RIDEMAKERZ

October 2009 – January 2018

LOCATION

Downtown Disney – RIDEMAKERZ sat right at the center of Downtown Disney, and the building curved to fit the open courtyard. Head toward the open bar in the center of the circle (Uva Bar), and you’d see RIDEMAKERZ; the tall tire signs were hard to miss.

EXPERIENCE

Details:

• Merchandise – remote controlled cars & accessories
• Unique Features – each car is put together on the central “assembly line”, where guests can actively participate in the building of their vehicle

RIDEMAKERZ was the car version of its neighbor, Build-A-Bear Workshop. Guests had the opportunity to build their dream car (in miniature), and had customizable options for every piece of the vehicle, from the shell to the wheels to the paint job. If you didn’t want to start from scratch, you could also model your car after the characters from Cars. RIDEMAKERZ captured the imaginations of visitors, and was the perfect place to create a custom souvenir from your trip.

CLOSURE

In late 2017, Disney announced plans to overhaul many of the outdated retail spaces in Downtown Disney. Disney decided to reinvent the space housing Build-A-Bear, the Dress Shop, and RIDEMAKERZ as a new megastore with branded home merchandise. The shop closed in January 2018, to make room for a new dining space.

TRIVIA

RIDEMAKERZ replaced Department 56, a figurine and collectibles shop. In 2010, the shop for a small expansion, with an official “reopening” in 2010.

Though the shop’s sign extended above the store, most of the second floor of the building was occupied by Build-A-Bear.