Shopping at Hollywood Studios

Author: Budget Diva

You’ve booked your hotel, purchased your theme park tickets, made your dining reservations and you are counting down to your vacation, but don’t forget to save time for shopping at Disney World! Many people do not realize how many amazing and unique shops there are throughout Disney World. I recommend making a list of the different shops you would like to check out. A few of my absolute favorites is the Emporium located on Main Street in Magic Kingdom. I could spend hours in this shop, it is so huge! They have everything from hats, shirts, unique souvenirs  toys, etc. Another of my favorite shops is the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe located in Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom. If you want to avoid the crowds I would recommend shopping during a parade. I always love to bring home goodies for friends and family from Main Street Confectionery. My personal favorite is the Mickey shaped rice crispy treats and the chocolate and vanilla Mickey shaped cookies (less than $2 per box!). Every little pirate needs to stop by the Pirate Leagues boutique to pick up some pirate gear. Children age 3 and up can even become a pirate or mermaid.

Downtown Disney has so many awesome shops that my family almost always spends at least 4 hours here. The World of Disney is the largest Disney store on earth!! Be sure to a lot at least an hour to explore this amazing store! Every Diva has to be sure to visit Basin to pamper yourself. Basin has chemical free products that not only smell amazing but leave your skin incredibly smooth. My personal favorite souvenir to bring home is the fresh cut soap with little Mickey ear’s inside and of course a few bath bombs. Click the link to read the Disney Diva’s review of Basin. Disney’s Days of Christmas is another wonderful Christmas shop that is a must see. We have started a tradition in always picking up an ornament with the year of our Disney vacation on it.

If you have extra time and want to venture to the different resorts you will be in for a treat! There are some really neat and unique shops at many of the resorts. I would recommend heading to the Polynesian Resort (easily accessible by the monorail from Magic Kingdom). The Bou-Tiki merchandise shop is one of my favorite resort shops at Disney World. They have Tommy Bahama tropical clothing, tropical decor and accessories, etc.

Epcot has some amazing and unique shops too! One of my favorite’s is the Tea and Teapots in the China Pavillion. If you love tea this is going to be a real treat! Do you collect tea pots? This is a great place to start. Another great shop in Epcot is the Pick A Pearl in Japan. You can actually choose a pearl for around $15 then you can either pay to have it set into a ring or necklace or you can wait until you get home.

The Budget Diva recommends setting aside money for shopping for souvenirs at least 6 months in advance to be sure you have plenty of spending money! Create a fun “Disney piggy bank” with your children’s help and each week encourage children to put their money (from allowances, birthdays, etc.) in the jar/bank. Parents can put money aside as well each month into a separate ‘fun money’ savings account.

To read more from the Budget Diva check out her blog http://disneyworldonabudget.blogspot.com/