Where to Buy the Best Stuff in Disney World

towering beanstalks former gas stations flying banshees what do these three seemingly random things have in common well they help create the theming around some of the best stores on disney world property [Music] hey everybody it's aj for disney food blog today we are shopping till we're dropping and i've got my park shoes on so i'm not dropping anytime soon even if you have a tight budget when it comes to souvenirs these disney world gift shops are so much more than just their merchandise the unique theming and storytelling behind these stores make the shopping experience feel like a whole other disney attraction so let's talk about a few of my personal favorites and your personal favorites that i have to hit up every time i go to disney world even if i don't spend a cent while browsing yes it's possible let's get started we are of course going to go to epcot first because epcot is like a giant international shopping mall i know it's not really but you know we had to say it and we're going to start at the brand new creations shop this is the baby of abcot shops they open for the first time on september 15th they're replacing mouse gear and it's now epcot's biggest merchandise location now i'm kind of obsessed with some of the artwork in this new shop especially the giant hand-painted mickey mural that's 35 feet wide i envy that artistic talent i have none now along with creation shops opening disney released a new line of merchandise exclusive to the store called the light and color collection these things look super futuristic they're basically wearing a geodesic sphere they symbolize all the high-tech changes coming to epcot and the light and color collections are featured on bags hats and those crazy mini ears that are light up ears with a fiber optic bow which is super cool in super 80s epcot and of course there's mugs as well like you're drinking out of a giant spatial birth so if you're wanting to celebrate the new epcot look alongside the disney world parks you might want to go check these items out at creations shop okay another expansive gift shop located in epcot is over in world showcase it's the house of good fortune in the china pavilion now i know a lot of you have never even been back there right well the house of good fortune wraps around the back section of the china pavilion and has some of the most affordable and very cool souvenirs on property this is one of those good shops that doesn't just sell disney items you've got very unique stuff here now people on our team have gotten chinese medicine balls incense trays hidden box figures like a cutesy gold bobblehead turtle that sits on brian's nightstand those range from one to eight dollars you can also get one of those cute little animal banks where the kitty cat peeks over the side of a cardboard box and pushes your quarter into the box with it yeah we're easily entertained here but i give all my quarters to those plastic kitty cats and one of the more unique aspects of this shop is the buddha offering area at the front where guests can place quarters and dollars in the buddha's lap representing good karma and vibes hopefully for the rest of their disney world vacation in the winter around the time of chinese new year the house of good fortune also receives exclusive disney themed new year's items so if you're looking to celebrate this store is going to hook you up okay and of course in epcot we are going over to mitsukoshi again if you were to ask the dfb team what their favorite store on disney world property is the majority of them are going to sing the praises of mitsukoshi over in epcot's japan pavilion this has been on the channel a little bit lately mitsukoshi sells products you're not going to find in any other disney gift shops what you're going to find here is anime manga and other kawaii pop culture items so if you're a big fan of characters from pokemon kingdom hearts hello kitty any of hayao miyazaki films you need to run here asap mitsukoshi also sells authentic japanese merchandise like kimonos zen gardens buddha boards and various fun snacks now the snacks take up the entire back room of the shop so it's super super worth going all the way to the back if you need your pocky fix this place has you covered once upon a time there was a pick a pearl station here too which honestly was one of my favorite experiences even though i wasn't picking an oyster out to get my own pearl i loved watching other guests choose theirs and the cast members were so vibrant and excited for the guests no matter what color shape or size the pearl ended up being i miss it so much even with the pick a pearl station missing the store is huge so dedicate some time to really browse and take it all in after you're finished shopping you can slip on into the bajutsu khan gallery which is right next door to mitsukoshi in fact they're practically connected at this gallery you'll be able to explore kawaii culture and how it's interwoven with japanese fashion and home decor if you are looking for holiday presents birthday presents any kind of gift that you want to take home to friends of yours from disney world that's not too disney this is the perfect place to get it all right moving on to hollywood studios we're going to start at doc ondar's den of antiquities have you heard about doc ondar over in butt 2 apparently that guy's into some pretty shady stuff who knows where he picked up all those different curios lining his shelves doc ondar's den of antiquities is located in star wars galaxy's edge of course and provides travelers with