Hi Maryanne, welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. In most of the resorts you will find pretty standard merchandise like pins, toys, clothes and snacks. There are a couple of places that I thought of immediately when you mentioned "off the beaten path".
Zawadi Marketplace at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has some really cool African art and decor. The art is imported and there are interesting paintings and sculptures by local artists. You can also find some unique African toys here.
These next suggestions are not found in the resorts, but in the parks. The Rainforest Cafe gift shop at Disney's Animal Kingdom has some really cool Earth and Rainforest inspired souvenirs. I know that it sounds like a strange place to find off the beaten path souvenirs, but I purchased my favorite lamp here on my last vacation. It is a turquoise geode light fixture and I absolutely love it. I have never seen anything like it anywhere else. I even tried looking online for more like it to no avail.
You can also find some amazing merchandise around the World Showcase at Epcot. One of my favorites is the
Plaza de los Amigos in the Mexico Pavilion. I have purchased authentic Mexican ceramics from here and a really nice hand made coin purse. There are shops all over the World Showcase and you can find really cool merchandise unique to each country.
I hope this helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to stop by. Have a magical Walt Disney World vacation, and happy shopping.