; today they only opened at 10.30am.
In-store events have been postponed until a later date; this includes the key opening ceremonies, which are not happening at the moment.
What about the Blanchardstown store?
The Pop Up Disney Store in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre is, to our knowledge, not open yet, but may be later in the week. We’ll check it out and put a post up soon!
Other good things to know:
Cast members will be required to complete a health screening checklist and temperature check at home before coming to work.
There is no advance reservation required to visit the Disney store, but keep in mind that capacity will be limited so there could be a wait to go in.
For the time being, Disney store has extended its returns window for 30 days after the store reopens for purchases made in-store on or after Feb. 25, 2020. Coupons that expired while the stores were closed will still be valid now through Dec. 31, 2020.
Disney From Ireland 