Downtown Disney – Disney Shopping Wonderland

The first few times we went to Florida we didn’t actually go to Downtown Disney. To be fair the first time I went to Disney in 1995, Downtown Disney did not exist really as it does today. It pretty much consisted of Pleasure Island. When we did take a trip to Downtown Disney the last time we were in Florida I loved it. There are shops galore, restaurants, cinema, a lake, Cirque du Soleil, The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and so much more.

Now, being a sucker for any form of Disney shopping I LOVED the World of Disney Store which is the largest Disney Character shop in the Walt Disney World Resort and indeed the world!! If I won the lottery I would certainly be taking a trip to this shop for some ‘no holes barred’ shopping. There is everything you could possibly imagine/want/dreamed of buying of a Disney nature. I remained very controlled and just got a tshirt for our son and it is still my favourite item of clothing I have ever got for him purely because of the memories it holds. Incidently it is now being worn by son number 2 which is lovely to see. This store is also home to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. We haven’t had any first hand experience of this but I am sure that any little girl would dream of a trip there to become a princess! Once Upon A Toy is another fantastic shop (just be prepared to drag your children out of there!!).

Some people will scoff at the very idea of a year round Christmas shop but personally, it is my idea of heaven!! I adore Christmas and a Disney Christmas is a perfect dream. So I was beside myself with joy when I went into the Disney Christmas Store. As you can probably imagine there were Christmas trees decorated with the most beautiful ornaments and every possible Christmas decoration that you could shake a stick at all done Disney style!! For those that love Christmas this shop is breath taking! It is also high on my list of places to go once I win the lottery. Sadly you would need a pretty big budget to buy enough decorations to get your tree looking like the ones in the store but everyone can get a special momento of there trip that will adorn their Christmas trees every year.

One of the numerous restaurants in Downtown Disney that we would definitely recommend a visit to is the ‘Rainforest Cafe’. It is certainly an experience. It is quite dark inside (but then most indoors feels dark compared to the bright sunshine of Florida) and  you walk past these enormous glass tubes bightly lit and full of tropical fish and other marine wildlife. It looks amazing and our son thought they were fantastic. We were taken to a table and you are surrounded by trees and foliage. Around the restaurant there are various animals from the rainforest that are anamatronic. We were next to the elephants that raised their trunks and trumpeted every 15 mins or so. I also saw Gorillas and lions but I am sure there are many more around the restaurant. Every 20 mins there is a fake thunderstorm where the lights go down, lightning and thunder sound and flashes across the ceiling. The animals start moving and roaring/trumpeting and it is quite a noise!! All of these things together add to the dining experience. A word of warning though, our son who was nearly 3 at the time was absolutely terrified of the noise, the dark and the animals. It was nice food but a somewhat hasty meal for us to get him out before he had a complete melt down!!

Downtown Disney has got so much to offer and it is definite place to go to indulge in some retail therapy and to take a break from the busy parks. Just make sure you take your wallet!!

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