For those of us who grew up in Southern California, the Main Street Magic Shop at Disneyland brings back fond memories. The store may have even inspired a good number of magicians.
When I was seven and on one of my family's annual visits to the park (it was a big, once a year event in those days), my cousin purchased a color vision cube from the magic shop. He completely fried me with the trick. No matter how many times he did the trick for me, I couldn't figure it out.
The next year, it was my turn to purchase a little magic. I came home with a classic Adams trick, the one where the marked penny ends up in a rubber-banded bag and inside a couple of match boxes. The trick was my first and it served me well. I can also recall lots of "smoke from fingertips" over the years.
Unfortunately, according to a recent article, the Disneyland Magic Shop is now bereft of any magic and is only selling standard Disney merchandise. While the company says that the situation is the result of a supplier problem, there are many who feel that the shop is in danger of closing (my understanding that there is no store in Orlando's Magic Kingdom at this time).
There are many in the magic community who would like the magic shop to stay and are encouraging all who are interested to let Disney know the value of its magic store. I admit that I would hate to see this one go the way of Yesterdayland.
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Comments
The shop in Orlando has been closed for at least 10 years now. It was changed into a sports merchandise store at first and now is basically a retail shop selling clothing and other Disney souvenirs.
Unlike the shop in Anaheim, the Orlando store no longer appears to be a magic shop since they completely changed the storefront.
There is a Mickey’s Magic set available at some of the stores at Walt Disney World but it is not a substitute for the magic shop.
I can tell everyone that there IS a magic shop in Tokyo Disneyland and that it does sell magic supplies in addition to the usual Disney merch (also the only place in that park where you can by magician mickey stuff) then also have a professional magician working there doing demos. The rest of the sales staff are advertised as “Apprentices” and hence don’t do demos.
They have some great stuff in the Tokyo shop. A friend of mine who lives in Tokyo sends me a new Mickey themed effect every once in a while.
Given the right demo sales team and with the right marketing (i.e. to kids) they could sell a lot of magic in that venue. They might not make as much money as selling T shirts, but it would add to the Disney mystique for the tourists. They just need the right guy with the right vision running it. I remember going to the magic shops at Niagara falls when I was a kid. Those always made an impression on me, and was instrumental in planting the seed of magic in my life.
I was at Disneyland on July 17 and the magic shop was open for business. That being said, they were primarily stocked with magic sets, very little in the way of individual tricks. The did stock a very limited selection of things that you might expect, stripper decks, mental photog, svengali, some of the old “Adams” style, budget stuff-but not much.
The emphasis seemed to be on entire magic sets and they really weren’t setup for demos. I recall 20 years ago when they actually had magician/demonstrators who worked the counter and sold individual tricks-it was a real magic shop.
All, As of a year ago there still was a Magic Store in Disney World in Orlando- it was just not on main street anymore- it is in their ‘Downtown Disney’ Section away from the main park.
My guess is, you are referring to yet another “Houdini’s” magic shop at Downtown Disney. Disneyland has a houdini’s magic cart at Downtown Disney too.
Not the mystique or the feeling or aura of the “Disney” magic shop… and not even a close replacement. Houdini’s is just cookie-cutter chain of stores that is exactly the same in every location. Every hotel in Vegas has one and therefore NONE are special at all anymore, let alone Disney-oriented in any way.
I hope the vendor that takes over the Main Street Magic Shop keeps it “The Main Street Magic Shop”, and god willing, not another generic Houdinis.
If Houdini’s takes over the Disneyland Main Street Magic Store, I can just see all those incompetent sales/demonstrators exposing “helicopter card” on the sidewalk in front of the store. I was in Vegas recently and I kept seeing guys out in front of Houdini’s with non-spinning cards dangling from their hands.
I was in Vegas and I saw nonspinning cards hanging from the hands of Houdini salespeople too. Gee, I wonder how the trick works? Is there anyone who visits Vegas who doesn’t know after seeing the demo? After walking around the casinos, New York, Caesars, Circus Circus etc., I got tired of seeing those cookie cutter Houdini stores and those sales people pushing those spinning cards.
During my trips to Disney World I found the magic to be overpriced.
I still do the coin in the box trick at kids parties. The kids like it a lot.
I wonder if Steve Martin could step up to the plate here. As I understand it, he spent a significant amount of time at the shop (working and “learning”) when he was a kid.
Hey Team!
My first comment on this site:
I became a professional, world-champion magician BECAUSE of that store on Main Street! I’n fact, I do a routine wherin I tell the story of what a magical experience it was, and one of my greatest memories
Unfortunately, it’s a mere shadow of what it once was – no decent demonstrators – not any REAL magic to offer – no magical atmosphere. At least in my last visit – about 4 years ago.
I started learning magic when I was four years’ old, and saw the Disney shop for the first time when I was 7. Never turned back…
I hope they can bring it back to the special place it was back when…
That’s it – sorry for the rambling…
Joe Givan
Disneyland used to actually have TWO functioning magic shops, back in the day (this would have been in the ’70’s): the one on Main Street and one (IIRC it was called Merlin’s Magic Shop) in Cindarella’s (?) Castle.
And yes, Steve Martin used to work at the Main Street shop.
I’m pretty sure the first magic effects I ever bought were from the Main Street shop, a steel ball and tube and an Adams penny and magnetic block