Starbucks at Disney World

Today I’m writing from Starbucks. It’s the one closest to my home, not one of the six at Disney World. Although it’s not unique for bloggers to write in coffeehouses these days, I intentionally chose Starbucks today because I was hoping it would inspire me to write about, well, Starbucks. If I can’t be at Disney World on a cold February day maybe Starbucks would be the next best thing. Plus, I’m pretty sure the Disney Store associates would wonder what I was doing if I tried to set up shop in there.

Today’s post explores Starbucks at Disney World.

Order up. Here we go.

History

The history of Starbucks at Disney World is a fairly brief one, at least relative to Disney World itself. Starbucks opened its first official Disney World location at the Magic Kingdom six years ago in 2013. Additional locations quickly followed, concluding with Starbucks at Animal Kingdom in the summer of 2015.

It seemed like a logical decision, right? Two great brands that could be better together? Besides, who couldn’t use a little extra caffeine while tackling Disney World?

Some Disney fans weren’t so sure. They were concerned that adding Starbucks locations to the parks would negatively impact the overall feel (escapism? nostalgia?) of Disney World. Others thought it was inappropriate for an outside company to collaborate on an inside-the-park food venue.

Of course several other non-Disney businesses were already in operation at Disney World before the Starbucks deal. Some of the restaurants in Epcot’s World Showplace or Disney Springs, for example, are owned by other entities. I suppose that’s not a direct comparison though. None of these businesses really approach the same scale or consumer brand appeal of Starbucks.

Still, it’s not entirely without precedence. The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and Casey’s Hot Dogs, both located on Main Street in Magic Kingdom are sponsored by Edy’s and Coca-Cola respectively. Other consumer companies sponsor various rides throughout the parks. Even Disney World’s famous Dole Whip treat is technically sponsored by, um, Dole. (Surprise!)  

Perhaps Disney and Starbucks were sensitive to these guest concerns, however, because they took steps to minimize Starbucks’ visual impact on the parks. In fact, they kept the traditional Disney names for each of the new coffeehouses rather than branding them like the typical Starbucks I’m visiting today.

That means if you’re looking for Starbucks at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom you can find them, but it may take the park map or a keen sense of smell (coffee! chocolate! baked goods!) to do so. Or, you could just ask one of the many guests walking around with a green logo cup in their hands. There tend to be plenty of them around.

Locations

Perhaps the proliferation of Starbucks cups has a little something to do with location. Disney granted Starbucks premium spots to pitch their coffee products. The Magic Kingdom location, for example, is right in the center of Main Street. It’s officially called Main Street Bakery, just like the original venue that opened in the same space in 1971.

The Starbucks in the other parks enjoy great locations too. Epcot’s Starbucks, the appropriately named Fountain View, is just past Spaceship Earth (giant ball!) and next to the impressive Fountain of Nations. The Trolley Car Café at Hollywood Studios is literally in the center of the park on the corner of Sunset and Hollywood Blvds. The fourth and final park location, Creature Comforts at Animal Kingdom, operates on Discovery Island to the left of the Tree of Life.

The two Disney Springs locations enjoy high visibility too. The first is adjacent to the crazy popular World of Disney store. The second and significantly larger location is on the West Side of the entertainment complex next to the giant balloon ride. (hard to miss, right?)

So far, the Disney-Starbucks strategy seems to be working. At least it looks like it is based on my non-scientific observations of the guests lines at the Starbucks locations. Even my kids begged us to go to Starbucks at Epcot during our last trip, after eyeing a whipped cream-topped Frappucchino in the hand of another guest. I suggested what I thought were way more interesting treats throughout World Showplace (macarons in France, gelato in Italy, anything caramel covered in Germany….) but they wouldn’t budge.

Unlike my tendency to seek out food options at Disney World that I can’t find at home, my kids wanted the simple joy of experiencing a favorite familiar treat within a new setting. Clearly they are not alone in this preference.

Details

In fact, the ability to get the exact same treats or daily caffeine fix at Disney World that you can near home is another reason the partnership has been so successful. Starbucks still acts like Starbucks at Disney World. You can still use Starbucks gift cards or the app to pay for your selections and earn Star Rewards points. You can also place your order in advance or cash in your rewards points at the two Disney Springs locations. Pricing and offerings are surprisingly comparable to those near home too.

Another detail that contributes to the success, in my opinion, is the inclusion of Starbucks in the Disney Dining Plans. Numerous items on the Starbucks menu, including those Frappucchinos my kids begged me for, can be purchased with a dining plan snack credit. In fact, most Starbucks offerings are a great use of a snack credit because they typically retail for more than $5 a piece. (So springing for the Venti over the Grande is purely an economical decision.) You can even use the My Disney Experience app (shown above) to peruse the menu and pinpoint locations if needed.

It’s not to say that the companies didn’t make an effort to act a little different within Disney parks though. For one, you can use Disney gift cards or your Magic Bands to pay at any of the six locations. Second, all of the park locations are beautifully themed to suit their surroundings. Creature Comforts at Animal Kingdom (shown above) is probably the best example of this, although all of them communicate theming first and Starbucks branding second.

Third, all of the locations feature special treats that are unique to their Disney World locations. The image above, for example, is a fun Spaceship Earth cupcake from the Fountain View location in honor of Epcot’s 35th birthday.

And finally, each Starbucks location also offers cross-branded Disney merchandise, like the popular You Are Here mugs (shown above).

Conclusion

The caffeine is kicking in so I better wrap this up.

Despite some early concerns by Disney fans, the experiment of adding Starbucks to Disney World appears to be working. Great locations, beautiful theming, understating branding and the wise integration with the Disney Dining plans contribute to the success. Of course great coffee and strong Starbucks consumer loyalty (caffeine-addiction?) may have had a little something to do with it too.

Add a little (caffeinated) magic to your world!