Sassy Guide to Our Favorite Shops at Disney World
You probably don't think of going to Walt Disney World to shop, there is some great shopping to be had. Maybe you're just looking for that perfect Disney souvenir. Or maybe you want to be surprised by something else you can't find in your hometown. That's where this guide comes in. These are some of OUR favorite shops at Walt Disney World. We've classified them into 3 categories:
The Big Disney Stores - These are what we think are the best places to find that quintessential Disney souvenir. You will find classic Disney merch at these stores, and a lot of it. Most of these are quite large and could be considered the "main shop" in their respective parks, so while you might find this merch at other smaller shops, these serve somewhat as the collection of almost ALL merch.
Unique Disney Merch - These shops are still quintessentially Disney merch, but they have their own unique flavors of merch. For example, a shop where all the merch is from the Star Wars franchise.
Specialty Shops - These shops might or might not have Disney merch, but they truly offer a unique shopping experience. We love them, and we want you to know about them.
The Big Disney Stores
You're looking for that perfect t-shirt and want to see the largest selection of possible shirts in one place. These shops are your starting point. While they don't represent ALL merch available at Walt Disney World, they do tend to be the shops with the largest selection in each respective park and are a good starting and ending point.
The Emporium (Main Street USA, Magic Kingdom) - Taking up almost one entire side of Main Street USA from the firehouse to the castle hub, is the Emporium. Divided into sections for children's clothing, adult clothing, hats, pins, toys, housewares, etc., I can almost always find something I want to buy at the Emporium. Note the Emporium gets very busy during parades and fireworks as it is the only option for guests to get from the castle hub to the exit (and vice versa) while the rest of the street is closed for the parade.
Creations (World Celebration, EPCOT) - Perhaps my favorite quintessential Disney merch location is Creations. It's brightly lit, well organized, and spacious, unlike some of the other stores that feel like a labyrinth. Creations has the usual t-shirt, toy, hat, ears, housewares, pins, etc. selections, but special shout out to their Disney jewelry selection, which is one of the largest I've seen in one place.
Island Mercantile (Discovery Island, Animal Kingdom) - Sitting on the corner between the bridge from the Oasis and the path to Pandora, is Island Mercantile. While a bit smaller than Creations or the Emporium, they pack a pretty good punch of quintessential Disney merch, alongside specific Animal Kingdom theme park merch. Again, you can find your t-shirts, toys, ears, hats, and housewares here.
Celebrity 5 & 10 (Hollywood Boulevard, Disney Hollywood Studios) - This store looks smaller than it is from the outside, but is another one of those shops that stretches almost the entire length of Hollywood Studios from Sunset Boulevard to the Brown Derby. You can find your usual collection of Disney merch here, but special shout out to the selection of mugs and tumblers that can be found in the housewares section here.
World of Disney (Disney Springs) - World of Disney is THE largest Disney Store. Period. And I personally have a love/hate relationship with it. I love that I can find almost anything here. I hate that it's such a large store that I often get lost and miss entire sections of the store in my search for something in particular because it is just. so. large. Trust me that World of Disney is like nothing you've ever seen. You'll find the largest selection of t-shirts, spirit jerseys, toys, housewares, and, oh, pretty much everything here. If you can find them in the cavernous space of the store.
Unique Disney Merch
These shops are still going to be quintessential Disney merch, but usually these shops offer something in terms of the theme of the merchandise or the theme of the shop itself that you just can't find in other places, making them worth a visit.
Disney Hollywood Studios:
Savi's workshop and/or Droid Depot (Galaxy's Edge) - ALL of the shops in Galaxy's Edge are incredibly well-themed, but these two are worth a mention because they offer an experience you can't get elsewhere. At Savi's workshop, you build your own custom lightsaber and go through the ritual of selecting your crystal and activating your lightsaber. At the Droid Depot, you build your own Star Wars style droid. Both of these experiences can accommodate a limited number of guests, so you must make a reservation to enjoy them, but they are truly unique.
Tattooine Traders (Right outside of Star Tours) - While this shop isn't quite as unique as those found in Galaxy's Edge, I would say this is your best bet for Star Wars merchandise because the other shops in Galaxy's Edge have smaller inventories. You'll find apparel, figures, mugs, helmets, lightsabers of the plastic variety, and Star Wars pins galore here.
