Jim Fielding

PASADENA, Calif. — On March 28, Disney Store will celebrate its 25th anniversary by giving the first 250 guests at each location silver commemorative Mickey Mouse ears. In addition, Disney Store will host a variety of family fun activities throughout the day, including Disney trivia, games, a dance party and more. As an added bonus, guests will receive 25% off purchases made in store and online at DisneyStore.com for the entire day. Although known for delivering “the best 30 minutes of a child’s day,” Disney Store has created magical memories for guests of all ages for 25 magical years.

It's no wonder that stores post-recession are working harder to keep themselves at the forefront of shoppers' minds.Gone are the days of easy credit and soaring home values. Today's price-minded shoppers aim to spend within their means, and they scour the Web for deals.So if you're Disney, and you want to increase the amount of time and money spent inside your stores, you sell the same popular merchandise as before but try to make it an experience. Take, for example, Disney's new store in Seattle. It lets children design and build a toy car at a table with hanging