Hi Helen,
What a great question; It combines some of my most loved indulgences, Walt Disney World Resort and shopping! Downtown Disney is my favourite place to shop, I could spend days wandering through the shops and enjoying the fabulous restaurants.
From my experience, if you are browsing the
Disney Store website, the merchandise found at Downtown Disney is generally what can be found under the Disney Parks Product tab at the top of the page. When you are looking through the other categories, merchandise identified as Disney Parks Authentic on the bottom can usually be found at the Theme Parks or Downtown Disney. I have also found many of the same toys, accessories, DVD's and CD's without the Disney Parks Authentic label at Walt Disney World Resort. However, if the clothing is not labeled Disney Parks Authentic, from what I have seen, it is not sold at Walt Disney World Resort.
You will not be disappointed with the selection at Downtown Disney or any of the Theme Parks. In addition to what you can find on the website, there is so much more in the stores that cannot be found online!
I hope this helps Helen. If you have any other questions, please let me know. I would love to make your vacation even more magical.
Happy shopping!
Stephanie