stellar merchandise like kyber crystals for your lightsabers intergalactic jewelry bags of all shapes and sizes you can also purchase the legacy lightsabers here so if you miss your window to make a reservation for savvy's workshop you can still buy one of doc gander's authentic lightsabers that being said you will have to put your name on a virtual waitlist to buy one of the state-of-the-art lightsabers there should be a sign up front with a qr code you can scan to take your place in line and you do not have to make a reservation if you're just entering the shop to browse or even if you're going to buy something else from darts shelves the virtual waitlist is for legacy lightsaber purchases only if you don't find the right batu souvenir for you in this collective shop you can always browse the blackspire outpost which is a bizarre like shopping center bazaar not bizarre bazaar like marketplace located on the batu outskirts that features numerous storefronts specializing in different merchandise now a few of these shopping areas are the creatures stall the toydarian toy maker and the jewels of bith just don't tell doc gondor you're shopping somewhere else okay then again he might already know rumor is that guy never leaves his shop don't believe me check it out next time you're in the den of antiquities i'll bet you see him there overseeing things per usual okay also voted a favorite shop in hollywood studios tower hotel gift we invite you if you dare to step into this hollywood tower hotel themed gift shop located at the exit of tower of terror right next to the sunset boulevard joffrey's kiosk was that scary did it sound like him okay now if you're iffy about riding tower of terror but you still want to experience the spooky hotel vibes tower hotel gifts can provide you with that eerie echoey hotel music and dusty abandoned look you might be craving you can find tower of terror and haunted mansion merchandise here so you get to feed two birds with one scone and browse through all your creepy ride souvenirs at once huzzah when you go a little further into tower hotel gifts you'll find a peaceful little seating area where you can wait for your travel party to get off the ride or just escape the intense floridian sun for a bit and watch everybody else get off the ride which is kind of fun people watching and i want to give a shout out to the many shops you'll find on the hollywood boulevard strip of disney's hollywood studios after all they're the first shops to greet you when you enter the park however i can't really name any particular one because they all just sort of blend together for me so it's hard to single out just one but over on sunset boulevard the once upon a time shopping location stands out like a boss this gift shop's exterior looks like a glitzy cinema and above the display windows you're gonna find faux balconies for the residents of hollywood living above the storefront once upon a time sells the latest disney shirts jewelry plush and other hot shot souvenir items within its classy interior and i'm talking swanky light fixtures elegant archways leading from area to area and framed wall art lined up behind the registers this store stays open along with the hollywood boulevard shops after the park closes so you can make any last-minute purchases if need be all right next we're headed over to magic kingdom of course and we're going to the emporium admit it this is the story you probably think of when you think of the main street usa shops the emporium is the largest store in magic kingdom and much like once upon a time over in dhs you're gonna find the latest popular disney souvenirs here all in one convenient location the store's layout is pretty easy to navigate there are lots of rooms and many different sections to explore from pins to plush to candy all labeled for your convenience now for each new season the emporium is going to display limited edition merchandise you can find exclusive halloween items right now up front and center then another aspect i love about this giant shopping location is the windows the next time you're on main street usa take a moment to check out these windows you'll see snippets of scenes from popular disney films like beauty and the beast pocahontas and cinderella and at christmas time sometimes they change to christmas scenes and it's super super fun speaking of christmas our next shop that we want to tell you about in magic kingdom is ye old christmas shop in this liberty square shop it's christmas all year long this quaint little gift store is so cozy puts you in the holiday spirit even in september and it's a great place for guests wanting to find a new ornament for their christmas tree you can also find stockings wreaths plush and other holiday memorabilia that you can place in your house to help make your holiday season a little bit brighter and don't forget you can also do custom ornaments here too so if you want to create an ornament to commemorate your trip to disney world you can do that here in the christmas shop oh and next on our list of course is memento mori come one come all to madame leota's former living quarters otherwise known as haunted mansion's gift shop memento mori madame liotta has been gracious enough to allow magic kingdom to use her home as a place guests can find haunted mansion specific merchandise now one of my favorite little items memento mori has sold here is the host a ghost jars hey if a ghost is gonna follow you home you might as well have some place to put them right before the park's closure in 2020 guests were also able to purchase spirit photography