Which Outlet Shopping Mall from Windsor Hills?

[FiveofusNL]

Hi All. We are staying at Windsor Hills in a month. It is our first time off site and with a rental vehicle, so I thought we would take an afternoon to go to one of the outlet malls. We are not big shoppers, but would love to get some Disney merchandise (at outside the park prices this time!!), sneakers/shoes, hoodies for the kids, etc. Is there a particular outlet mall that you would recommend given our location??? Thanks!

 

[ninamouse]

Hi All. We are staying at Windsor Hills in a month. It is our first time off site and with a rental vehicle, so I thought we would take an afternoon to go to one of the outlet malls. We are not big shoppers, but would love to get some Disney merchandise (at outside the park prices this time!!), sneakers/shoes, hoodies for the kids, etc. Is there a particular outlet mall that you would recommend given our location??? Thanks!

The Premium Outlet Mall is excellent - you can get lots of great designer clothing and accessories there at great prices.

Also, you have The Mall At Millenia which is worth a visit or The Florida Mall which has a great variety of shops.

There are also lots of little stores and restaurants along the 192 in Kissimmee which sell a lot of discounted Disney things but I don't think it is genuine Disney merchandise a lot of the time.

What you will definitely need is an extra suitcase!!

Hope this helps and have great fun!

 

[FiveofusNL]

Thanks for the suggestions ninamouse. I am looking forward to some great deals as we pay a lot for merchandise here. I am actually planning on placing a small suitcase inside of a bigger one for the trip down under the assumption I will need another suitcase on the way back! Is the premium outlet mall located on International Drive?

 

[mguedes]

There are two Premium Outlet locations. One on International Drive and another on Vineland Rd.

 

[FiveofusNL]

There are two Premium Outlet locations. One on International Drive and another on Vineland Rd.

Thanks. I know some of the stores may differ, but is there any major difference in the two locations (i.e. quality/variety of merchandise, crowd levels, parking issues)? If you had to pick one, which would you go with?? We are staying at Windsor Hills Resort near the Animal Kingdom side of Disney. I am wondering if we should just go to whatever is closer.

 

[Tropics]

I have heard that the outlet mall on International Dr is more frequented by locals than the one on Vineland. Having been to both I would start with looking at the store listing and go to the one that has the most stores that you want to visit. If both are equal, then I would choose the one on International Dr, if you have a car. I have found that the selection is often better on International Dr than on Vineland.

I'm also from Canada and make a point of visiting the outlet malls whenever I am in the US. Keep in mind that many stores make cheaper products only for the outlet stores so the clothes at the Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor etc. stores are often much cheaper quality variants and are not the same quality as the products in the non-outlet stores.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks. I know some of the stores may differ, but is there any major difference in the two locations (i.e. quality/variety of merchandise, crowd levels, parking issues)? If you had to pick one, which would you go with?? We are staying at Windsor Hills Resort near the Animal Kingdom side of Disney. I am wondering if we should just go to whatever is closer.

The two Premium Outlets are very similar. Parking can be a challenge at both if its busy.

If it were me, I would check the list of stores to see if one offers someplace specific that the other doesn't that your family may want to visit, then make your decision from there. While both locations offer many of the same stores, there are small differences here and there. One that is important for our family is the Under Armor Outlet, which is only at the I-Drive location and not at the Vineland Rd. mall.

Be prepared to buy lots!! Prices are WAY better than we can find here in Canada. We love shopping in Orlando!

 

[FiveofusNL]

I have heard that the outlet mall on International Dr is more frequented by locals than the one on Vineland. Having been to both I would start with looking at the store listing and go to the one that has the most stores that you want to visit. If both are equal, then I would choose the one on International Dr, if you have a car. I have found that the selection is often better on International Dr than on Vineland.

I'm also from Canada and make a point of visiting the outlet malls whenever I am in the US. Keep in mind that many stores make cheaper products only for the outlet stores so the clothes at the Gap, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor etc. stores are often much cheaper quality variants and are not the same quality as the products in the non-outlet stores.

Thanks for the tip regarding the quality of clothes. That is an important difference. I will look up the store directories for each, but it is a great help to hear from people who have been there and can give an opinion on selection of merchandise.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Thanks for the tip regarding the quality of clothes. That is an important difference. I will look up the store directories for each, but it is a great help to hear from people who have been there and can give an opinion on selection of merchandise.

I can't speak for retailers like Gap, Banana Republic, etc. that the PP mentioned, but we have never found an issue with quality on any of our shopping expeditions (of which there are many on each trip). Granted, I have a teen son who's into sports so we tend to stick to Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Under Armour (with some Aeropostale and American Eagle thrown in for good measure) so maybe the quality reduction is just vendor specific?

Some of the stuff we have purchased at a huge discount is the exact same as we have offered in our local stores at home. We have even found identical shoes at the Nike Clearance Store in Kissimmee as is offered at Footlocker in the Florida Mall.

 

[FiveofusNL]

Be prepared to buy lots!! Prices are WAY better than we can find here in Canada. We love shopping in Orlando!

Can't wait! I may have underestimated the time we will need there though...might need to spend more than an afternoon after all.

 

[Tropics]

The premium outlet malls are open until 10 or 11 pm every night except for Sunday so you can also plan for an evening shopping excursion.

 

[FiveofusNL]

The premium outlet malls are open until 10 or 11 pm every night except for Sunday so you can also plan for an evening shopping excursion.

Perfect! That way the kids can enjoy the parks or pool during the day and we can go to the mall for supper and shopping. Less complaining then.

 

[FiveofusNL]

We have even found identical shoes at the Nike Clearance Store in Kissimmee as is offered at Footlocker in the Florida Mall.

Is the Nike Clearance store you referenced separate from the outlet malls? My boys would mainly want athletic gear too and that would be one of the stores the oldest would want to hit.

As an aside, I just looked at the store listings at both outlet locations...WOW, there are a lot of stores! Looks like it is the one on International Drive for us simply because they have a New Balance store and we all like New Balance sneakers. I think it will be a little longer drive but nothing too significant.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Is the Nike Clearance store you referenced separate from the outlet malls? My boys would mainly want athletic gear too and that would be one of the stores the oldest would want to hit.

Yes, the Nike Clearance store is a stand-alone and located in Kissimmee (on the Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway). We have found some amazing deals here......better than at the Nike outlet stores in the Premium Outlets.

 

[FiveofusNL]

Yes, the Nike Clearance store is a stand-alone and located in Kissimmee (on the Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway). We have found some amazing deals here......better than at the Nike outlet stores in the Premium Outlets.

Thanks for the tip! I will definitely add that one to the shopping destinations. In fact, I am going to go look it up on googlemaps now.