When you can’t make it to the Disney theme parks to buy your favorite character merchandise, we’re sure you’ve relied on The Disney Store for your Disney shopping. It’s always great to be able to head to your local mall and experience a bit of the Disney magic even if you aren’t in the Orlando theme parks area or staying at the Walt Disney World Resort. Well, just like Fantasyland is getting an update and Star Tours is getting a “sequel,” The Disney Store is getting a complete makeover partly thanks to Apple’s head honcho Steve Jobs.

The Walt Disney Company has about 340 stores around the world and plans to overhaul each of them for $1 million. A new flagship store will also be built in New York. The retail spots will no longer be called The Disney Store. These brand new stores, which will be completely remodeled into an interactive shopping experience, will be called Imagination Park.

A recent article in the New York Times mentioned, in detail, what Disney fans could expect from these great new stores. This was one of the snippets: “Theaters will allow children to watch film clips of their own selection, participate in karaoke contests or chat live with Disney Channel stars via satellite. Computer chips embedded in packaging will activate hidden features. Walk by a “magic mirror” while holding a Princess tiara, for instance, and Cinderella might appear and say something to you,” stated the article. Along with the interactive princess section, there is a WWTD: “What Would Tinkerbell Do?” section in Imagination Park. Scent will also play a part of the new stores. Let’s say you walk by a Christmas tree and A Christmas Carol is playing—the entire store will suddenly be filled with the scent of pine. Just like in the Apple store, store staff will walk around with a mini-receipt printer to keep an interactive feel through the entire building.

The Imagination Park process will take five years to complete, but rumor has it there is already a prototype store in Glendale, California that is supposed to be completely mind-blowing. We can’t wait to see what the new Disney stores will look like.

Perfectly in time for the upcoming holiday season, Disney has teamed up with computer company Asus to create a compact laptop just for kids – the Disney Netpal. Perfect for Walt Disney World lovers and those looking for a unique spin on the traditional children’s laptop, the Disney Netpal will provide an all-Disney interface which children and parents will both love!

Disney characters and parental control galore, these laptops will be a hit for young children to tweens. The all-Disney interface will feature the Windows XP Home addition with added Disney features. For example, Tinkerbell will swoop down to let you know you have e-mail, Mickey and Minnie will speak any error or computer system reminders, and a 2D “gadget tray” that will display all of the applications for the computer as the young Little Mermaid Ariel displays her gismos and gadgets in the classic movie (think, a Little Mermaid-esque Windows Start menu). On top of that, the computer will have plenty of Disney-developed applications, including a Disney Mix where you can listen to music and Disney Pix where you can store and upload photos. Disney Pix will not only allow you to do simple photo tasks, such as re-coloring and resizing, but there will be a cool feature where users can insert their faces onto bobbleheads that can dance, move, and more! Plus, not to mention, the streaming real-time music of Disney Radio that will be available for kids to listen to, play games with, and even request songs to be played!

Parents will love these laptops that have been created for mainly the age 6-12 demographic. The laptops come in two colors, Princess Pink and Magic Blue. The desktops of the laptops can be customized to feature your children’s favorite Disney stars, characters, singers, and more. But, parents will go crazy for the control and safety features available on the laptops. Parents have full control with over 40 content regulation options, including safe web-browsing and email correspondence features. The laptops have also been designed with liquid-proof keyboards and a ShockShield, for any falling and dropping accidents that are likely to occur with children.

The Disney Netpal MK90 will be sold exclusively at Toys “R” US and the Disney Netpal MK90H will be released through other computer selling portals. With 1GB of memory, an Intel ATOM N270 processor, built in Wi-Fi, and three USB terminals…I think we know what some lucky 6-12 year olds will be getting for the holidays this winter! Maybe if parents are lucky, their children will let them use these cool laptops to search the web for their annual trip to Walt Disney World with discount Disney tickets from DWTickets.com.

If you love Walt Disney World, chances are you have a pair of Mickey Mouse ears stashed away in a closet in your home somewhere. The ultimate souvenir of any Disney vacation, Mouse ears have been a way to show camaraderie with Mickey since their creation in the 1950s. Originally, the ears were rather simple, made of black felt covering large plastic ears. But today, Disney lovers can show their personality through Mickey ears in a wide range of styles. There’s a pair for everyone, and it’s even easier to find them now at a new boutique at Downtown Disney.