which took the profile of your corruptable mortal state and made a lenticular photo out of it transforming you into the 1000th haunt of the haunted mansion dream come true right though this photo op is no longer available the shop is still spooky really good fun and if you browse long enough you might even see madame leota appear in one of the shop mirrors so stay alert there's another couple of easter eggs in there too to check out so definitely ask a cast member when you're there to point them out for you next in magic kingdom we're headed to sir mickey's this is at the backside of cinderella castle and it's a cute little storybook themed gift shop now sir mickey's is inspired by the 1938 classic disney short the brave little tailor which is a retelling of the age old story jack and the beanstalk when you first enter the shop look up and admire the gigantic winding beanstalk taking over the ceiling and who's that i see peeking above the merchandise shelves well of course it's willy the giant you'll also find mickey sword in hand ready to duke it out with the giant just in case he decides to pull a fast one on the shop don't worry willy seems to be a pretty peaceful dude in this scenario and you can expect to find lots of different costumes and clothes here for fun-filled dress-up days for the kids this shop by the way used to be one of the locations to have a professional picture taken at the royal portrait studio but the experience remains unavailable i'll let you know when or if it reopens for guests again and i have not graced the doors of this candy shop in a while but i still remember its sweet wafting scents and the fresh caramel apples that were made in shop by of course the confectionary cast members yup we're talking about the main street confectionary that's last on our list here in magic kingdom main street confectionary has been undergoing some major renovations since march of this year because the magic kingdom is currently getting the store all spiffed up for the 50th anniversary celebration it's actually going to extend back to where the chapeau hat store was now the disney parks website ensures guests that this refurbishment is going to lead to some exciting new changes for the favorite suite store including more room to shop and more interactive opportunities to customize your confections so i think there might be a little bit of the goofy's candy company pay a whole dollar and you get one side of your mickey rice krispy treat decorated but the store is supposed to be undergoing renovations until mid-november now the construction walls that used to be surrounding the confectionary have finally come down toward the beginning of this month and in the meantime you can check out main street cinema to find a selection of treats normally sold in the confectionary and big top treats is open back there in storybook circus and they have the ready-made items in their candy case right now too pretty much the same stuff you'd find at the confectionary back there moving on to disney's animal kingdom let's talk about chester and hester's dino treasures who are chester and hester and why are they selling dino treasures in disney's animal kingdom all good questions and in good disney fashion there's a backstory here that's going to help you fill in the blanks chester and hester are a married couple who originally owned a gas station in diggs county however when dinosaur fossils were discovered around the area dinks county transformed into a tourist trap location for those wanting a closer look at the archaeological findings so chester and huster turn their little gas station into a gift shop for dino fans everywhere to fit in with the tourist scene chester and hester's dino treasures sells all your dino needs while also telling the story of the area through the decorations located around the shop you can find pictures of chester and hester themselves on the walls as well as a framed dollar bill representing the first dollar they earned from their business venture and they really have thought of everything here behind the story you'll find tacky yet charming dinosaur photo ops and don't forget to read the funny signs promoting the low low prices around the store's exterior too my personal favorite is the going out of existence sale that seems to be happening every time i visit if you're interested in playing some of the sideshow carnival games scattered throughout dinoland usa you can purchase tickets for the games at chester and hester's as well got your tickets good now let's go win that dino a little doctor seeker humor for you there all right next we're gonna head to win traders this is located deep within pandora the world of avatar you'll stumble upon a transformed rda structure which now serves as wind traders the soul pandora gift shop here you're gonna find exclusive world of avatar merch to support your undying love for flight of passage or navi river journey or maybe just the avatar movie in general this is also the place you can find shoulder banshees these banshees can be attached to the sleeve of your shoulder and controlled using a little hand remote your banshee's head can turn side to side their wings can flutter under your control that sounds a lot creepier than i meant it to sound it's supposed to be endearing not concerning i swear shoulder banshees do come in a ton of different colors and are located toward the front of the shop you can't miss them all right moving over to zawani traders have you ever wanted to explore a garage with safari inspired merchandise then i have news for you zawani traders is located