Once Upon a Toy at Downtown Disney is 16,000 square feet of fun. Full of great toys and games, it's a nice place to feel like a kid again. But one of my favorite aspects of this store is not found inside, but rather the window displays that are found along the outside of the store.
Like any window display you would find at a store, the ones at Once Upon a Toy serve to advertise the merchandise found within. But what makes these windows so unique is the fact that they are not simple, straight-forward assemblages of board games and plush. Instead, the products themselves are used to make up clever scenes of Walt Disney World.
My personal favorite window is the one featuring those amazing puppets of Epcot's Tapestry of Nations parade (granted, since this store opened in 2002 it is more likely a depiction of the Tapestry of Dreams). Aside from the Celebration section of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, this is one of the last places that you can see remnants of this wonderful parade. The puppets are created from pieces of classic board games like Chutes and Ladders, Scrabble, Sorry, and Trivial Pursuit. Even Spaceship Earth is included, fashioned from Monopoly boards.
The windows are clever marketing ploys that do not scream "Buy Me!" but rather evoke the fun and enjoyment that can be found inside.
