Orlando’s souvenir specialty is theme-park specific. Each park has hats, T-shirts, and way more featuring their choice characters. Exit any thrill ride and you’re bound to find versions boasting kudos for ‘surviving’. Or, for a taste of Old Florida, seek out one of the remaining citrus stands and buy a crate of oranges or pink grapefruits grown in a local grove – no need to carry it onto the plane; most will happily ship the citrus for you.
Still, Orlando’s main draw for shoppers is its grand share of national and international chains, both in enclosed retail malls and open-air outlet centers – not to mention yet more in strip malls all over town. These malls often have special deals for international tourists, so be sure to visit the customer-service desk and ask questions.
Saks Off 5th at Orlando Premium Outlet
Scott Audette/VisitFlorida
Malls and shopping centers
Orlando’s most special mall is the Mall at Millenia (4200 Conroy Road), which is anchored by luxury retailers Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, and Macy’s. Its halls are rich with showrooms by renowned designers and upscale jewelers. Among the 150 other stores, though, are appealing chain stores with moderately priced merchandise.
The Florida Mall (8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail) is larger, with 250 specialty shops and department stores including its own Macy’s, plus Dillard’s and value-priced Sears and JCPenney. Its Crayola Experience, Build-a-Bear Workshop, American Girl, and M&M’s World make it appealing to families.
The section of International Drive near the Convention Center continues to grow, and shoppers find ways to max out their credit cards at Pointe Orlando (9101 International Drive) and I-Drive 360, both loaded with shops, boutiques, and restaurants along with tourist attractions. Yet more shelves will be stocked when the SKYPLEX Entertainment Complex debuts in 2019.
ETs waiting for a new home
Song Guanhua/Visit Florida
Outlet stores
Cameras, clothing, luggage, sporting goods, even perfumes – you name it, there’s a discount outlet for it somewhere in Orlando.
For the most appealing way to seek out those bargains, head to one of three open-air outlet malls that between them feature hundreds of stores with name-brand merchandise. Orlando International Premium Outlets (4951 International Drive) includes Neiman Marcus Last Call and Saks Off Fifth, plus couture brands like Ted Baker and St. John. At the southern end of International Drive, Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets (8200 Vineland Avenue) and its outparcels have some of the same big names plus others like Elie Tahari, Lululemon, and Tommy Bahama. The smaller Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores nearby (15657 Apopka Vineland Road) features Eddie Bauer, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap and Oshkosh B’Gosh among its outlets.
Some are true outlets, others ‘company stores’, but all offer discounts of 25–75 percent. Be aware that the merchandise often differs from the fashions at the regular stores. When buying at the outlet centers, particularly electronic equipment, it pays to know your merchandise and prices, and to avoid being talked into buying alternatives.
In addition to the mega outlet malls, strip malls and even freestanding bargain stores line the main tourist drag of Highway 192 and the stretch of I-Drive north of Sand Lake Road.
Zara at Disney Springs
Walt Disney World Resort
Souvenirs
It’s hard to walk away from the theme parks without a memorable character T-shirt or cuddly toy in hand. Every theme park sells wonderfully creative merchandise. In addition, the Disney Springs and CityWalk complexes at Disney World and Universal Orlando respectively are packed with clothing, jewelry, and souvenir stores, both with free admission. Disney Springs’ World of Disney is a treasure chest of take-home goods, and surrounding stores sell specialty items from collectible pins to kitchenware, Disney art and trendy clothing. The Universal Studios Store at CityWalk has similarly themed merchandise playing up that complex’s characters, including Woody Woodpecker and Dr. Seuss’s Thing One and Thing Two – a favorite for siblings. For a bargain, check out Disney’s Character Warehouse at Orlando Premium Outlets and the Theme Park Outlet at Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores.
Boutiques
While the town has few boutiques, the determined visitor seeking unusual goods can find personable boutique stores scattered among the neighborhoods. The Sand Lake Road area between Turkey Lake Road and Apopka-Vineland Road has fun women’s apparel boutiques tucked between the ‘Restaurant Row’ eateries. Winter Park boasts the greatest concentration of independent retailers along Park Avenue, with a few more on Orlando Avenue, especially in Winter Park Village.