Going to the Apple Store is almost always an unpleasant experience. First, the small number of locations means that getting to an Apple Store can be onerous. Moreover, the majority of stores are massively overcrowded. On weekends, I literally can't get into my local Apple Store because of overcrowding. There are simply too many people to physically navigate the store. Imagine riding a crowded public bus. That is the level of crowding.
Moreover, the setup of the Apple Store encourages people to linger and leisurely use the devices. In practice, this means that people (particularly little kids) will spend upwards of thirty minutes playing some asinine game on the display devices. There are no limits enforced, and the chronic overcrowding means that even getting to look at a device is difficult.
If you happen to go during a weekday when there isn't overcrowding, you get overwhelmed by Apple staff. Effectively every time I enter an Apple Store I get accosted by no less than three employees, not to mention the "concierge" that guards the entryway to the store. When shopping, I don't want to be berated by staff. It's very reminiscent of the episode of The Office where Dwight gets fired and takes up a position at Staples. When a woman comes into his department to shop, Dwight stands five feet away from her and just glares at her the entire time.
Deciding whether or not to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a device is already mentally taxing; having Apple staff constantly interject does not make the experience any easier. I don't think I've ever heard anyone I know speak positively of an experience at the Apple Store, particularly because they feel absolutely overwhelmed by the way the staff treat them.
I'm not sure if these problems are pervasive or specific only to my local store, but in my experience, the notion that the service at the Apple Store is "magical" is downright laughable.