Welcome to the latest edition of The Magic, The Memories, and Merch!, the longest running monthly look at the Disney Outlet Stores in Orlando.  With Ben Wszalek covering Vineland and myself at I-Drive (addresses are at the end of every report) we had one of the CRAZIEST months in the history of the Outlet Report. Remember last month when we covered a near fight in the Outlets over discounted items being held? Well, changes in Outlet Store operation have been made. And more changes on top of that. AND MORE CHANGES ON TOP OF EVEN THAT. We’ll get to all that in good time though. Of course Christela McC is also here with a look at some Outlet items from out in California.

Enough jibber jabber! Ready to see what we we found? Alright, let’s go!

Okay, now for those of you who read our sister blog series – the award winning SATURDAY SIX – you saw last week that we wrote about the Banshee puppets from Pandora: The World of Avatar that have been appearing at the Outlets for just $9.99. Is this because the once popular Banshee “fad” is over? Has Disney decided to get rid of all the old stock now that they completely own Fox (the original owners of the Avatar intellectual property)?  Who knows for sure, but one thing that is certain – due to several factors including the Banshees – the Orlando Disney Outlets have been next level bonkers. So much so that the stores have started up a queuing process and are stopping guests from entering once the store hits “capacity.” Here is a sign at the Vineland Outlets alerting shoppers to the change.

Here is a picture of the switchback queue set up at the Disney Outlets at Vineland.

So this is what you will see when trying to the “rope drop” the Outlets in the morning. I’ve been covering the outlets for over six years now, and this is the first I have seen of anything like this.

Here is a POV shot from being in this insane line.

So that’s ONE dramatic change that happened within the last month. The next change may be directly related to the story we wrote about in last month’s Outlet Report. For the popular Dooney & Bourke handbags there is now a purchase limit of ONE and they can’t be “held” behind the counter for you. The reason for the “hold” rule is that guests would come into the Outlets, grab 10 (or more) of whatever item and have the Cast Members hold it aside for them at the front of the store. The guest would then move on to their next item, giving everyone else no opportunity.

Important to remember that the eBay pirates work in packs, like velociraptors in Jurassic Park, so they will find a workaround over any speed bump Disney tries to put in front of them, but this should help the average Outlet shopper have a better chance at getting one of these highly coveted bags.

Speaking of Dooney & Bourke, here is an example of one of the bags that is causing all the fuss. This Dooney & Bourke DVC themed bag was originally $248, and was reduced to $124.99. You’ll also noticed this bag is one of the rare items in the store which Disney has a theft deterrent device attached to.

Loungefly bags have been very popular with the Disney fan community. This Alice in Wonderland teacups themed bag was reduced to $37.99.

The Loungefly bags also had a strict limit of 1 per person. This is a stark contrast to the usual limit for eBay pirates of “as many as you can fit into your storage bins and bring to the front counter.”

I apologize to you, Dear Reader, because I know many reading this enjoy seeing updates on Dooney & Bourke and other types of bags, but they are one of the types of items I have almost no interest in. I will do my best to stay on top of any bags I see in the future though. This is my version of that scene in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure where he runs into a burning pet store to save all the animals. He keeps passing by the snakes, refusing to save them, but at the last minute has a change of heart. Disney bags are my snakes, and I will save them.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s quite clear that Derek has completely lost his mind at this point, but keep in mind he does have a Hurricane bearing straight down on him.)

Speaking of cute bags, here is one featuring Timothy J Mouse. Originally $65, now $29.99.

There was a metric TON of these “creepy af” (hey, it’s what the kids use today)  dolls of Mickey and Minnie Mouse for Mickey’s 90th Anniversary. The sign says they are “collectible” but anyone who collects stuff like this should be put on some sort of list. The original price of this set was somewhere between $50-$90 and has been reduced to $9.99.

You can see that the back of the box shows a picture of Walt himself surrounded by these dolls.

We must always remember that dolls like this and the nightmare fuel chairs at Disney’s Boardwalk were what seemed “cute” to our grandparents. That’s why they had no problem being The Greatest Generation and fought on the front lines in unspeakable wars while we are asking to speak to the manager if McDonalds forget we asked for “no onions.”

Not creepy and actually kind of awesome is this Kermit the frog pillow. Originally $26.95, now $12.99.

Whole bunch of princess-themed pillows arrived too. These were all reduced to $12.99.

Each pillow had the face of a princess on the front…

And their signature on the back.

