The Secrets of Theme Park Merchandise

We’ve all seen them. The families in matching Disney T-shirts, each one proudly proclaiming ‘The So-and-So Family Disney Tour 2020/21/22’.

It’s a not uncommon sight around the theme parks and other main tourist areas of Orlando, matched only by girls in princess outfits, children in Hogwarts School robes and families in themed Halloween costumes (from August to the end of October in the case of the latter).

It is all part of the grand kaleidoscopic imagery of Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, an ever-changing backdrop of colourful clothing and character merchandise, the likes of which you’re unlikely to see anywhere else.

For all those people, that special outfit or souvenir is an essential purchase, something they’ll take home and wear or display periodically to remind themselves of happy holiday memories.

Where to find the best themed apparel in Orlando

OK, so we’ve highlighted your footwear and blogged about how to pack and what to wear in Florida, but the whole issue of character clothing and merchandise is a major subject in its own right!

In most instances, it’s not something you can do in advance, unless you can find a T-shirt shop in Britain that will do some printing for you or you go online to the UK version of shopDisney.

For most people, the Disney and Universal shopping is something that happens once they have arrived and is part of the whole theme park vibe. It’s the fun part of parting with significant amounts of money.

There’s also no shortage of places that will happily set you up in all the right character gear, be it the likes of** Walmart** and Target or the many fancy boutiques of Disney Springs and Universal’s CityWalk.

The secret is to find the best bargains and/or the cheapest way of kitting the family out.

Shopping at a discount in Orlando

In the first instance, it is hard to ignore the whole raft of cheap-and-cheerful gift shops that line long sections of International Drive, Highway 192 in Kissimmee and the small shopping plazas that continue to spring up along the villa territory of Highway 27 in Clermont and Davenport.

These represent the bargain basement of theme park gifts and apparel, where you’ll typically see signs for “5 for $19.99 T’s” and “$3.99 towels.”

You want Mickey and Minnie salt-and-pepper shakers? They’re here. Seven dwarfs shot glasses? Piled high. Walt Disney World T-shirts? By the thousand. There are definitely deals to be had, so don’t rule them out offhand, but be aware the quality isn’t exactly M&S.

The next rung up is the Target official marketing tie-up with Disney, which offers a wide range of branded toys, clothing, accessories and home décor at less-than-theme-park pricing. Most large outlets should feature the in-house Disney Store at Target shopping section, and items there, like T-shirts, can easily be half the price of similar apparel at the Magic Kingdom.

By the same token, the Disney Character Warehouse shops at the two Orlando Premium Outlet centres and the Disney Outlet at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores are an excellent source of heavily discounted fully-branded Disney merchandise. The only catch here is that much of it is overstock (i.e. the least popular) items, or last season’s stuff (i.e. 2021 apparel and other goods).

Cut-price Disney princess outfits

Perhaps the biggest source of savings, though, is in the massively popular area of those eye-catching outfits for little princesses.

Disney has practically reinvented the wheel in this respect, providing a range of costumes and accessories that have become a phenomenon in their own right, along with their cute-as-can-be make-up packages and dresses at the three Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique locations throughout Walt Disney World (at the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian Resort and Disney Springs, as well as on Disney Cruise Line ships).

Here, for increasingly eye-watering prices, young girls can be magically transformed into the likes of Cinderella or Belle from Beauty and the Beast, with hair and make-up to match. The basic prices run from $75-$100, but add in a princess ballgown and suddenly that package hits $200 or more.

However, savvy parents have quickly twigged to the fact *Walmart *have a similar range of children’s apparel, often at a fraction of Disney prices. A typical Cinderella ensemble can be had for $36.99, while a Mulan dress for six to nine-year-olds can be as low as $17.99.

The Disney splurge

When you want to go all out for your character merch, nothing beats the variety on offer at Disney Springs. This is premium shopping territory, hence the choice and quality is genuinely the best in town.

There are fully 18 outlets specialising in the full array of branded gear and accessories, including the humongous World of Disney store, Tren-D, Star Wars Trading Post and the Marketplace Co-op.

You can stock up on Christmas decorations and keepsakes at Disney’s Days of Christmas, pick up art and collectibles at Art of Disney, and keep the kids happy at Once Upon A Toy.

Just remember that some of this merchandise will likely show up in the Character Warehouse shops next year!

Universal Orlando at a discount

When it comes to saving money on your Universal souvenirs and apparel, some of the same criteria for Disney discounts also apply.

Many of the cut-price gift shops will stock a variety of generic Universal items, such as Harry Potter T-shirts, scarves and towels, while Walmart remains your best friend for being able to source a decent range of theme park items like bags, accessories and kids’ pyjamas (Minion-themed, of course).

And here’s a real insider’s tip for shopping in the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks. START by visiting the It’s A Wrap store adjacent to the exit turnstiles at the former and Port Provisions at the latter, and you should find a range of deeply discounted items, anywhere from 30 to 50 per cent off, seasonally.

There are no guarantees for what will be in these bargain-basement racks, but if you give them the once-over before you start splashing out in the full-price shops, you may just come away with a significant saving or two.

Don’t want to go into the parks? Just head for the CityWalk hub instead, where you’ll find the huge new Universal Studios Store (next door to the fab Voodoo Doughnut), a veritable one-shop stop for the full range of Studios stuff – including a whole Wizarding World of Harry Potter section – and the equally recent Universal Legacy Store, boasting vintage souvenirs and collectibles from the parks’ 31-year history, along with a personalisation department.

Last-minute shopping in Orlando

Finally, when you get back to Orlando International Airport for the flight home and realise you still don’t have that must-have Harry Potter souvenir or Mickey plush, it’s good to know you can likely grab what you need at one of the THREE shops for Universal and Disney before going through security.

There is one at each end of the main building (Terminals A and B), while the all-new Terminal C, which officially opens on September 19, will also have its own dedicated theme park merch outlet.

You just have to decide if you can still fit anything into your luggage!

What character merchandise have you bought or do you think is essential? Tell us about it on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.