We’re very close to the end of the Emporium construction project, but not quite there yet. The project, which began back in January. Most of the attention of the project has been on the changes to the northern end of the Emporium, which received some radically different flooring. However, the visual changes appear to have just been tangential compared to the overall goal of the project: the consolidation of cash registers.
Emporium Construction Project Nearly Complete at Magic Kingdom
The goal of the project has been to remove the scattered cash registers throughout the store, instead consolidating the check-out counters to the extreme north end of the store and the extreme south end of the store. We actually spotted the first indication of the project during our “War on Registers” article from February 2024. As is usually the case, we were sort of right. While we theorized that it was part of a push to the Mobile Checkout feature on the My Disney Experience app, it was more likely motivated by simply creating a less cluttered shopping experience, while also encouraging guests to use the My Disney Experience app.
We made it out to Magic Kingdom this morning to find that most, but not all, of the “satellite” registers had been removed. There is still a register cluster near the south-central part of the shop that needs to be removed before we can declare the project done. Or, perhaps, Disney will keep the registers cluster for special events. Either way, the queue has been removed, so it won’t be used anytime soon. Here’s a look around!
Emporium South Checkout Area
Like the north checkout area, a new, consolidated register area is now available on the south end of the Emporium. While there used to be registers in this area, the footprint has expanded significantly, and the number of registers has more than doubled.
Cast Members were installing pins on a new pin wall near the south registers this morning.
Recent Removals
Most recently, the cash register in the middle of the Emporium has been removed. This cash register area was only really utilized during special events such as the holiday parties that Magic Kingdom throws every year. Who knows how future special events will be handled.
Another register cluster was removed from the southern end of the Emporium. All in all, this has afforded Disney the opportunity to create more merchandise displays. So far, I have to commend Disney for not completely packing the new areas with merchandise. The whole of the Emporium feels like there is more walking space, which will be very welcome as crowds continue to build into the second half of the year.
Here’s a before/after.
Still Standing
There is one register cluster still standing that we assume will be removed. The queue for the register has been removed for a little while now, so there is no way to currently utilize the area with any sort of demand.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
