Main Street USA at Disneyland will soon resemble a modern day street, as Starbucks moves into the Market House in 2013. Disney confirmed the new Starbucks location during an interview with the Orange County Register.
Earlier this year, Disney announced plans to add a Starbucks inside each of its domestic theme parks. The Starbucks inside Disney California Adventure was the first to open. Plans are underway to open Starbucks inside Epcot and the Magic Kingdom in Florida.
The choice to replace the Market House with a Starbucks has upset some people who were accustomed to getting free coffee refills at the location. The free refill policy is one of those lesser known Disney items, but it actually applies to any Disney restaurant (not just the Market House). If you save your coffee cup and receipt, Disney will give you free coffee refills all day long. The odds are that the Starbucks location won’t offer free refills since the beverages are priced differently than the standard Disney coffee from Nescafe.
Having a Starbucks on Main Street will make it easy to grab a coffee when entering the park. The Market House is adjacent to the lockers, so it will be convenient to drop off your backpack, grab a mocha, and head off to Space Mountain.
Outside the Market House, there is space for tables and chairs in the street area leading to the Carnation ice cream shop. My guess is that Disney will use some of this space to create outdoor seating specifically for the new Starbucks.
Another nearby seating area will be the front porch of Disneyland’s former lingerie shop. The bench and chairs on this porch are a great place to people watch. Having a Starbucks nearby will likely make the location even more popular.
Although Starbucks is a contemporary brand, the Disney company has been making an effort to theme the new locations so they are not obtrusive. The Main Street location will be designed to fit in with the existing architecture and the employees will still wear themed Disney uniforms.
The pricing, however, will be contemporary. We have found the Starbucks drinks at Disney parks are priced at a premium over what you would pay outside the parks. If you have a Disneyland Annual Passport, you can get a discount on your food purchase which brings the cost down to about normal.
Disney has not yet announced a closing date for the Market House, but has said the Starbucks will open in late 2013.
Photos via Greg N, Loren Javier
