Exploring Disney: Shops of Main Street U.S.A.

When most people think about a trip to Disney World there are two things that immediately come to mind — rides and characters. The longer that you think about it, however, the more other things start to occur to you, and one that starts to gleam all shiny and exciting (if you’re anything like me, at least) is shopping.

Souvenirs are a part of every vacation, but when you’re at Disney it’s not just postcards and cheesy t-shirts, though, full disclosure, you’re going to find plenty of those, too. Shopping at Disney is an adventure in of itself. You could head down to the World for a week and do nothing but visit the stores and still never feel like you’ve run out of things to do. That’s because shopping at Disney isn’t like browsing the shops at a beach or other common vacation destination where you will find essentially the same things in each of the stores that you encounter. While there are some mainstays at the World that you can find in many of the stores but for the most part, each shop you visit is a new experience filled with a vast array of treasures to discover. I may or may not be convinced that Ariel has a new grotto brimming with the amazing things she finds while browsing her Disney World home.

Shopping at the World is much like anything else at Disney. When you get started, you are likely to be in the Magic Kingdom. While my family did our first Disney-ing at Animal Kingdom, we ended the day at Magic Kingdom, and most people head to the original Florida park first. And when they do that, the first thing that draws them in is Main Street U.S.A. So we’re going to explore the shops in this quaint little town first.

Here’s a few things to know while you’re getting on your shopping shoes and figuring out how many corners you have available in your luggage for everything you will discover:

Fancy to the Right. If you are looking down Main Street toward Cinderella Castle (and, honestly, why wouldn’t you be?) you will have shops to both the left and the right of you. There are different shopping experiences to be found on either side, so if you know what you want to seek out, you can choose the direction to go first. If you are looking for elegant clothing such as Castle Couture, elevated jewelry, Starbucks, or luxury home decor, head to the right. This is the same side where you will find the Confectionary, the Plaza, and Plaza Ice Cream Parlor

Emporium to the Left. The left side of Main Street is taken up by the Emporium. This is your destination for all of your “non-fancy” vacation purchase needs. Here you will find the aforementioned t-shirts (both cheesy and fabulous), hats, sunglasses, classic character plush, dolls, dresses, pins…the list goes on. This is where you should head if you are looking for seasonal goodies such as the special Halloween products that start giving me shivers of glee right around August or Magic Kingdom-specific items, as well as the resort-wide products that show up in all the parks. This is also your stop if you want the special products that come out for Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary-Halloween-Party or Mickey’s-Very-Merry-Christmas-Party

Keep on Walking. Want to stay out of the heat or rain (or, heavens, cold) outside? Don’t want to battle people at every door or going down the sidewalk? Want to go in every shop? No worries. Just keep on walking. Seriously. All of the shops on either side of the street are connected. While they have distinct areas and various cash registers, they are like one continuous store that you can just roam through at your leisure. Fabulous

Grab and Go. One of the best parts about having a stroller for all of our trips so far (other than keeping the little one safe and comfortable, of course) was having space to shove our bags while we were walking through the parks. From our backpack to our shopping bags, we could tuck them into the stroller and not have to lug them around or worry about what to do with them when we go on a ride. Now that we are preparing for our first stroller-free trip (you’ll be hearing my thoughts on that when we return) we won’t have that option. Which means that we’ll most likely utilize our next tip — package holding. If you are going to be in the park for more than a couple more hours, you don’t have to carry your bags with you. Instead, ask that the cast member at the cash register have the package sent to the front of the park for you. It will make its way there within a couple hours and you can pick it up on the way out. If you happen to be staying in a Disney resort, you can go one further and have them send it to your resort room. It probably won’t be there until the next day, so don’t do this on your last day

Window Shop. No matter how much you intend on spending in the shops, don’t forget to take your time to do a little window shopping as well. The windows on the fronts of the shops are full of old fashioned charm and more than a little bit of magic. Check out the different displays and watch for surprises like moving characters. These change throughout the year, so visit each time to get a new experience. They are full of ghostly fun in the fall, sparkling with holiday magic in the winter, and bursting with blooms in the spring. While you’re doing this, almost make sure that you glance up. The windows above the shops hold the names of other “businesses” — each of which is named for a special Disney legend.

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Taryn was born and raised, and still lives in Richmond, Virginia. Neither she nor her husband ever had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World when they were children, but when their daughter Avalon came along, they decided she was not going to follow in their footsteps. They brought Avalon for the first time when she was 3 and have been hooked ever since. Now along with Taryn’s mother and equally Disney-loving older brother, they go “home” at least once a year, and by the time she is staring longingly at Cinderella Castle from the ferry on their last night, Taryn is well on her way to planning the next trip. As a group consisting of two adults with Asperger’s, including one who is also vegan, a very accommodating husband, an only child, a senior, and a service dog, they are a pretty special family, but Taryn is excited to show that the World really is The Most Magical Place on Earth and that there is a place there for everyone. When she isn’t thinking about her next Disney adventure and trying to come up with a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party costume that will beat her Oozma Kappa nerd look, she is a professional blogger and novelist, but Taryn also likes to indulge her Disney passion on her Etsy shop It’s Better in Vinyl.

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