The Disney Store at Disneyland Paris permanently closed its doors on January 4, 2026, ending 33 years of operation. Since the resort opened in 1992, the shop in Disney Village had barely changed, keeping its giant character statues and bright 1990s decorations.

For generations of European families, this store became a familiar stop where they bought souvenirs and took photos at the end of their park visits. Disney made no big announcement about the closure. In November 2025, the company quietly marked the location as “under refurbishment” in its official app.

There was no farewell event, no special final merchandise, and no countdown to acknowledge that this was one of the resort’s original spaces. The closure reflects Disney’s worldwide shift in how it sells merchandise. The company now prefers modern, streamlined stores focused on specific franchises rather than the heavily themed, character-filled shops of the past. Disney now sees the old-style store as outdated rather than a nostalgic treasure.

The store’s closure leaves a gap in Disney Village. About 9.4 million people visit Disneyland Paris each year, and from January through summer 2026, no dedicated Disney-branded shop will operate in the district while workers renovate the space. Visitors can still buy Disney products at other locations like Disney Glamour, Disney Style, and the LEGO Store, but the large, character-packed retail space that many families loved has disappeared.

When the location reopens in summer 2026, Disney Wonders will take its place—a modern flagship store promising “immersion, comfort and wonder” with rotating seasonal themes and temporary displays instead of permanent decorations.

Disney Village Gets a Complete Makeover

The Disney Store closure is part of a massive $2.1 billion transformation of Disneyland Paris that park leaders call “the most ambitious transformation in our resort’s history.” Disney Village, which originally opened as Festival Disney in 1992, is getting a near-complete redesign. Workers are updating building fronts, walkways, landscaping, and the mix of shops and restaurants.

For more than 30 years, the district featured bold American pop culture references: a rock-and-roll diner, a 1990s-styled McDonald’s, and the colorful Disney Store. Disney is now rebuilding or replacing each of these landmarks. The old McDonald’s closed and is being replaced with what Disney calls the largest McDonald’s in France, featuring a contemporary design instead of retro styling.

Annette’s Diner closed in January 2026 for a complete refurbishment that aims to keep a “retro feel” while modernizing the interior. New stores like LEGO Store, Disney Glamour, and Disney Style have already opened, emphasizing focused product selections and visually polished interiors designed to be easily refreshed and photographed.

The renovation is expected to finish in about 18 months, which has created concerns among some business partners in Disney Village. The compressed schedule forces some restaurants and shops to close temporarily during important planning and booking seasons. Some partners worry that Disney is taking over more space for Disney-operated or major-branded concepts, leaving less room for smaller or independent sellers.

New High-Tech Attractions Coming to the Parks

Disney Village’s redesign coincides with major projects inside the theme parks. Walt Disney Studios Park will rebrand as Disney Adventure World on March 29, 2026. New areas include the World of Frozen, which Disney says will feature advanced animatronic figures, and Adventure Bay, a lake covering 7.5 acres.

The company describes Adventure Bay as the first theme park entertainment venue to use aquatic drones. The lake will serve as the backdrop for 360-degree nighttime shows that rely heavily on technology and projection. Together, these projects show Disney’s strategy: European audiences will respond strongly to modern, high-tech attractions and refreshed retail districts.

The closure of the original Disney Store, with its unchanged 1990s look, signals that Disney is trading long-term familiarity for constant novelty and rapid refresh cycles in both shopping and park experiences. Longtime Disneyland Paris visitors have mixed reactions.

Many guests shared personal memories of the Disney Store’s towering figures and colorful displays from their first trips or their children’s early visits. Some fans worry that Disney Wonders will look like other recent retail redesigns with clean lines, neutral colors, and fewer distinctive details, making formerly unique spaces feel interchangeable.

Disney has maintained solid attendance at Disneyland Paris, and the company’s investment shows confidence that new attractions and a reimagined Disney Village will push numbers higher. However, Disney is replacing a 33-year-old district that delivered steady revenue with an almost entirely new environment in a short period. When Disney Wonders opens next summer, guests will walk into a completely different kind of shop in a district that no longer resembles its 1990s origins.

Sources

Inside the Magic, Disney Store Officially Closed Effective January 4, January 4, 2026
Disney Dining, Disney Store Officially Closed No More Chances To Shop, January 3, 2026
Laughing Place, Disneyland Paris Reveals More Coming to Disney Village, November 14, 2025
The Walt Disney Company, Disneyland Paris Transformation Updates, November 23, 2025
The Walt Disney Company, Disney Village New Projects Announcement, November 13, 2025
The Walt Disney Company, Disneyland Paris Resort Modernization Initiative, April 2025