Week the Tenth: Tis the Season for Giving

Downtown Disney

There is no place that quite sets you in the mood as much as Disney does. Even their downtown is a site to see. Trees are decorated with sparkling lights, there is an ice rink, joyful music playing as you walk through the shops and find a place to dine. And because Disneyland and California Adventure is right there, there are merry little kids everywhere! The setting at night is one of joy, warmth, delight, holiday spirit. The colors in the lights are wonderfully attractive and beautiful to look at. It is quite the place to be, and for the most part every shop's lights are inviting. 

For example, Sephora. I love this store in general, but never realized that perhaps the reason why I love this store so much is because of how inviting the lights are. Most of the inside of this store is the
same as any other. The makeup is displayed so that you can see all of your options by brand. There are mirrors everywhere of course so that you can see how the lighting affects your skin. The white lights allow you to see the makeup on the skin as they truly are-- it does not change the tone of it at all, perfect for makeup artists. But when you walk past this particular one, you can't help but turn your head to look at the store front. The style of it to me reads GLAM. You cannot see the individual bulbs that light the store name, but it has the essence of broadway lights. A friend I went with once said, "She could never walk past a Sephora without walking in and buying something." Then proceeded to tell me to physically stop her from doing so. 

Then there is this poor shop. Apricot Lane Boutique. I don't think I've ever seen many people go in. And although it seems like the clothing would be my style, I never found myself wanting to peruse their items either. The store lighting itself may not be as bright as the other shops, but what was it about this one that made it not as inviting? Then I figured it out: the actual store name was not lit. Every single other store or restaurant name was lit up or was lit by lights. This one wasn't. There is even a shadow cast on it, as seen in this photo. It's so crazy how simply lighting the store's name could have changed this look completely and made it so much more welcoming. Another aspect to the outside that I think detracts from having customers go in is the large top panel above the door and windows. It makes it so much more closed off. This may be solved if the store's lights on the inside were bright enough to shine outside as well, pulling the customers into it.