It’s no secret that we are huge Disney fans around here. We love Disney. There is just something about the magic and joy that is a part of Disney World. We aren’t such big fans of the prices on some of the merchandise. It is quality stuff made well but sometimes my bank account just won’t allow me to buy it at theme park prices. That’s why we are big fans of the Orlando Disney Outlets. I wanted to take a few minutes and share a comparison of each store with you.
Orlando Disney Outlets | Comparing Disney Outlet Stores
Tips for Shopping at the Disney outlet stores
1. Have realistic expectations. – You may walk in and get incredible deals on everything you love. You may also walk in and find nothing that will work for you. Be prepared to walk out with nothing and you might just walk out with a great deal.
2. Buy your post cards at the outlet. – Most post cards are hugely discounted compared to what you will pay in the park. This is a great way to scrapbook or send a card to a loved one without breaking the budget and taking away from your dole whip fund.
3. Save money by buying your apparel at the outlets. – Most of the apparel in the parks can get pricey quickly. Instead of spending full price on a shirt or even a Cherry Tree Lane dress, check the outlet first to see if they have something you want for a fraction of the cost.
4. Do some Christmas Shopping – With many of the items at huge discounts, this is a great place to do some Christmas shopping for a fraction of the cost!
5. Don’t forget to look near the registers. – I have gotten pins for 99 cents, autograph books for 2 dollars and so much more by looking at the different merchandise near the registers at each store. Don’t miss a deal on the way out the door!
Your mileage may vary on the deals you can score at each of these stores based on the time of year. We do have a favorite out of the three which you will see in the video I share at the end.
Disney Character Warehouse
This location is Disney owned. This is the location that is closest to Disney World Orlando. You will find a huge selection of park merchandise here. Generally the merchandise will be from last season or from a special event that has ended. We find that this is a great location to find apparel and Disney autograph books.
Best Disney Outlet Near Disney World
This is going to be your closest outlet store in Orlando if you are staying on Disney property. You can drive here in no time or take an uber.
Disney Character Warehouse
This is the second Disney owned warehouse. This one is a bit further away from Disney as it is on I-drive. It is worth the extra distance though. This location seems to be less crowded and in my 
opinion, the deals are much better. For this location, you can find a lot of the toys and fun items that you won’t find at the other location as frequently.
Best Disney Outlet Near Universal Studios Orlando
Are you staying near Universal Studios Orlando? This is going to be your best outlet option. You will definitely want to take a bus or an uber and check this one out. The outlet mall does have a variety of other options for you if you want to do more shopping.
Character Outlet
The first store we visited is the Character Outlet. This is the furthest from Disney World and is not Disney owned. There are some good deals you can find at this location but you will have to look harder. Because it is not Disney owned, some of the merchandise is not officially licensed. This location also sells Universal Merchandise. Make sure to take some time and look at the items to see if they are officially licensed or knock-offs.
What to buy here
The best deals you will find at this location will be on clothing. There were some officially licensed shirts that were reasonable and their vinylmations were decently priced. Some of their prices are inflated. For instance, we have seen the Minecraft plushes on Amazon for as little as $10 for all four while they were charges $7 or more for each one.
If you are going to shop at this location make sure to check the items you are buying to verify that they are licensed Disney merchandise.
Want to see more?
My ten year old has been wanting to work with video and so she took her camera with us on this adventure to share a bit about each location. Most of the video was taken by her and I think she did a brilliant job. I hope this gives you a great overview of what you can expect in each location.
Check out the Outlets in our video:
Looking for more?
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I never knew some of those stores were Disney owned. That is good to know and makes happy that it still Disney official merchandise at some of those stores.