>When you’re on Vacation, you don’t care if it’s going to help the grass, or crops or flowers grow. You have things to do, so rain is an unwanted visitor. And when you’re in Walt Disney World for the first time, or even the fiftieth time, you have things you want to do, so what do you do when it Rains? Well, the first thing you have to think about is what time of the year is it? During the late spring and early summer months, the weather in Orlando changes more than a kid changes their mind. It could start out looking like it’s going to rain all day and an hour later it could be clear. This is why all the Disney Resort TV’s have the Weather Channel. The other thing to think about is during the warmer months, it might not be too bad getting wet when going from attraction to attraction, it may keep you cooler and the crowds may be lighter that day. But, during the cooler months, and if you are not the type that likes to be wet all day, there is an Unknown Magic for newcomers to Disney that will get you through the day and provide for a Magical Experience. I touched on Downtown Disney on the post East vs. West, but that was talking about two great places to eat. But Downtown Disney is also home to some great shopping, so today’s Unknown Magic, is surviving the Rain by going to Downtown Disney.

If you recall, The West Side of Downtown Disney is actually called the West side. The East Side of Downtown Disney is called the Market place. The Market Place has more shopping than the West Side. There are approximately 15 different shops in the Market Place and many of the stores are something you’ll only find in Walt Disney World. Some of the Unique Disney Stores you will find are Team Mickey (described in yesterday’s post), The Art of Disney, Goofy’s Candy Company, Disney’s Days of Christmas, Disney’s Pin Traders, Disney’s Design-A-Tee, and Trend D. Some of the other stores that are very Disney inspired, but maybe not unique, are the Once upon a Toy Store, Mickey’s Mart and the World of Disney store.

The first and biggest store that needs to be talked about is The World of Disney Store. This is not your hometown Disney Store. This is the largest Disney themed store in the world. This store has ten different rooms of merchandise. Everything from home goods, and clothing for every member of the family, to collectibles and souvenirs, can be found in the World of Disney. They also have the Bibbidi, Bobbidi Boutique for your little Princess. This boutique is a salon where girls can get their hair, nails and makeup done to feel like a princess (if you want to go, Disney strongly recommends making a reservation). One word of caution though, even as big as it is, on Weekends and evenings, this store is very busy. This is a great store for not only buying Disney merchandise, but for finding something special to create a Magical Experience.

Another great store is Disney’s Days of Christmas. This store is not as large as the World of Disney, but they have a lot of Disney merchandise and it is all Holiday themed. Mostly Christmas, but some Hanukah, and some other holidays as well. This one is always busy, but that is because they sell things here that you have never seen anywhere else. They have every imaginable Disney tree ornament and some you
 would have never thought of. They sell ornaments for all of their Resorts, and special occasion ornaments, like baby’s first Christmas. This is the store also to find almost any kind of Disney antennae topper. (If you’re not sure what that is, the next time you are driving down the road, look at the car antennas of the cars going past, I’d say you will see at least one Disney styled topper within your first 10 minutes of driving.)This store is a really neat store to shop in or just window shop in.

Some other Great window shopping stores in Downtown Disney are the Art of Disney (which sells prints and posters and original Disney movie Cels), the Arribas Brothers crystal shop, and Disney at Home (although you will probably end up buying something here as everyone needs a Mickey Mouse toast presser). Disney’s Pin Traders is a Shop is probably the biggest on site store, which sells everything you would ever want for Disney Pin Collecting, for more on Disney Pin Collecting, read my post from 5/23- Unknown Magic with a Warning.

If you have kids and you’re willing to let them get something, there is the Once Upon a Toy Store (which is a toy store, with a lot of Disney themed games and stuff) Pooh Corner, mostly Pooh related Merchandise, and The Lego Imagination Center.

If you have young children or are on a smaller budget, Mickey’s Mart is a great place for the kids to shop, because everything there is under $10 and this would definitely make a Magical Experience for a younger child to be able to buy their own item in Disney.

So, now that you know, Even if it rains, you can still create Magical Experiences by shopping in the great stores at Downtown Disney.