Magic Kingdom:
Memento Mori (Liberty Square near Haunted Mansion) - Looking for haunted merch? This is your place for all things Haunted Mansion. A shop with a decidedly goth feel right in Liberty Square, this is worth a stop.
Tron Identity Program (Tomorrowland) - You may have noticed a theme by now, but this is another of those shops where you make customized Disney merch. In this case, you are making a Tron action figure by "entering the grid" and choosing your/ your action figure's identity. There is also other Tron merch available, including lit up clothing items. This experience, like Sa'Vi's workshop and the Droid Depot, requires reservations.
Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe (Liberty Square) - Tucked cozily into a corner of Liberty Square is this little slice of Christmas that never fades. It is also what we consider the largest collection of Disney Christmas ornaments in one place. They also have ornaments that can be painted with a custom message like your family's name and the year. In addition to ornaments, you can find things like a monorail Christmas train to go around the tree.
EPCOT:
Art of Disney (Near the American Adventure in World Showcase) - Art of Disney has moved a few times, but currently resides in the American Adventure. Regardless of location, this is where you can purchase Disney fine art. We're talking paintings, collectible sculptures, and more. If you don't find the Disney art you're looking for here, consider hopping over to the Boardwalk Resort, an easy walk from EPCOT, to the Promenade Fine Art Gallery, which we think is even more grand, but also more expensive.
Disney's Animal Kingdom:
Windtraders (Pandora) - Rounding out our customizable merch, this gift shop at the bottom of the exit to Avatar: Flight of Passage has a selection of Avatar-inspired merch. One corner of the shop also contains the rookery, where you can adapt and train your own banshee (being a baby, it's quite small and fits on your shoulder), OR you can create your own Avatar action figure by "linking" to an avatar. Accessories for both banshees and avatars are, of course, available.
Mombasa Marketplace/Ziwani Traders (Harambe) - This is my favorite shop for Disney merch in all of Walt Disney World, because all merch here is very themed to Disney's Animal Kingdom, if not the village of Harambe, alone. You'll find some really neat apparel prints here that you won't find in other stores. But it's not just apparel - there is also toys, instruments like drums and flutes, and more.
Disney Springs
Pin Traders - Simply the largest collection of collectable Disney pins and Magic Bands in one place. If you are still missing that specific pin, it's worth a look here.
Specialty Shops
Shops I list here are still found throughout Walt Disney World, but specialize mostly in non-Disney merch. In other words, these aren't "exit through the gift shop" type places. Even though you will find some Disney merch at many of these, given their location, they offer something unique that's worth a stop. Because there are so many of these, we'll be brief with our descriptions. Most can be found at either Disney Springs or EPCOT's World Showcase.
Disney Springs Shops
Ghirardelli - A chocolate shop where you get a free chocolate just for walking in the door. We call that a win. The real treasure here, in our opinion, is the drinks counter with the best hot chocolate you've ever had.
The Ganachery - Oh, look, another chocolate shop. This one is a bit more artisanal. Features are chocolate pinatas, fancy s'mores, and chilled chocolate drinks.
Love Pop - Pop-up greeting cards, and trust us, these aren't just basic cut-outs. Each card is practically a work of paper art.
The Lego Store - You'll be drawn by the larger than life Lego sculptures outside. Inside, you'll find a large selection of kits, a build-your-own figure station, and a wall of pieces sorted by type and color.
Basin - This bath and body product store is both at Disney Springs and the Grand Floridian, though the location at the Grand Floridian is smaller. You'll find bath bombs, sugar and salt scrubs, bubble bath, iridescent bath salts, and more.
Lefty's, the Left Hand Store - A store that caters to all things left-handed!
EPCOT's World Showcase
Mitsukoshi Department Store (Japan pavilion) - Yes, there are real Mitsukoshi stores in Japan, but this one brings Japan to the United States. You'll find everything from kawaii merch to bento boxes, from anime stills to real kimonos.
Kunstarbeit in Kristal (Germany pavilion) - Literally translating to "artwork in crystal", that's what you find in this shop. Frequently, there is a huge crystal replica of a Disney World park icon that goes for tens of thoussands of dollars, but while you might not be able to afford anything here, you can still feast your eyes on it.
The Tea Caddy (AKA Twining's Tea, the UK pavilion) - This shop has a large selection of Twining's tea, tea accessories, and British royals memorabilia.
Did we miss a merchandise location you think deserves to be on the list? Let us know over on our Facebook page, where you can like and follow us to see when new blogs drop, roughly each week. Until next time...
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