16 Stores You’ve Never Shopped in at Walt Disney World

Ever managed to go through an entire Walt Disney World trip without walking through at least one gift shop? Yeah, we didn’t think so.

Unless you avoid ALL of the attractions that literally force you to exit through a gift shop, and really put on those merchandise blinders, some of Disney’s shops are tough to avoid. But what about those shops you’ve totally missed? The ones that are a bit more tucked out of the way? Or the ones with super unique merchandise that you may have just strolled through without stopping to actually look?

Today we’re breaking down our list of 16 spots you’ve never shopped in at Walt Disney World (but you totally should)!

Magic Kingdom

1. Crystal Arts — Main Street, U.S.A.

We’ll start our tour right on Main Street, U.S.A., in Magic Kingdom. You may be thinking, “I’ve stopped at ALL of those stores on the way in AND out of Magic Kingdom!” And you may have done quite a bit of shopping in the Emporium or the Main Street Bakery. But what about Crystal Arts?

This shop is full of all kinds of decor for your home plus jewelry and accessories that sparkle and shine and unique, hand-blown glass creations. If you head all the way to the back, you can watch an artist actually blowing glass right before your eyes!

While some of the pricer items may be out of your budget, there are items here that aren’t as expensive as you might expect. If you’re looking for a unique souvenir or gift for someone (or yourself), this is a fantastic spot to look.

Click here to see some Magic Kingdom details you’ve never noticed!

2. Memento Mori — Liberty Square

Preparing for a swinging wake? Getting ready to meet up with your best friends, the happy haunts? Memento Mori is the place you want to shop.

This small shop is located right next to The Haunted Mansion. If you’re zooming out of the Mansion on your way to your next ride, though, you just might miss it. Believe us when we say you’ll be dying to see all the goodies this spot has inside.

Aside from the ghosts in jars, wall art, and creepy statues, Memento Mori is reportedly the former abode of Madame Leota herself. You might even see her image appear or hear her humming a tune, if you’re lucky…or unlucky perhaps.

Love the Haunted Mansion? Click here to see the gargoyle statue we found there!

EPCOT

3. Mitsukoshi Department Store — Japan Pavilion

If you’re looking to find some of the most unique merchandise in all of Disney World, you’ll want to head to Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan pavilion. Prepare to feel totally overwhelmed (in a great way) as soon as you enter. From Hello Kitty and Mario to Pokemon toys, beauty items, and kimonos, this store is FULL of items you really won’t find anywhere else on property.

The back portion of the store is also full of Japanese treats you may never have seen in your entire life. We’re talking dried crabs, ocean salt KitKats, Pocky sticks (which have become very popular), and much more.

Whether you’re looking for an adventurous snack or just one that’s chocolatey and delicious, you’ll have lots of options to pick from. Even if you’ve been in this store lots of times, it’s worth going back to again and again to see what’s new and really take the time to explore all of their unique merchandise.

Click here to see the five most BIZZARE Disney World snacks (spoiler alert: dried crab is on that list).

4. Plume et Palette & La Signature — France Pavilion

Maybe you’ve stopped by the France pavilion many times in Disney World. You may be VERY familiar with the treats over at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie and the merchandise at the store attached to it. But how much time have you spent on the other side of the pavilion and the smaller stores there?

Plume et Palette is on the right hand side of the pavilion and carries designer French bags and fragrances from Dior, Kenzo, Givenchy, and more. Walk inside of this spot and you’ll totally forget you’re in a theme park. It feels more like you’re at an upscale store with the very best there is to offer in French bags and perfumes.

You’ll find even more of an upscale look at La Signature. In this spot you’ll be able to check out about 70(!) different French cosmetics and fragrances from Guerlain. This is one of those shops where you sort-of reflexively put your hands behind your back after being taught as a kid to not break anything expensive!

Both of these stores are ones that you may have totally walked past, but take the time to step inside, and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a different world. You might also find your next favorite fragrance!

Click here to see more about when these stores reopened!

5. Plaza de los Amigos — Mexico Pavilion

Another unique spot in EPCOT is the Plaza de los Amigos on the inside of the Mexico pavilion. This is an open-air market that’s…not in the open air. But spend an hour in here and you might totally lose your sense of time.

This “open-air” market has a bunch of little stalls where you can get shirts, sombreros, decor, accessories, and more. You may have walked through it quickly to get to and from Gran Fiesta Tour, but if you’ve never taken the time to really walk around and check out the items they have available, you totally should.

Click here to see the latest update in the Gran Fiesta Tour animatronics saga.

6. House of Good Fortune — China Pavilion

The China pavilion is another that people can sometimes walk past or walk a little bit into, without really realizing how much there is to explore the further you go. If you really want to go on a unique adventure, head to the store near the back of the pavilion — House of Good Fortune.

Here you’ll find SO many unique items from plush to clothing.

And, of course, no pavilion is complete without its own set of unique snacks! You might just find yourself buying one (or twelve). I mean, how do you not try snacks with a smiling shark on them that are called Kraken, right?

Again, some of the snack options and other merchandise here can change over time, so even if you’ve been before, you’ll want to keep coming back.

Click here to see photos from when this shop reopened!

7. La Gemma Elegante — Italy Pavilion

While you wait for the new gelato stand to open in the Italy pavilion, why not check out what they have to offer in terms of cool merchandise? Tucked away on the left side of the pavilion is tiny spot called La Gemma Elegante that displays dramatic Venetian masks.

Admit it, you didn’t come to EPCOT thinking you’d walk away with a beautiful venetian mask, but now that you’ve seen them, they’re pretty hard to pass up! Not finding a painted mask that fits what you’re looking for? You can actually paint your own starting at $30.

