Tag Archives: Downtown Disney

Who Goes to Walt Disney World to Shop? I DO!

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Olaf PinWho else is excited about the new Disney Market Place Co-Op in Downtown Disney?  I cannot wait to shop there – I’ve been browsing some of their merchandise on their online store and whoa!  Great stuff – especially the home goods in Disney Centerpiece!  I just missed being able to shop in the Co-Op by a couple of days – it opened at the beginning of this month, just a few days after our WDW vacation ended.  Well, I’ll be back in October and I’ll save some pennies between now and then just for that particular store – because one of the things I like to do at Walt Disney World is shop.

There are many stores and shops at Disney World that I love.  Many I just browse, but seldom buy make a purchase in – I just think the stuff is great, with no real need to have any of it for my own.  This would include the giftshops at many of the ride’s exits – like Expedition Everest and Tower of Terror – those giftshops are really neat and offer cute and clever attraction-related merchandise.  The one on the way out of Pirates of the Caribbean is a particular favorite as well.  I also love to browse the shops in Disney’s Hollywood Studios – I just seldom find anything there IMG_6606I can’t live without.

Now, let’s talk about where my money goes.  There are four places I go to shop (as in like-an-Olympic-sport shopping) – The Fam is used to this and they know they can either help or get out of the way – I’m good with either of those opptions as long as I have some completely uninterrupted time to carefully select what will be going home with me.

Disney Shoe Ornament - MaleficentMouse Gear in Epcot

I love Mouse Gear because of its size, but also the way the store is merchandised.  The place is always bright, clean, well organized and neat as a pin.  Part of what’s so great about it is how open it is – one huge room all on display for my shopping pleasure.  Most recently, Megan and I added to our Shoe Ornament collection with the purchase of three new shoes from Mouse Gear.  If you saw my post on another Epcot store (Mitsukoshi in the Japan Pavilion), it deserves a shout-out here, but unlike Mouse Gear, I don’t always buy something from there.

Haunted Mansion Mickey OrnamentDisney’s Days of Christmas (Downtown Disney)

Disney Christmas ornaments are a must-buy souvenir for me.  The nice folks at Disney’s Days of Christmas will carefully pack my ornament purchases and ship them straight to my house where they will arrive safely unbroken.  Yes, I pay about $25 extra for that, but it’s totally worth it to me not to have to fret over what may happen if I tried to carry all the ornaments with me on the plane home.  As long as there’s room on my 9-foot Disney Christmas tree, I’ll be buying ornaments at this happy holiday shop.

World of Disney (Downtown Disney)

This store is, with regard to presentation, the exact opposite of Mouse Gear.  It’s a little darkerHaunted Mansion Singing Busts Ornaments and messier inside and divided into many rooms and sections – you could look around in World of Disney for a couple of days, I think, and still not see it all.  Clothing, watches, and souvenirs are the kinds of things I buy here.  It can be really crowded, though, so if you’re serious about shopping here, a little patience and crowd tollerance helps.  Most recently, I bought a tee shirt (for our dog, Junior) from the boys’ section, some Haunted Mansion ornaments (the singing busts) that were not at the Christmas Store, and some small souvenirs for friends back home.  I also bought my new, one-and-only, perfect-for-me Earhat!  (See me wearing it on our Facebook Page – oh, and if you press “Like” while your there, I’d be ever so appreciative since I’m only 20 shy of 1000!)

The Main Street Emporium (Magic Kingdom)

All the stores on Main Street’s left side are connected.  So, you can enter the Emporium and shop your way (in cool comfort) down to Casey’s Corner!  It’s the atmosphere of The Main Street Emporium that draws me in.  It’s got great Victorian details and I can find camera batteries, gift cards, and one of my favorite things to buy there, Disney Pins (for collecting and trading).  Yeah, I know they sell pins literally everywhere, but it has become tradition for me to at least attempt to find a pin or two from the Emporium to take with me.

Now it’s your turn – which of Walt Disney World’s stores are your favorite?  What are your favorite souvenirs to buy on every visit?

Disney Christmas Ornaments

Personalized Disney Ornament Dumbo Christmas Ornament Disney Shoe Ornament - Ariel Disney Shoe Ornament - Anna Classic Earhat Ornament

 

 

Embracing the Rainy Day at Walt Disney World

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Rainy Day in Disney's Animal KingdomI’m going to be a little bossy here for a second (imagine that!):  Do NOT go home from your Walt Disney World vacation whining about the weather.  Do. Not. Complain.  In the summer, it rains in Florida.  A lot.  If you don’t realize that going into the trip, you’re going to be surprised and disappointed!  Plan for rain – during certain times of the year, you’ll need to plan for daily rain.  That’s right – it rains every afternoon sometimes – a quick shower that comes and goes, but may be a torrential downpour for a while.  The average monthly rainfall is over 7 inches for June, July and August.  It’s HOT in Florida, too – but I’ll save being bossy on that topic for another day.