These princess-themed coffee cups had a huge drop down in price. Both the Tangled cup on the left and Snow White cup on the right were originally $24.99, now marked down to just $2.99. To be fair, they are pretty horrendous and how the heck can ANYONE drink out of that Snow White one? Look how big the lip of the cup is. You’d need a straw to drink anything and STRAWS ARE BANNED.

Because the Vineland Disney Outlets is so much larger than the location on International Drive, there are times when the store is just loaded to the gills with a specific item. This month one of those items was this Tangled stationary set. Originally $27.99, now $12.99. Everywhere you looked across the store you would see these sets.

How cool is this, a snow globe featuring the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea! It also lit up via an on/off switch at the bottom. Original price $39.99, now $12.99.

There have been a lot of great movies this year, including the incredible action of John Wick 3, the satisfying conclusion to a 10 year arc featuring over 20 movies with Avengers: Endgame, and the nobody-was-asking-for-this-but-it-was-actually-good Toy Story 4. The biggest surprise of the year so far was the live action remake of Aladdin. I went in to the theaters expecting this to be beyond horrible, especially after Dumbo, and turns out it was really good. You’ll never top Robin Williams, but Will Smith brought his “it factor” and did a great Genie. The two leads had solid chemistry, and the special effects were terrific. I was finally ready to accept Disney live action remakes again, but unfortunately it was followed by the “why, Why, WHY did they make this” Lion King remake and then Disney announced the live action 101 Dalmations prequel Cruella coming to Disney+. So I’m back OFF the live action bandwagon.

So anyway, this Will Smith genie toy was originally $24.99, now $14.99.

Last month I wrote about the hard time my girlfriend and I had trying to find an Aladdin-like lamp for our house. Everything we found at Walt Disney World was either a cheap toy or some weird thing used to burn incense. Well, this 9 piece tea seat is exactly the type of item we didn’t want and it’s now at the Outlets. Originally $24.99, now $14.99.

Call me crazy but I kinda want one of these Goose plush from Captain Marvel. Reduced to $14.99.

Plenty were available.

Staying on Marvel characters, this Iron Man “light up bubble gauntlet” seemed a bit bizarre but was reduced to the price of $2.99. I was going to pick one up for our superhero crazy kiddos, but the store was just complete chaos and I had to get out of there. Not long before I got to the Outlets they had put out a case of Banshee puppets and the pirates were putting them on eBay literally right outside the store. CHECK PLEASE.

Both Outlet locations also had a lot of Cinderella themed bubble wands, also reduced to $2.99.

Speaking of wands, remember the “Made With Magic” junk Disney thought everyone was gonna buy? Instead they sat on the merchandise kiosks like 3D TVs sat unsold at Best Buy. Sometimes the consumer base just doesn’t want something. These wands, which allegedly would turn different colors when interacting with things at the Disney parks, were reduced to $9.99. I say allegedly because I literally have never seen a person buy one to see it in action.

Speaking of wands that didn’t sell, here is the one made for the Rivers of Light show at Animal Kingdom. They actually made a lot of really cool merchandise in support of this awful show, including a CD soundtrack you could buy. Reminds me of that scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier when Robert Redford’s character is seeing his grand plan go up in smoke as the Helicarriers were shooting each other down and he grumbled, “What a waste…”

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has finally opened in Florida! To celebrate let’s look at some Star Wars items, including this Millennium Falcon. It’s based off the version from Solo: A Star Wars Story so has that piece from the front of the Falcon which was a neat surprise in the film. It has been reduced to $12.99 and for reasons unknown to anyone had a purchase limited of two per person. Who would even WANT two of these.

Last month we saw the Disney Toybox version of the Millennium Falcon, and this month we got the Luke Skywalker figure. Originally $14.99, now $7.99.

I was THIS CLOSE to buying this droid set. I mean how great is that droid serving drinks?!  Originally $29.99, now $14.99.

 

This Star Wars shirt features Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader having a lightsaber battle. The large number “77” dominates the shirt. If you go to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you will see references to the number “77” along with “80” and “83.” These are the years in which the original trilogy of films came out. A New Hope in 1977, The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, and Return of the Jedi in 1983. The only film in which Luke and Vader DIDN’T have a lightsaber battle was of course the movie from ’77. You couldn’t make up stuff like this if you tried.

Originally $34.99, now $9.99.

Here’s a shirt featuring a lightsaber battle that actually DID take place in “77” and it features Vader fighting Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Originally $39.99, now$12.99.

