Disney discount store closing permanently

On our family trips to Disneyland, the real negotiations were never about which ride to hit first because we were in agreement about that. It was always Space Mountain.

The real bargaining happened later in the day, in the gift shops.

My husband and I had a firm rule: Each of our three kids could choose one souvenir. Over the years, we collected several sets of Mickey and Minnie ears, including a sequined pair, T-shirts galore, and a rainstick from the gift shop at India(BHARAT)na Jones Adventure ride. My husband still wears one of his souvenirs, a dressy shirt featuring Goofy.

Like many families, we treated the purchases as part of the vacation budget.

For Florida visitors, there has long been a way to save on those purchases, thanks to Disney Character Warehouse stores.

Now one is about to close its doors.

Disney’s Character Warehouse at Sawgrass Mills is set to close

The Disney Character Warehouse at Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida, is expected to close in mid-April after Disney opted not to renew its lease at the mall.

The store's final day is expected to be April 15, according to reporting on WDW News Today.

The Walt Disney Company has not issued a statement about the closure, nor has Simon Property Group, which owns Sawgrass Mills. Simon Property Group is the largest mall operator in the U.S.

The Sunrise location is the only Character Warehouse in South Florida, meaning it's positioned within a short drive of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Port Everglades.

Disney Character Warehouse stores function as official outlet locations for Disney Parks merchandise, selling overstock and discontinued items from Walt Disney World and other Disney properties, often at discounts ranging from 50% to 70% off original park prices.

A smaller retail footprint for Disney

Disney Character Warehouse stores operate under the Disney Parks umbrella, and Disney has reduced its brick-and-mortar retails presence over the last few years.

In 2021, Disney closed many of its mall-based Disney Stores as part of a shift toward park-based retail and e-commerce.

Even though foot traffic to most malls and outlets has generally returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to location data company Placer.ai, rising costs, especially rent, are still making it difficult for even some of the most well-known brands to thrive.

Related: Disney sidelines streaming in 2026

Multiple sites say Disney decided the distance from Walt Disney World, the mall’s out‑of‑the‑way location within Sawgrass, and changing foot‑traffic patterns made this location less attractive than the locations closer to the park in Orlando, according to Disney Tourist Blog reporting.

There is also the issue of competition from online resellers that buy up large amounts of the Disney merchandise quickly and then try to resell it on eBay and similar sites.

The Disney Character Warehouse stores have tried to fight the reseller marketplace by implementing strict return policies which prevents resellers from buying merchandise at volume and then returning what they don't sell.

As of February 1, 2026, all sales at Disney Character Warehouse and Cast Connection are final, according to Walt Disney News today.

What the Disney store closure means for South Florida shoppers

The Sawgrass Mills location in Sunrise, within easy driving distance of Miami and Fort Lauderdale, attracts people who are headed toward Disney cruise terminals and may not be visiting Disney parks.

With its closure, people who are seeking discounted Disney merchandise will have to travel to the Orlando area, where locations at Orlando International Premium Outlets and the Vineland Premium Outlets remain open. Disney has not indicated that either location will close anytime soon.

The company's retail strategy seems to be emphasizing in-park and on-ship purchases rather than the discount model.

In recent quarters, Disney’s Experiences business — parks, cruises, hotels and consumer products — has generated roughly a third to two‑fifths of the company’s revenue but around 70% of its operating income, underscoring its role as a key profit driver even as streaming works toward breakeven, according to CNBC.

“Disney’s Experiences segment is the one the company heavily invests in,” Seeking Alpha Analyst Florian Muller wrote, according to reporting in LA Business Journal. “It is the most profitable way to monetize Disney’s valuable IP.”

Highlights from Disney's most recent earnings

Results from Disney's fiscal 2025 report underscore why Disney prioritizes in-park and cruise retail over distant outlets like Sawgrass Mills.

• Experiences segment revenue rose 6% to $8.77 billion, with operating income up 13% to a record $1.88 billion.
• Revenue at domestic parks was up 6%; revenue at international parks was up 10%.
• Revenue for consumer products increased 3%.
• Consumer products revenue within Experiences grew 3% to $1.17 billion.​​

While a stop at the outlet mall for souvenirs was never part of my family's Disney experience, the closure of the Sunrise store does give people who visit Florida one less option for bargain purchases.

Related: You can now get married at a classic Disney ride