Back to the rain. You have two choices when it rains.  Tough it out or pack it in.  Here are my suggestions for IMG_3351embracing the rain – no matter which choice you go with.

1. Make like a good Boy Scout and bring a rain poncho to the parks during the rainy season.  Shoes that are water resistant or will dry quickly are helpful, too.  Flip-flops can become hazardous, near deadly instruments of torture in a downpour as they become very slippery on both the bottom and the foot bed….beware! Walt Disney World in the Rain

2. Hang in there.  Try to stay as dry as possible and wait it out.  Go for an indoor attraction like Mickey’s PhilharMagic or Hall of President’s in the Magic Kingdom, a movie in Epcot’s World Showcase (in Canada, China, or France), wait in the LONG (but dry) line for Soarin’ in Epcot’s Future World, check out the Great Movie Ride or MuppetVision 3D in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  In Animal Kingdom, you can see It’s Tough to be a Bug.  If it’s not raining hard, grab a snack and a seat and people-watch for a few minutes.  Wait and see if the clouds clear up.

3. Shop.  There is no shortage of shops in Walt Disney World!  Take the time to browse – if you’reIMG_1194 usually rushing from thrill ride to thrill ride, you’ll find an undiscovered treasure trove of unbelievable Disney items for wearing, decorating, eating, and collecting.  Find souvenirs and gifts for everyone including your dog.  Just the number of different hats is staggering.

4. Head on over to Downtown Disney for bowling or a movie or both.  We wouldn’t normally spare the time for an activity we can experience at home, but rainy days may call for some adjustments and accommodation. Splitsville, the new bowling hotspot in Downtown Disney and an AMC Theater (complete with dine-in options) are side by side in the Westside district. Walt Disney World Resort Pizza Delivery

5. When the going gets wet, the wet get going.  Pack it in, people – sometimes the rain just won’t let up – everybody’s wet, cold and cranky.  This is the time to head on back the resort and order a pizza, watch some TV and rest up for better weather…which should come around unless you happen to be in Orlando during a hurricane.  Then you have my permission – encouragement even – to dismiss my bossy directive at the beginning of this post and complain away.  Whine til the cows come home.  If your entire vacation has been wiped out by a hurricane (it’d probably have an oddly mild name like Dudley), you deserve sympathy and a do-over.  I hope this hasn’t ever happened to any of you and hope it never does.

What are your Walt Disney World rainy day tips? 

Magical Memories – The Magic Store in Downtown Disney

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Magic Masters in Downtown DisneyGone but not forgotten!  The magic store (Magic Masters) in Downtown Disney was, hands down, one of our top must-do’s on every Walt Disney World vacation.  Easy to find along the West Side shopping district, the giant top hat and magic wand on the store’s front were iconic.  When we heard that the store would not be renewing their lease and would leave forever in September, 2011, we were crushed.  Oh, the fun times we’d had in that store!

Designed to look like the library one might find in a magician’s home (Houdini’s to be exact) – complete with fireplace and bookcases, and enchanted tools of the trade, this store was…well…magical.  No matter when we visited, a magician was on hand to demonstrate sleight of hand.  Those magicians were true showmen.  Not only would they flawlessly amaze and astound onlookers with their magic, they were true performers…drawing audience members into their show skillfully and cleverly until Magic Masters in Downtown Disney 3every single person in that tiny, crowded space was breathlessly hanging onto the magician’s every word and gesture.  Then…presto!  The line at the cash register would form…as if by magic!

So many tricks and tools of the trade could be purchased in the confines of that enchanted store!  We never, ever left empty-handed.  The beauty of the whole setup was that you could see a real magician perform a trick flawlessly – then learn the secret!  When you purchased tricks, you received coaching right then and there on exactly how to get it right.  With a little practice at home, friends and family would be genuinely impressed by your skills in prestidigitation.

Magic Masters in Downtown Disney 2After TEN years, Magic Masters in Downtown Disney closed its doors.  Of all the things that have come and gone at Walt Disney World, this one shop, which had meant so much to our family during each of our visits, was one that had a huge impact on us.  We miss it still and will certainly reminisce about the happy times we had there for many years to come.

Do you remember Magic Masters?  What former Walt Disney World store or attraction is the one you miss the most?