This has a lot of people up in arms for various reasons. Some people say that Starbucks is "too modern -- too current": that when they go to Disney World, they want an escapist vacation and Starbucks is an intrusion of the "real world." Some people say that the Starbucks represents too much of a corporate presence -- too much commercialism and materialism. Some people say that since Main Street is designed to evoke a small mid-Western town, and that Starbucks ruins this image. Some people say that Walt would wholeheartedly disapprove.
Now, I get their points. I really do. But, like most stories/debates, there's a flip-side and here's what I would say to those critics:
(1) Starbucks is too much of an intrusion of the real world into the escapist fantasy of a Disney vacation.
Perhaps. If Disney had literally placed a Starbucks in the parks. But they didn't. They didn't allow the iconic green-and-white mermaid logo to stand on Main Street. Instead, the only indication that the Starbucks is even there is a small sign on the wall of the building -- it blends in with the decor of its location (whether Magic Kingdom's Main Street or Epcot, etc.). In a way, it's like being able to get Starbucks coffee at a Barnes & Noble cafe: you're still in Barnes & Noble, they just serve Starbucks coffee.
(2) Starbucks represents too much of a corporate presence.
This wouldn't be the first time. During Michael Eisner's reign, he was ALL about corporate partnerships. The partnership with McDonald's has largely dissolved -- Subway is the new fast-food partner since it's healthier food sends a better message in the fight against childhood obesity -- but there used to Golden Arches french fry stand in Frontierland by Splash Mountain that sold only McDonald's french fries. But people rebelled against that and it disappeared. And let's not forget all the businesses that "sponsor" rides at EPCOT -- their logos are plastered everywhere and bombard you as you enter and exit the ride. You can't pick and choose -- object to one, object to them all.
(3) It ruins the small-town feel of Main Street.
Again, there's no Starbucks sign. Also--have you been to Main Street in the Magic Kingdom? On the outside it looks like Main Street in a quaint, nostalgic town, but on the inside? Main Street is basically a giant gift shop. With some food. The entire street is designed to get you to buy stuff.
(4) Walt would disapprove.
There's no real way of knowing this, short of either holding a seance or prematurely unfreezing him from his cryogenic state. :)
But here's the thing about Walt: the theme parks were his pet projects. He wanted everything about them to be flawless, to be perfect, to be the best that it could be. That's why there's the labyrinth of underground tunnels so you never see employees coming and going -- that's why trash stays on the ground for mere seconds before it's instantly whisked away.
And coffee at Disney World? Was awful. There was some okay coffee at The Polynesian, but that's not really convenient unless you're staying at that hotel or dining there. And there's some pretty decent coffee at one of the outpost in the Animal Kingdom, but nothing super spectacular. I have a vivid memory of being in the Magic Kingdom on New Year's Eve, having been in the park since it opened that morning, in desperate need of coffee to make it to midnight. We found some, at a stand in Liberty Square, and...well, let's just say that if I didn't need all the help I could get to stay awake, I wouldn't have finished it.
So, in that respect, I can't imagine that Walt would be thrilled. To hear that any aspect of his visitor's park-going experience was less than stellar would have been an instant problem to be solved. And Starbucks? Is arguably one of the better coffee retailers out there -- not to mention, it's extremely popular with (upper-) middle-class Americans who comprise the majority of Disney Park visitors.
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