in the africa section of animal kingdom and sells wildlife inspired artwork and collectibles you want to take home something really niche zawani traders also sells collectible ostrich eggs again living the dream here this shop is directly connected to mombasa marketplace which is another section that sells authentic african imports and another great part about shopping at these stores or a handful of the other animal kingdom shops is that you can make a donation to disney's conservation fund here according to the disney conservation fund website this nonprofit organization helps to protect more than 100 species across 25 countries just ask the cast member behind the register about how you can help the cause you'll even get a cute colorful commemorative button afterwards and right around the corner of zawani traders in mombasa marketplace is zurich's sweet shop which is basically animal kingdom's version of the main street confectionary missouri is the proud owner of this treats shop making her a role model to other women in the area who are aspiring business owners just like chester and hester's missouri also has her first dollar framed and hanging on the wall of her shop maybe i should have done that back in the day apparently it's all the rage not only does zuri's sweet shop satisfy your sweet tooth with an array of colorful sugar-filled candies but it also provides snacks more on the healthier side of things like granola or yogurt coated pretzels which i know they're still just sugar but maybe a little bit less sugar zuri's sweet shop has a slightly misleading name because you can pick up salty snacks here too like jerkies and unique popcorn flavors and along with the wide assortment of snacks you can also grab cookbooks and kitchenware here too moving on to disney springs we're of course going to talk about the world of disney if you can only visit one disney world gift shop on your entire trip which would be absurd but just stick with me here then you got to go to world of disney this disney gift shop is absolutely massive and it also pays tribute to the wonderful realm of animation behind the register counters you can watch sketches from disney animated classics come to life with the help of a little pixie dust of course don't forget to try out the mobile ordering here too world of disney is one of the many shops with virtual checkout capabilities just scan one of the qr codes located throughout the store and it'll direct you to your virtual shopping cart from there you can scan items you're wanting to buy and purchase them right then and there without having to wait in a physical line just remember to show a cast member your qr code receipt before you exit the store oh and one more thing watch out for stitch he tends to spit a lot don't say i didn't warn you now if you walk a little way towards the marketplace from the world of disney store you'll run into the co-op marketplace which holds many stores in one centralized area a few of the specific shops you're gonna find here the vintage style dress shop cherry tree lane the weird and wonderful art collection wonderground gallery and the customizable phone case area d-tec on-demand but that's only a taste of what you're going to find here you can also come here for candles nice button-ups and dog costumes so if you've ever wanted to make your chihuahua into tinkerbell now is your chance co-op is also attached to the trendy clothing boutique where you can find all the latest and greatest disney fashion while also admiring those brightly colored chandeliers dangling from the store ceiling especially if you have like a teenage daughter and all she wants to do is shop in here and you just need to sit down and relax now all the way on the other side of disney springs you're going to find disney style this is another popular clothing boutique for your teenage daughter this shop isn't very big it's got some fun photo ops like the castle wall the mad hatter tea cup the popular food props stationed above some of the end caps so you're definitely going to want to take a few selfies in here now don't forget to look up and admire the dozens of floating lanterns or the old school skyway gondolas which are reminiscent of the days when disneyland and magic kingdom had their very own systems inside the parks disney style also categorizes its latest trends by theme expect to find monsters inc merchandise group together as well as other popular movie franchises like cruella pixar's up little mermaid whatever other film inspired fashion the store tends to highlight that day disney style's like a box of chocolates you never know what type of leggings spirit jerseys and lounge fly bags you're gonna get all right next in disney springs we're headed to the coca-cola store rooftop beverage bar now the first and second stories of the coca-cola store sell specialty coca-cola merchandise looking for a new glass there's a whole wall of different colored glasses to choose from except blue for some reason i can never find blue and on the third floor is where you're going to find the rooftop beverage bar can you guess what they sell here yep coca-cola but that's not all i'm stoked to have club cool back in epcot where i can sample different sodas from across the globe but this rooftop beverage bar has a taste around the world option too though unlike club cool you're gonna have to purchase these samples the taste around the world assortment will provide you with 16 different international soda flavors when i've tried the taste around the world tray with my family in the past we like to turn the experience