LOVE these DuckTales plush! Straight up E-Ticket. Each was originally $19.99, now $7.99.

Outlets still trying to unload the creepy Avatar monkey plush. Originally $16.99, now $7.99.

Is this plush NUTS or what? A Mickey Mouse themed caramel apple with a face on it. Originally $14.99, now $4.99. This is the type of item you see in the back of a car with like 40 other plush around it and 15 different Disney AP magnets.

Safari Duffy plush was originally $24.99, now $9.99.

This plush set featured a Valentine’s Day version of Duffy and Shellie Mae. Originally $29.99, now $12.99.

Can’t make fun of this Duffy Blanket because I bought one when they were at the Outlets a couple years ago.

Don’t see much Wreck It Ralph items at the Outlets. This plush was originally $27.99, now $14.99.

I can not BELIEVE how much ridiculous Edna Mode items Disney made for Incredibles 2. It’s MIND BOGGLING. Even crazier, this particular doll was originally $49.99! WHO IS BUYING A $50 EDNA MODE DOLL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reduced to $4.99.

Peter Pan-themed pin set. Originally $29.99, now the oddly price of $4.49.

I said last month I would buy one of the note pad sets that are absolutely bananas and see what is going on with them. I found the perfect set too with this one featuring designs based around Mickey Ears. I want to see what kind of note you can write on a pad that is about the size of a nickel. I had this in my basket, but this was the day I just had to leave the store because it was too crazy even for me (and imagine what that is saying). Originally $9.99, now $3.99.

Okay, we need a break from Florida shopping and time to join Christela Mc as she takes us to a Disney Outlet Store in CALIFORNIA.

First up is this Disney Wishables blind bag featuring the Finding Nemo Submarine attraction out in Disneyland. Have to say, I think I’d buy a couple of these trying to get the Submarine one. Reduced to $2.99.

Pretty cool looking but seemingly wildly impractical bag based around it’s a small world. Originally $65, now $28.99.

Dumbo-themed bag. Also originally $65, now $28.99. I’ve said it before, but carrying this type of bag around on Disney property would be pretty neat. Carrying it around while you’re shopping at Shaws Supermarket in New Hampshire or at Kroegers in Illinois? I think you’d look like a lunatic.

Minnie Mouse themed backpack. Originally $29.99, now $12.99.

 

Okay, this is one for the all time books.This is a Minnie Mouse-themed pair of sneakers with a large puff ball on each shoe. How could you possibly wear this in the real world and not look like a (literal) clown to someone who isn’t three inches from you and can see the small Minnie Mouse references? Originally $39.99, now $10.99.

Here is a side view of the shoe.

Get a load of this. “Cupcake socks.” This is a bit like origami as the socks have been folded up to look like the frosting on top of cupcakes. Can you believe I just wrote that sentence? Originally $16.99, now $4.99.

 

Mickey Ears featuring Eve and Wall-E. Originally $19.99, now $5.99.

Haunted Mansion fans have been over served in a big way this year with a ton of cool items. The amount of plush made from the attraction is just crazy. This set features Mr. Gracey and a Knight plush. These are some pretty deep dives when it comes to Disney plush. It’s one thing to have the Hitchhiking Ghosts, but the Knight?!  It makes me wish I was a bigger fan of Haunted Mansion because we probably won’t see a plush set with such a wide variety of characters in another attraction for a long time. Originally $59.99, now $23.99.

Big thanks to Christela for some great work, but now it’s time to head back to FLORIDA!

We’re going to start off with clothing, and first up is this dress based on its a small world. Originally $108, now $24.99.

Walt Disney World spirit jerseys. Not sure of the price, but there was something interesting about them…

For whatever reason, there was a limit of two per guest. I guess spirit jerseys are a hot item in the resale world.

Purple WDW shirt that is just awful. Originally $34.99, now $12.99.

This purple shirt featuring the dog from Coco was much better. Originally $24.99, now $7.99

Haunted Mansion-themed shirt. Originally $34.99, $9.99. I need to make a parody shirt featuring a Dooney & Bourke bag on the front with the tagline “an eBay pirate will follow you home…”

Wow, another rare item this month in the form of a Fantasmic! shirt. Originally $29.99, now $9.99.

Animal Kingdom shirt featuring the logo from The Festival of the Lion King. Originally $34.99, now $9.99.