That could be such an awesome date night activity or custom souvenir to bring back to a friend. This shop is pretty small and hidden, but be sure to look for it the next time you’re in EPCOT.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

8. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Okay, maybe you’ve been to some of the shops in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but have you been to ALL of them?! There are a LOT of nooks and crannies in Galaxy’s Edge, and you may not have really explored all of them.

You can build your own droid in Droid Depot, and make your own lightsaber in Savi’s Workshop (both of which are more experiences than shops, but still). Or you could stock up on all your collectibles at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, get a fuzzy friend at the Creature Stall, and more.

And even if you HAVE visited all of the shops in Galaxy’s Edge, have you noticed all of the easter eggs and hidden details scattered in them? Truly, the shops here are out of this world (get it?!).

Click here to see things you’ll still enjoy in Galaxy’s Edge even if you’re not a Star Wars fan!

9. Tatooine Traders

With the popularity of Galaxy’s Edge, Tatooine Traders can often get forgotten. This is the store at the exit of Star Tours — The Adventures Continue. Here, you can still get some cool Star Wars action figures, clothes, LEGO kits, books, and more while still enjoying some fun Star Wars theming.

Sure, it doesn’t have all the glitter and shine of Galaxy’s Edge, but it can still be a cool place to stop.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

10. Serka Zong Bazaar — Asia

As you exit Expedition Everest, you walk through Serka Zong Bazaar. So often you’re in a rush to get to the next ride or snack that you don’t stop to take a look around this shop.

This shop has some great theming throughout, and you might even find some really different items here, too.

In the past, we’ve even found a whole llama collection here — complete with a water-spitting llama hat! We can just imagine it now. Friend: “What did you buy at Disney World, a shirt?” You: “No, I bought a llama hat that spits water.” No regrets. 😂

11. Windtraders — Pandora The World of Avatar

Windtraders is another one that you may have passed by or walked through since it is at the exit of Avatar Flight of Passage.

First, we have to address the banshee in the room (literally). At Windtraders you can adopt a banshee from the rookery and then carry them around on your shoulder all day. It’s the perfect pet for little ones who want all the fun but 0% of the responsibility of an animal.

Aside from the banshees, there are all kinds of other cool merchandise here, including lots of items that glow. OooOo bioluminescence!!

There are even snacks, masks, and more!

Click here to see some of the painting that’s been going on in Pandora.

Disney Springs

12. Uniqlo

In Disney Springs, there are quite a few stores that you probably already know from your local mall, but one of the more unique stores in the Springs is Uniqlo. Uniqlo is a Japanese store, and it’s got ALL the apparel essentials you could need, from shirts that will keep you warm to others that will keep you cool to entire collections themed to Mickey Mouse and his dreams?!

There are two floors to this store, and it actually carries a lot more than you might think. We’re talking underwear, socks, pants, full-on winter jackets — the works! And (like we mentioned) we have found many a cool Disney collection here in the past. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

13. Marketplace Co-Op

Marketplace Co-Op is a spot where the whole family can shop.

Inside, you’ll find shopping areas with items from Bowes Signature Candles, The Dress Shop, D-Tech on Demand (where you can make custom phone cases and more), Disney Tails (for your furry friends), WonderGround Gallery (with all kinds of cool artwork), and more.

From unique dresses to items you simply MUST have in your kitchen, there is so much to see here.

14. The Art of Disney

With so many stores to visit, sometimes The Art of Disney can get forgotten. This store is located in the Marketplace side of Disney Springs and sells all kinds of art and collectibles inspired by classic Disney films, theme parks, and characters. Whether you’re looking for framed prints or just a souvenir postcard, this spot has it.

Disney artists also often appear here during special events to meet guests and sign their pieces. Be sure to see what’s going on there during your trip. You might just get to meet the creator behind some of your favorite works.

And you might find that perfect piece of art to add to your collection.

Disney World Hotels

15. BouTiki — Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Some Disney’s hotels have cool stores with merchandise you really can’t find anywhere else. That’s certainly true when it comes to BouTiki at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. We’ll start by saying that the theming in this store is really fun. Take a look at the sign, for example. You can see that the store should have been named Boutique but the tikis have taken over and covered it up with a sign on their own.

BouTiki is on the first floor of the hotel, and while it does carry some of your regular hats and shirts, it’s also got really unique items. This store is essentially the only spot in all of Walt Disney World where you’ll find items for Duffy and friends, especially Olu Mel.

If you’re a fan of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, this is also the spot you’ll want to visit. We’ve seen many Trader Sam’s items here including a purse and nautilus tiki bowl set.

Those Trader Sam’s items can FLY off the shelves though. If you want to snag some of them, you’ll want to be on the lookout for updates from us about the new items available there, or stop by the store often.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. If you’re a big fan of cookies, there are some snacks sold here that you’ll want to try. They’re certainly not as extravagant as Gideon’s Bakehouse, but the shortbread cookies from Honolulu Cookies have developed their own cult following.

If you’ve never stayed at the Polynesian or visited the resort, it’s time you made a reservation for Kona Cafe or picked up an order from Capt. Cook’s just to give you an reason to check out the fun items inside of BouTiki.

16. Zawadi Marketplace — Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Again, if you’ve never stayed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or eaten there, you might not have had a reason to visit Zawadi Marketplace. But this is a unique shop inside the hotel that’s worth a visit.

Inside the store, you’ll find some of those regular Disney items, but you’ll also get the chance to see and buy African art and African-inspired clothing. 

It’s not a tremendously large store, but it’s really great to see those unique items being sold there.

And that’s our list for some of the stores in Disney World that you may have never explored, but you totally should visit next time you’re in the parks. We’ll keep our eyes out for more awesome stores, hidden spots, and more and bring you ALL the updates!

How many of these spots have you shopped? Tell us in the comments.

Comments (1)