into a game and guess which country each flavor is from so if you're looking for something different to do while you're at disney springs and you enjoy soda pop you might want to check this experience out heading over to the m m store in disney springs this is a colorful and chocolatey store that opened just at the start of this year and it's a delicious addition to the disney spring shopping district this one has a ton of different rainbow-centric shirts blankets and candy dispensers but what it's really known for is its humongous back wall of m ms you can customize your m m candy assortment with whatever colors or flavors you want you can even personalize them using the in-shop kiosks just upload whatever picture or words you want on your m m bundle and ta-dah you'll be the proud owner of some very unique one-of-a-kind m m's now let's head over to the disney hotels because they've got some really really fascinating and wonderful shops there too over at disney's polynesian village resort you can embrace those island life vibes over at boutique boutique doesn't just sell polynesian centered merchandise though it also sells aulani resort products so if you're looking for aulani's turtle mascot olu somewhere on disney world property your best bet is to check out boutique oh lumel has been known to show up on some keychains shirts and even headbands over there from time to time and trader sam's merchandise is also sold at boutique which makes sense considering the interactive bar is located just a few steps away from this gift shop and be sure to take advantage of some of the fun photo ops with those mischievous tikis decorating the shopping location now while you're strolling along down disney's boardwalk inn make sure to slip into the screen door general store and check out their disney merchandise selection inside you're going to find a nice little bakery case candy case really with a variety of seasonal cupcakes rice krispie treats caramel apples and other goodies now this is the same sort of stuff you're going to see at the confectionary the same sort of stuff you're going to see at bay view gifts over in the contemporary resort so in any of the resorts that have a candy counter this is going to be the same stuff and don't forget seasonal stuff comes here too so those christmasy chocolate dipped cookies the mother's day cookies candy corn cupcakes the seasonal stuff is going to be in these bakery cases too so if you don't have a park ticket you can absolutely go and purchase the same stuff you're going to find at the confectionary right here at screen door general store or bayview gifts over in contemporary and much like the other resort gift stores on property expect to find any last minute necessities first aid supplies stuff like that for warning though you're gonna have to pay a pretty penny for these conveniences i always recommend purchasing over-the-counter medications earplugs and sunscreen ahead of time to avoid overpaying for them on disney property but it's still nice to know they're available at these resort gift store locations just in case a special tip for stores like this don't forget you can use your annual pass holder discount in these stores so you can get a discount on that cupcake or that cookie or that rice krispie treat or whatever you get out of the candy case you can get a discount on it using your annual pass because it's technically a merchandise store not a restaurant now if you're staying at disney's art of animation resort the ink and paint shop has souvenirs that will commemorate your stay like shirts hats and picture frames and the ink and paint shop also sells skyliner merchandise since the value resort is located on the skyliner route i think the skyliner funko pop over here is really really great and i don't really collect funko pop all that much but if i did i'd probably make it part of my collection the items here are fun and all but don't overlook the theming of this shop though giant paint canisters and art supplies decorate the shelves and walls making you feel like you're part of an artist's collection the ink and paint shop is connected to both the resort lobby and the quick service location landscape of flavors which is basically the system at most of the value resorts on disney world property and there you have it those are the stories you really need to hit up when you're in disney world you could probably add to my list with your own favorites feel free to do so in the comments and honestly i would probably add to my list too with several other locations i have to visit every time i'm in the parks the great thing about disney stores is that imagineers didn't let up while designing them these shopping locations are chock full of disney storytelling easter eggs hidden mickeys all that stuff we admire so much so if there are shops you love and can't miss let us know in the comments let the rest of the viewers know in the comments because they're looking for the same things you are information details how to make sure they have the best trip to disney possible and they don't miss anything thanks for listening everybody thanks for watching as always this is aj for disney food vlog and we'll see you real soon you

Channel: DFBGuide

Views: 100,131

Rating: 4.952857 out of 5

Keywords: disneyfood, disney, disney world, disneyland, disneyvideo, disneyvacation, food, disney parks, disney travel, disney tips, disney guides, disney planning, disney trip, disney how to, disney vlog, disney vlogger

Id: raa0TSy0y5Q

Length: 22min 51sec (1371 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 23 2021