Celebration
Though not the best place to head if you're the shop-'til-you-drop type, this is a rather pleasant spot to stroll leisurely along quaint streets filled with upscale shops, coffeehouses, and restaurants. Celebration, after all, is a Disney-designed community, making it practically the perfect little town (or a facsimile thereof). It's a throwback to mid-20th-century mainstream America, when main-street shopping was in style. Market Street and the area just surrounding it are home to a dozen or so shops, a couple of art galleries, a handful of restaurants, and a three-screen movie theater. The storefronts, especially the galleries and gift shops, offer interesting and unique merchandise, though you'll find that there's a price to pay for perfection. Stores here include the Market Street Gallery (Swarovski crystal, Disney collectibles, and more), Sherlock's of Celebration (a shop that sells wine and English tearoom goods), DownEast (an Orvis Shop filled with gifty items and resort wear), an art gallery, a grocer, a post office, a perfumery, and a jeweler, among others. The real attraction is the relaxing, picture-perfect atmosphere. The high prices, however, may make for more window-shopping than actual spending. If, by chance, Celebration reminds you of the movie The Truman Show, you're not alone. The movie was filmed in Seaside, a Florida panhandle community that inspired the builders of this burg.
Downtown Disney
With three distinct areas -- West Side, Pleasure Island, and the Marketplace -- Downtown Disney (tel. 407/939-2648; www.downtowndisney.com) is chock-full of some of the most unique shops in Orlando, as well as many restaurants and entertainment venues.
The best shops in the Marketplace include the 50,000-square-foot World of Disney, the largest store in Downtown Disney (and the second largest Disney store in the world). There are rooms and more rooms filled with everything Disney, from toys and trading pins to clothes and collectibles -- and everything (and we mean everything) in between. Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique arrived in 2006 and is a place where little girls can have their hair styled, put on makeup, and have their nails done so they look like a princess when they emerge. In the princess room, girls can play dress up, while the adventure room is geared more to boys -- they can create their own pirate hat, play video games, and check out superhero, space explorer, and cowboy gear.
I always stop in at the Lego Imagination Center when I'm in town. After extensive renovations it's now far easier to shop (in part due to the fact that it's much larger) and offers lots of play areas to entertain the kids (we'd hate to be the ones cleaning up at night). Shelves are filled with Lego blocks designed for everyone from toddlers to tweens, Bionicles, T-shirts, and trinkets. Check out the display behind the counter when you cash out -- it's filled top to bottom with teeny tiny Lego people (visible thanks to a nifty magnifying glass that runs back and forth across their little faces). Once Upon A Toy is one of the best stores in the Marketplace, and the best toy store I've ever been in. It's stocked from floor to ceiling with games and toys, many of them classics -- you know, the ones you played with while growing up. Its 16,000-square-feet of space is divided into three separate sections: The first is filled with board games; the second is loaded with stuffed animals, building sets, and Playskool toys; the third features action figures, vehicles, and videos. Team Mickey's Athletic Club sells character clothing with a sporty spin. Other smaller, but similarly interesting shops include Summer Sands, featuring the hottest in beachwear from top names such as Quicksilver and Calvin Klein; and The Art of Disney, where you can buy limited edition animation cels and other Disney collectibles.
Pop Gallery, a high-end art gallery, features limited-edition, artist-signed original artwork (sculpture and paintings) along with an assortment of high-end gifts. There are also plenty of accessories, T-shirts, and trinkets for those of us not nearly as artistically (or financially) inclined. The 49,000-square-foot Virgin Megastore is the biggest store on the block, with two levels of music, videos, books, and more. You can preview your chosen song or movie before you purchase at 1 of the 300 audio and video stations. Other notable stores at West Side include Magic Masters, where you can load up on magic tricks for your budding Harry Houdini; Magnetron, which sells a huge variety of magnets (though, strangely enough, no Disney ones); and Celebrity Eyeworks Studio, where you can pick up a copy of those cool shades your favorite star was sporting in his or her last film.
Getting Your Fill -- The neatest new way to buy toys at several Downtown Disney stores (especially Once Upon a Toy) is in bulk . . . sort of. Toys such as Lincoln Logs and Mr. Potato Head, as well as a few others, can be purchased by the piece. Here's how it works: You pick out a box (there are two sizes to choose from) and fill it up with as many (or few) pieces as you can fit inside. The only stipulation -- you have to be able to close the lid properly. No matter how many pieces you've stuffed inside, the price of the box remains the same. If you've got good space-saving skills, buying your toys this way may net you a very good deal. (Here's a hint to get you started -- Mr. Potato Head has a hole in his back, so fill it up and you'll fit more pieces in your box.)
