The refurbishment work that began earlier this year at Magic Kingdom’s Emporium gift shop is substantially complete. According to Cast Members that we spoke with, guests will not see any more construction walls, and items on the To-Do list remain small. In essence, work is complete. Critically, the work has removed cash registers and congestion points, creating a much easier walking and shopping experience.

Emporium Refurbishment Complete at Magic Kingdom

The refurbishment of the Emporium moved the cash registers to the far north and far south ends of the gift shop. By creating larger banks of registers on the polar opposite sides of the store, Disney was able to remove a number of registers from the middle of the Emporium. This allowed Disney to create some critical walking space in Magic Kingdom’s main gift shop. The extra space will be especially useful once the Disney Starlight – Dream the Night Away parade debuts on July 20th. The Emporium is a popular post-fireworks spot, and it will be a popular cut-through once Starlight debuts and guests clog up Main Street USA.

Going back to our visit to Magic Kingdom today, here’s a set of before/after photos of the final register to be removed.

By removing the registers and queues leading to them, Disney has been able to spread out the merchandise racks, creating a much more spacious shopping experience. Of course, everything looks spacious when guests are running into Magic Kingdom to rope drop their favorite ride, and I’m one of the few guests in the Emporium, but here’s a look.

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!