Half the fun of visiting the Disneyland Resort is shopping. You never know what souvenirs you might find, and the items you end up bringing home have a memory attached to them! But with so many shops and carts (more than 50 in Disneyland alone), souvenir shopping can feel a little bit overwhelming. Here are some of my tips for picking up souvenirs during your trip.
Tip #1 – Land themes dictate merchandise options.
Many of the shops across the resort sell similar, if not the same, general items. But if you’re looking for something a little more targeted, like a cowboy hat or a Haunted Mansion mug, you’ll need to head toward Frontierland or New Orleans Square. It makes sense intuitively, but a lot of guests lose track of where they’re shopping as they move from store to store.
Tip #2 – If you don’t know what you want, start in the Disneyland Emporium or World of Disney.
These two stores have a massive selection of Disney merchandise, including seasonal items, décor, toys, clothing, and expensive artwork and collectibles. As you browse, you might get a better idea of what kind of souvenir you’ll want. Once you have that in mind, you can start looking for more targeted shops, like the Mad Hatter or Frontierland Trading Co.
Tip #3 – You can still shop for an extra hour after park close.
Smaller shops across the park close at the official time or shortly beforehand, but all the shops on Main Street stay open for an hour after the park’s official closing time. If you don’t want to sacrifice any ride time during the day, you can still get your shopping in on your way out of the park. And of course, Downtown Disney stays open later than the parks most days, so you can hop back into Downtown Disney if you’re still in the mood to browse.
Tip #4 – Tweet if you can’t find that one thing you’re looking for.
Did you have a specific item in mind, and just can’t find it? Shoot a tweet or DM to @DisneylandToday. They’re very quick to respond, and will let you know if an item is in stock, and where to find it. Once when I tweeted asking about an item, they proactively followed up a few weeks later to let me know the item was back in stock!
Tip #5 – Don’t give up once you get home.
Didn’t find that special something during your trip? All hope is not lost. ShopDisney’s site has a whole section dedicated to parks merchandise, or you can browse for parks souvenirs on the Shop Disney Parks app.
Stop by the Pioneer Mercantile in Frontierland in Disneyland for essential souvenirs if you cannot find them at the three options listed above. This store always surprises me with what it offers.
These aren’t tips they’re just facts. A tip I would add for Florida visitors is to use your (or a friend’s) WDW annual pass if you don’t have a Disneyland one. They just look at it and you get a good discount. It works I do it all the time.
Sorry, Angie, but this is inaccurate. A few things here:
1. Disneyland and Walt Disney World annual passes look completely different, and each clearly states which resort it’s for. Disneyland does not accept Walt Disney World passes for discounts under any circumstance.
2. Cashiers always swipe your card at the register, so non-current and non-Disneyland cards would not work.
3. Cashiers usually request that pass holders present ID at time of purchase, so you cannot use a friend’s pass for a discount.
Angie, a tip is just a useful fact that you might not have known about… that’s exactly what she’s presenting here. What you’re presenting is a misguided attempt to trick Disney into letting you use a pass from a different park. Not all that useful or honest…