ORLANDO, Fla. — Parents, brace yourselves: An American Girl store is coming to Orlando just in time for the holidays.
The official grand opening is set for Saturday at the Florida Mall.
If you’re planning to go, expect a very long wait.
Mattel owns the company, and while Barbie quarterly earnings are flat, American Girl is up 20 percent.
“American Girl has had great success and in the last few years we’ve had double-digit sales increases,” said American Girl Vice President Wade Opland.
One doll will set a buyer back about $100.
To get her hair done will cost about $25.
Customers can also get the doll a spa package or pick up hundreds of different accessories.
American Girl sells dolls with different skin tones and hair styles and from different points in American history.
Like Kit Kittridge, who struggled through the Great Depression, or Addy Walker, who battled slavery.
This weekend, the new store at Florida Mall is expecting 10,000 people for the big opening.
Customers will be given a numbered ticket and can only go into the store when the number is called.
Workers will be running a shuttle service to help people get to the store.
American Girl, which has a devout following, is expected to bring in thousands of visitors to the Florida Mall.
“The mix and demographics for this particular mall fits American Girl,” said Opland.
The company said Florida Mall’s 28 million annual visitors was a nice lure, along with the new site built from the ground up and the pull-up valet parking.
“It’s right at the top. This is a prominent addition,” said Florida Mall’s general manager, Brian Hanson.
Outside the store in Miami, this will be the only other American Girl store in Florida.
The company says on average, it pulls customers from 200 miles away.