Another Lion King shirt featuring Pumba, Timon, and Simba. Originally $24.99, now $9.99.

Speaking of Hakuna Matata, what is the point of this note pad set made in the theme of a t-shirt? It’s a magnet so you can put it on your fridge, but why THAT SHIRT? Some things I don’t think I will ever, EVER understand. Originally $9.99, now $1.99.

Not a big fan of this Pirates of the Caribbean themed shirt. Originally $34.99, now $9.99.

This “Real Men Wear Mickey Ears” shirt was originally $34.99. Can you guess what it was reduced to?

Still not worth it.

Okay, now this Peter Pan themed shirt isn’t that bad at all. Originally $34.99, now $9.99.

Also a fan of the play on words used in this shirt featuring Gaston. Originally $34.99, now $9.99.

Rare Pocahontas tank top on the left (originally $34.99, now $12.99) and Little Mermaid shirt on the right (originally $44.99, now $12.99). Now this is a judgement free zone (not really–in fact there is often an inordinate amount of judging here), but why would that t-shirt be originally $45? Maybe some people just have too much money?

Hoodie featuring Jasmine from Aladdin. Originally $54.99, now $24.99.

LOVE that Sailor Mickey design on the Disney Cruise Line tank top. (With hood? Whaaaaat?)  Originally $32.99, now $9.99. Didn’t get the price on the DCL long sleeved shirt with hood on the right, but it was clearly made for Floridians like Captain Cruiseline who feel the need to bundle up any time the weather in Orlando goes below 82 degrees.

Two Stitch t-shirts. Each one completely hideous. The one which looks like a blueprint of a thousand Stitch was originally $39.99, now $12.99. The other was originally $39.99, now $9.99. What is up with those black bars on that one?! I’m guessing that maybe the shirt is supposed to represent Stitch jumping out of a frame of film from a movie? Maybe? But why would there be multiple versions? NOTHING MAKES SENSE.

Unfortunately I’m in a Disney Outlets state of mind. Originally $34.99, now $7.99.

I feel like this kid’s shirt featuring the Na’vi River Journey has been at the Outlets ever since Pandora: The World of Avatar had its grand opening. Originally $19.99, now $9.99.

Me likey this kid’s shirt featuring “the Mountains are calling.” Although now that I think about it, the shirt would probably only fit kids who wouldn’t be tall enough to ride any attraction on the shirt. Hopefully the back doesn’t say “They called, but unfortunately you’re too short to answer. Too bad, so sad.” Originally $24.99, now $9.99.

Inside Out shirt. I’m thinking we can all guess what mood Your Friendly Neighborhood Blogger is generally in after going to the Disney Outlets. Originally $24.99, now $9.99.

Kids long-sleeved shirt based around the Mickey Mouse Club. Originally  $34.99, now $9.99.

Anyone need a poncho? You never know what you’ll find at the Outlets.

Get a load of this. The very same Wall-E themed Mickey Ears that were in the California Outlets for just $5.99 were $7.99 here! BE FAIR TO FLORIDA!!!!!!

Minnie Mouse headband, probably for the 4th of July. (EDITOR’S NOTE: Derek’s Grandparents would have known that this headband was actually referencing Minnie’s “OG” blue skirt outfit.)

Liked this hat featuring Spike the bee from this past year’s Flower and Garden Festival. Originally $27.99, now $8.99.

Okay next we have the rarest of all birds. The time that Disney IS Fair To Florida. Turns out there’s a catch though. Remember those cupcake socks we saw at the California Outlets that were reduced to $4.99 a pair? Well we had them in Florida for $3.99 a pair!

But that may because we had literally a MILLION of them.

Okay, is this a Dapper Day umbrella like the tag, or a Dapper Dan umbrella like the sign? I’d actually buy a Dapper Dan umbrella.

Unfortunately it was a Dapper Day umbrella.

No idea what is up with these “King of String” things but they seem absolutely insane. Reduced to $7.99.

Ever wanted a Beach Towel in the shape of a DOLE WHIP?

Speaking of Dole Whips, here is a string light set featuring Dole Whips, Mickey Pretzels, a Premium Mickey Bar and a Mickey caramel apple. I can only assume serial killers use these to light the basements they keep the bodies in. Originally $29.99, now $19.99.

We still haven’t figured out who is buying Christmas-themed cheeseboards at WDW for the original price of $30. These have been reduced to $7.99.

