Finding Fixtures in the Ink & Paint Shop at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

From the Disney Parks Blog

When Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opens this coming May, guests will find a colorful new merchandise location called the Ink & Paint Shop. For the past several months, Lyndsey Vincent, a recent intern on the Walt Disney World Professional Internship Program, has been diligently working on one important thing for the new shop. She has the unique job of designing the merchandise fixtures, and we recently spoke about her experience.

“I’ve grown up with Disney and visited Disneyland Resort every summer with my family,” said Lyndsey. “I graduated with an Interior Design degree last spring and moved from Idaho to work for Walt Disney World Resort. I didn’t know what to expect when I got here but the experience has been fun!”

Now a full-time member of the Global Retail Development team at Disney Theme Park Merchandise, Lyndsey worked closely with several departments “to put together the puzzle” that is a new location.

“Location planning was a key department that helped with the design process,” explained Lyndsey. “They provided me the number of ‘faceouts’ or areas that will carry merchandise. My job then was to design fixtures that would achieve their number while balancing other factors like traffic flow and shop design.”

Walt Disney Imagineering designed the wall spaces for the location which resemble oversized paint jars. Lyndsey explained that the fixtures will be clean and simple in form and will be neutral in color to complement the colorful palate that Imagineering used.

“We had several different versions of fixtures during the development process,” continued Lyndsey. “Ultimately, we chose clean, simple designs that remind me of an animator’s workspace. For this project, I wanted materials that had recycled content, had Greenguard certification for indoor air quality, and were manufactured in the US. The fixtures I am most excited about are the nested tables, which are made from a recycled concrete material.”

Lyndsey said she learned the importance of details from her Imagineering partners.

“Throughout this process, Imagineering taught me the importance of paying attention to the details,” remarked Lyndsey. “Guests don’t visit Disney and remark, ‘Wow – look at those amazing fixtures!’ Yet, they are an important part of any shop. When designed well, they create a great immersive shopping experience that is all Disney.”

You can see these fixtures and the location come to life when the resort begins opening in phases on May 31