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AA Mom And Kids Mickey Ice Cream Bar; DinoLand U.S.A.; animal kingdom
  • On May 31, 2010
    Stacey from NB Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    Hi, you seem to be the go-to-guy for planning,really loving planning my trip,love to shop,is it worth planning theme park shops into those days/should I just confine shopping to DTD?If suggesting theme park shopping,which shops are worth planning in?Thanks

    Thanks for the compliment Stacey, but ALL the moms and dads on this panel are really the "go to" folks for Disney planning!!!

    I also love planning and preparing for my trips -- almost (but not quite) as much as being at WDW. 

    Regarding shopping, I try to plan this as a "filler" activity. I'm more likely to go to Downtown Disney (DTD) on days when we aren't planning to go to the parks. Often that's arrival day, or departure day, or on a break day.  DTD's World of Disney has the widest selection of park merchandise, but Mouse Gear in Epcot and the Emporium on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom also have huge selections.

    Planning tip: Mornings tend to be less crowded at DTD than evenings. Also, Fri. and Sat. tend to be busier -- filled with people shopping at the end of the vacation and locals.

    For shopping while in the parks, I prefer to also do this during "filler" time -- typically mid-day when the lines are longer and it's hot.

    The shops I mention above tend to have a majority of the items sold in most park shops, but if you ever find something ANYWHERE which you just HAVE to get, by all means buy it (don't forget you can have it sent by the shop to your resort's gift shop, or for later pickup near the park entrance).  Regretting a non-purchase is no fun.

    There still ARE some unique items at each of the parks, that you might not find at the general Disney stores. For example there are animal-themed items in Animal Kingdom, Figment items in Epcot, Star Wars items and Movie Memorabilia (Sid Cahuenga's is GREAT) in Hollywood Studios.  There are also many other specialty stores in DTD worth checking out during your "filler" time!

    Hope this helps!
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Meet the Panelist: Bret,

As one of the dads on the panel, I have fun helping all Walt Disney World planners who want a dad’s perspective. Learn More About Bret

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