Guests can find the perfect set of ears at a new Create Your Own Ears Hat boutique, located inside Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories at Downtown Disney Marketplace. There, Mickey fans can design their own ear keepsakes to reflect their particular style and personality using a wide variety of hat bases and ear adornments.

“For the first time, guests can take our traditional, iconic Mickey Mouse Ears – made famous in the 1950s with the Mickey Mouse Club - and customize them,” said Dara Trujillo, merchandise manager at Walt Disney World Resort. “Not only is this a unique product offering, but every set will be different, just like our guests.”

Hat bases come in 19 colors, including purple satin, blue velvet, and glow-in-the-dark green (perfect for standing out during dark Disney attractions). Guests can also choose from 19 additional varieties of snap-on ears, adorned with everything from metallic accents to rhinestones to fur. Hats can even have two completely different-looking kinds of ears for a really unique look. Finally, ear designers can add the finishing touch with character patches, letters, stickers, and embroidery, perhaps representing a favorite Disney character, Disney princess, or Disney Channel show.

Interestingly, Mouse ears were first created by Roy Williams, an adult Mouseketeer on the original Mickey Mouse Club. He was inspired by the 1929 short The Karnival Kid, which features a scene where Mickey tips his ears to Minnie. Today, Mouse ears come in all shapes and sizes and can even be tailored for special occasions - such as bride and groom Mouse ears! With so many base, ear, and decoration combinations possible, everyone can find a pair perfectly suited to their own personal style.

The new Create Your Own Ears boutique joins its sister shop that opened last summer at Magic Kingdom. Prices vary based on the add-ons, but a basic hat (consisting of a base, two ears, and a chin strip) starts at $7.50. Hats are one-size-fits-all but can be adjusted to fit smaller guests using the chin strap.

To get your own special set of Mouse ears, be sure to visit the new boutique at Downtown Disney’s Wonderful World of Memories. And don’t forget to rock them the next time you visit Walt Disney World for a stylish day at the parks. Get your Walt Disney World tickets from DWTickets.com to begin your Mickey ear-adorned adventure.

Downtown Disney, one of Orlando’s best places for shopping and entertainment, has just gotten a bit more fun – the complex has unveiled a new addition this week where shoppers can get edgy and up-to-date Disney fashions and accessories, including exclusive merchandise from cutting edge designers. Tren-D recently opened on March 19, and the 2,500-square-foot shop near Pin Traders and Once Upon A Toy is already attracting a crowd with its fun designs and unique style.

An eclectic new women’s boutique, Tren-D features a mix of vintage and hip designs with whimsical Disney characters thrown in, all in a trendy fashion salon setting that’s fun to browse through even if you don’t plan on buying a thing. Located in Downtown Disney Marketplace, the boutique showcases the artistry of favorite designers like Tarina Tarantino, Roxy, and Kidada Jones. And much of it, which is blended with Disney-inspired creations, won’t be available anywhere else in Downtown Disney.

“This unique environment, filled with textured fabrics, new silhouettes, and whimsical art and design allows us the opportunity to push the creative envelope as it relates to fashion and our characters,” said Mark Perrotta, Disney’s director of Product Development and Design. “Our guests continue to respond to trend merchandise and novel products that they can’t purchase at home. Tren-D speaks to what is happening today with a blend of vintage and hip with stylized Disney influences.”

Some of the store’s offerings include organic loungewear, embroidered handbags, jeweled sunglasses, and other trendy accessories. And when you go inside, be sure to take a good look around – the store is intricately designed with a lot of fun details, from the many pastel-colored and jeweled chandeliers hanging from the ceiling to the modernly-attired Minnie’s painted on the interior columns. There’s also lots of fun Disney portraits and art on the walls.

“With its exclusive product lines and new environment, we think Tren-D will complement the existing merchandise offerings at Downtown Disney,” said Perrotta.

So next time you’re visiting Walt Disney World, be sure to stop by the urban and hip Tren-D for a fun and different kind of Disney merchandise. And keep an eye out for other upcoming changes to Downtown Disney – for example, the Virgin Megastore will sadly close this summer, so you’ll definitely want to pay a visit before its last day, May 31. Word has it that Disney is looking to fill that space with an ESPN Zone.

And in the Pleasure Island area, a new E-Brands restaurant will be opening in the coming months called Paradiso 37. The menu will represent the 37 countries of North, Central, and South America, and you can look for that to debut sometime this spring.

As always, stay tuned to our blog for news about your favorite Disney parks, and remember to save on your Walt Disney World tickets with DWTickets.com.