Shopping in Orlando

neilybealy

neilybealy

Member
Original Poster
Hi

I know this has absolutely nothing to do with WDW or any other theme parks but I do wanna fill up me suitcases with some real cheap designer bargains - all you fellow Brits will know where I'm coming from on this one!!

So, instead of going to possibly 4 or 5 different outlets/shopping malls then being told there's another place that's better/cheaper can anyone please let me know which is the best place to go? This way I won't be dragged round the entire day!!

Neil
 
markymark

markymark

Well-Known Member
I think most brits would recommend the Beltz at the top of I-Drive, but be warned - IT'S HUGE!!!

We stay on south I-Drive, and a new shooping outlet just opened last year, right near to where we stay. I think it's called Lakeland, or something like that anyway!! I will no doubt be corrected if I am wrong.

Its just a pity the exchange rate is so bad at the moment - perhaps it will be better by next year.
 
neilybealy

neilybealy

Member
Original Poster
yeah true, I hadn't thought about the exchange rate!!!

Beltz wins at the moment - hopefully the biggest will be seen as the best by the female members of the group. hehehe

I think when we last went to Orlando we went to the Florida mall - not too sure though - I can remember us driving up I-drive for what seemed like ages and then we turned round and went down the road at Wet and Wild I think (it's so long ago, sorry). We possibly didn't go up I-drive enough - we are Brits after all and our "just up the road" in american is probably like 3 or 3 "blocks".

Neil
 
woofboy111

woofboy111

New Member
I'm a local, so I've been to all of these malls, and I have to say that Belz isn't that cheap anymore (Unless you buy from one of the Theme Park stores that sell all of their old merchindise, sometimes from retired rides). When it first opened all of the discount stores move in there, but now it sometimes cost more than normal malls, like the FL mall. There is a new mall thats pretty new (probably about a year) right by Downtown Disney. They have nicer stores and it looks nicer, but I'm not sure about the prices.
 
Maria

Maria

New Member
I´ve heard the new outlet (by Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine) is great; it was still under construction when I left.
The most popular one among tourists is the Florida Mall (you find everything there!) and Belz Factory Outlet which is the biggest outlet in the world, but it is very tiring as the buildings are far from each other and the fact that it´s an outlet sometimes is no good when you want to buy what "the fad" is...
Ther is another small outlet on 535 I think..... on the way to Kissimmee from DD, which has good stuff too (where London Fog and OshKosh Bgosh and Lee are).
I always prefered Florida Mall... more comfortable!
 
MrPromey

MrPromey

Well-Known Member
Maria, I have heard you mention the Queen of the Universe shrine a few times (In another post, you mentioned that your apartment was by it) Do you know what the deal with that is? Is it Catholic of a cult type thing or what? The "Universe" part of it's what throws me off a bit... I think "Heavens Gait" every time I pass the thing.....
 
Maria

Maria

New Member
Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine

It is Catholic, Mr. Promey. It is huge and elegant... The priest always said it had "no parrish" as it was in a tourist area. Rumor was that Disney helped its construction. It was full of tourists and the priest always asked where they were visiting from! It is modern and with a lot of stained glasses inside. I liked it very much. There was a chappel on yoru left side, when you are coming in, in which they had a mural made of little tiles, showing the miracle of the Virgin of Guadalupe (the Mother of the mexicans), which was amazing and beautiful to me. In that same chappel, they set a very nice and big Nativity Scene with italian statues, worth seeing.
 
MrPromey

MrPromey

Well-Known Member
That's nice to know. I'll have to check it out sometime when I'm up there. The reason I was sort of thinking the 'cult' thing was because in Tampa, they have a little 'museum' that is on the tourist drag thing that is free and sort of bills itself as an attraction till you get inside where they rather heavily push new age philosophies on you. They are nice though and they mean well, if people are interested, they offer free meditation classes but it's just sort of funny how they get people in there. The Queen Marry shrine just seemed kind of strange being there right across from Disney. Thank you for clearing that up for me!
 
Beauty and the

Beauty and the

New Member
I've just come back Neil and have to admit the shopping in Orlando is not what it was, I don't know whether it is the exchange rate or the fact that us Brits tend to spoil most holiday destinations, take a look at Spain,the Greek and now Cyprus. International Drive has become as tacky as Blackpool and the Beltz only sells things that anyone with some fashionsense in England wore three years ago.
The Florida Mall is still a good afternoon out but you won't save as much as we used to a trendy pair of Tommy Jeans cost about $60 and they are about £75 at home.
The mall by the Shrine that Maria and Mr Pomprey mentioned is good but apart from the Levi/Docker shop I'm afraid the bargains are pretty hard to come by, but they do sell nice stuff though, plenty of Ralp Lauren and Versace.
After saying all this DH credit cards are still in melt down so I still enjoyed shopping even if it was a bit heavier on DH wallet ;)
 
neilybealy

neilybealy

Member
Original Poster
guess I'm just comparing my brother's shopping trip to New York last year - he came back with some fantastic bargains
 
markymark

markymark

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by Beauty and the
I've just come back Neil and have to admit the shopping in Orlando is not what it was, I don't know whether it is the exchange rate or the fact that us Brits tend to spoil most holiday destinations, take a look at Spain,the Greek and now Cyprus. International Drive has become as tacky as Blackpool and the Beltz only sells things that anyone with some fashionsense in England wore three years ago.
The Florida Mall is still a good afternoon out but you won't save as much as we used to a trendy pair of Tommy Jeans cost about $60 and they are about £75 at home.
The mall by the Shrine that Maria and Mr Pomprey mentioned is good but apart from the Levi/Docker shop I'm afraid the bargains are pretty hard to come by, but they do sell nice stuff though, plenty of Ralp Lauren and Versace.
After saying all this DH credit cards are still in melt down so I still enjoyed shopping even if it was a bit heavier on DH wallet ;)
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. Our trip last year, we didn't really stock up at all. I think that poor exchange rate makes a huge difference though. The first time I went (about 11 years ago) I got about 1.95, this year I think I'll be lucky to get 1.35. If you think about this in relation to those jeans you bought, 11 years ago you'd be looking at about £30.00 whereas now its nearer £45.00 I realise it is still reasonable, but is it worth taking up too much of your holiday when you aren't making MASSIVE savings? personally I don't think so.
This year I am not going to bother visitng any malls or outlets, I'll just make do with buying merchandise from the parks and DD
 
neilybealy

neilybealy

Member
Original Poster
Originally posted by Beauty and the
I've just come back Neil and have to admit the shopping in Orlando is not what it was, I don't know whether it is the exchange rate or the fact that us Brits tend to spoil most holiday destinations, take a look at Spain,the Greek and now Cyprus. International Drive has become as tacky as Blackpool and the Beltz only sells things that anyone with some fashionsense in England wore three years ago.
The Florida Mall is still a good afternoon out but you won't save as much as we used to a trendy pair of Tommy Jeans cost about $60 and they are about £75 at home.
The mall by the Shrine that Maria and Mr Pomprey mentioned is good but apart from the Levi/Docker shop I'm afraid the bargains are pretty hard to come by, but they do sell nice stuff though, plenty of Ralp Lauren and Versace.
After saying all this DH credit cards are still in melt down so I still enjoyed shopping even if it was a bit heavier on DH wallet ;)
Click to expand...

you paid all the cards off yet???? :D
 

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