Disney Outlet Stores - what's the difference

[bcla]

Over the past few months I've gone to some of them, and for the life of me I'm not quite sure what's the difference between the outlet versions and the regular Disney Store locations other than that they're in specific outlet mall settings.

The prices seem to be the same or similar. The outlet store sells regularly priced merchandise and typically a similar selection. I see a large clearance section at the regular stores. About the only thing I've noticed is Disney parks stuff sold at the clearance section of the outlet stores.

By the way, we were in Las Vegas last Thanksgiving, and the "Character Depot" store at the Las Vegas Premium Outlets South Annex was in store closing mode. They were even selling their store fixtures.

 

[castmember19]

The outlets carry just about everything the regular Disney Store carries, plus their own slightly cheaper line of items (usually t-shirts, maybe towels, mugs, etc) plus clearance items from Disney parks.

Also all the other Disney Stores will send all their clearance stuff that doesn't sell to the closest outlet.

The Disney Stores typically only have a large clearance section once in awhile, especially now or recently because their semi-annual sale was going on. Disney outlet has that clearance section pretty much all the time.

And if you really wanna get in to it, outlets don't do opening ceremonies or sell limited edition items like the regular stores do.

 

[DWGal210]

From the outlet stores I've been to, they seem to have most of the same character merchandise as the regular stores, like the action figure-type toys, dolls, etc.

What I've also noticed in the outlet near me is that they have a fair amount of either things that I assume were not selling well at the regular stores, but also items like shirts, pens etc with the year on them. I went to an outlet in WI in October and they had LOTS of 2013 merchandise in there. I also bought a fleece pullover once at the outlet that I wore once, and then I figured why it was at the outlet and not selling - I was shedding little bits of red fleece EVERYWHERE. Ugh. But I would imagine that every store is different in what they get.

 

[bcla]

I was thinking of it today when I made a trip to the mall to get something my asked me for, and I ducked into the Disney Store. This is a standard location with a video board and a coloring table. It wasn't quite like a flagship location such as at San Francisco's Union Square, but it was more impressive than another Disney Store we've been to recently. This is an upscale mall with high-end retailers like Tiffany and Louis Vuitton, as well as a fairly ordinary food court.

But I found a Mickey and Donald rollup playmat that I first saw at the Disney Outlet Store at the Gilroy Premium Outlets south of here. It was on clearance at $12.99 and I snatched it up. I remember at the outlet store where my kid grabbed both that and the equivalent Cars playmat and asked for both. We went home with the Cars version, but paid full price for it.