Precious Moments figurine featuring Belle. OK, STORY TIME. Here’s a little behind-the-scenes “magic” of what type of work that goes into each Outlet Report. All three of us take at least two photos of every item you see here. One picture of the item, one picture of the price. I say “at least” because sometimes we take even more. Like for this Belle figurine Ben took a picture of the front of the box as well, but the box just was a picture of this figurine so I didn’t put it in. THEN, I take all the pictures and “name” them  (usually “item_original price_reduced price”) and resize them. Then I upload them all to WordPress. Then, with all these photos I try to draft an Outlet Story, putting common items together so the article flows better and is not just a collection of random items.  All of this takes approximately FOREVER and is not even including the time going to the Outlets and taking the pictures.

What does that have to do with anything? In a word: nothing. But when I’m taking a photo that has been uploaded to WordPress and put it into the Outlet Report I have to also copy-and-past the item description. For this picture of Belle I accidentally had the description of “cheeseboard_2999_799” and didn’t feel like going back through all the pictures again to find the right price, and instead spent three times as long writing out this description of the Outlet Report PROCESS.

 

Okay, Xanax taken and we’re onto this Cinderella plate. Originally $19.99, now $7.99.

Smaller Cindy-themed plate was originally $16.99, now $6.99.

See, I was about to end the Outlet Report on a perfectly fine note and then Disney goes and drops an item like this on me. This “executive pen” was originally $32.99, reduced to $6.99. You could have told me this pen was originally $6.99 and reduced to 99 cents and I still would have said “nah.” But NAY NAY, this pen was originally $33.

And it also comes with directions on “gifting.” Is this some pen ritual I’m not aware of?

Okay we’re done….wait, what’s this?

 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH(?)

There are actually two Disney outlet stores in Orlando. Both are in Orlando Premium Outlet shopping complexes, and they are called Disney’s Character Warehouse, presumably because The Land Of Misfit Toys was already trademarked. There is one Character Warehouse located on International Drive close to Universal Studios (4951 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819), and the other is on Vineland Avenue, right across I-4 near the exits to Disney World (8200 Vineland Ave, Orlando, FL 32821). They do not ship. There are items at the Outlets that you can buy both in Disney stores along with the Shop Disney Parks app, but you will be paying full retail for the items. For our CALIFORNIA OUTLET trips, @ChristelaMcC goes to the Las Americas outlet in San Diego. It is located right off the last U.S. exit.

I often get asked “which store is better?” That depends. Vineland is close to Walt Disney World, while the I-Drive location is a hop, skip, and jump away from the Universal Orlando Resort. The Vineland Disney Outlet Store is much, MUCH bigger than the I-Drive location. However, the Vineland outlets in general are much, MUCH busier than I-Drive. Each have their pros and cons, and ultimately they carry much of the same items. For a Disney Outlet Store FAQ, check out this SATURDAY SIX Presents: Everything You Wanted To Know About The Disney Outlet Stores (But Were Afraid To Ask)

Previous editions of Magic, Memories, and Merch: July 2013, August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, April 2014, May 2014, June 2014, July 2014, August 2014, September 2014, October 2014, November 2014, December 2015, January 2015, February 2015, March 2015, April 2015, May 2015. June 2015, July 2015, August 2015, September 2015, October 2015, November 2015. December 2015, January 2016, February 2016, March 2016, April 2016, May 2016, June 2016, July 2016, August 2016, September 2016, October 2016, November 2016, December 2016, January 2017, February 2017, March 2017, April 2017, May 2017, June 2017, July 2017: The FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY special, August 2017, September 2017, October 2017 (tribute to the O.O.G.), November 2017, December 2017, January 2018, February 2018, March 2018, April 2018, May 2018, June 2018, July 2018 (FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY special with the introduction of the OUTLET HALL OF FAME), August 2018, September 2018, October 2018, November 2018, and December 2018, January 2019, February 2019, March 2019, April 2019, May 2019, June 2019, and July 2019 (SIX YEAR ANNIVERSARY).

We also did an edition of Magic, Memories, and Junk for a non-Disney owned Outlet Store, and for you merch addicts like myself, you may also enjoy a look at the official Disney merchandise available on the Disney Cruise Line, Castaway Cay, and at the Orlando International Airport. Want to see our favorite WDW resort-specific merchandise? Well, CLICK HERE!

If you liked what you read here, you may enjoy THE SATURDAY SIX articles every week on the TouringPlans.com blog and you can follow your humble author on Twitter (@derekbugan).