The park has a large number of stores to pick from for your shopping experience. Though there is a wide range of stores, items in some of the stores are generic Disney items that can be purchased at your local mall. Take some extra time to pick out souvenirs that you can't but at home. More recently there has been a fairly large influx of Disneyland specific merchandise and much of it is high quality and has really increased the shopping selection. (I know that's true because I've spent more money in the first few weeks this stuff showed up than I did in the three years before.)

You best bet for easy shopping is visiting the stores late in the morning or in the middle of the day. This is when the majority of the people in the park are on rides. Most guests visit stores as they walk into the park and almost everyone is trying to buy items at the last minute as they walk out. If you aren't planning to watch an afternoon parade, this is also a good time to your shopping on Main Street. As long as you don't need to walk back and fourth along Main Street the stores are completely empty, giving you a good fifteen minutes to peruse the wares of each local. Main Street also is opened about a half-hour before park opening for shopping and is usually open for thirty to sixty minutes past park closing.

Note: It's also important to know that many of the parks smaller carts, stands and stores close before the park does and some are only open during certain times of the day. This is another reason that midday is a good time to shop. If you find something that you want on any of the pushcarts throughout the park, buy it then. There are rarely cheaper prices at different stores and most of the parks carts disappear by dinnertime. The case is also true for smaller stores (although they don't disappear, they just close). Many of the stands throughout the park and obscure stores close many hours before the park does, so keep that in mind when you are doing your shopping. And don't be afraid that you'll have to carry that merchandise around with you, Disneyland also offers a complimentary package pick-up service.

If you are short on time while you visit the park Disneyland does have some larger stores that offer almost all the same merchandise as it's other stores. If you just walk through the stores on Main Street you will be able to find all of the generic Disneyland merchandise sold throughout the rest of the park. The Emporium on Main Street is one of the parks "general stores" that offers one of the widest varieties of merchandise. The Star Trader in Tomorrowland is also very similar to the Emporium in selection. If you've seen a more generic, non-land-specific item, you'll probably be able to find it in either of these stores. As a general rule most of the stores in each land offer merchandise that is specific to that land. Here's a sampling of what some of the different stores offer:

• Adventureland: Pith helmets, rain stick's, stuffed animal of a jungle flavor, Disney characters in safari outfits, merchandise for some of Disney's adventure themed movies, Indiana Jones items, No Fear and Mossimo apparel, rubber snakes in insects, and for the cannibals at heart, skulls and shrunken heads.
• New Orleans Square: Cooking items, jewelry, china, crystal, masquerade masks, Christmas items, custom portraits and parasols, Disneyland artwork, and bounty from Pirates of the Caribbean
• Critter Country: Disney character merchandise, Splash Mountain t-shirts, and Winnie the Pooh merchandise.
• Frontierland: Toy guns and rifles, Pocahontas merchandise, country western clothing, and country style merchandise.
• Fantasyland: Disney princess merchandise, stuffed Disney animals, toys, and hats.
• Toontown: Toontown shirts etc., character merchandise, magic tricks/gags.
• Tomorrowland: Tomorrowland shirts etc., Custom CD's, character merchandise, Disney beanies, Tomorrowland backpacks, planners, and wallets.
• Main Street: Hats, character merchandise, stuffed characters, Disney watches and jewelry, crystal, china, Christmas items and polo shirts.

Offered throughout the Disneyland Resort, park Guests may leave their purchases at one of the parks stores and pick them up at the Redemption Center on Main Street (across from Town Square) in the afternoon. Guests of the Disneyland Hotel and the Disneyland Pacific Hotel have the option of requesting their purchases be delivered directly to their hotel free of charge. Please ask a Merchandise Host/Hostess for assistance.

Many times guests see items in the park that they want to get but they decide not to spend their money. But of course when they get home they realize they really should have picked it up, and frantically try to find information on how to get items sold in the park. Well here's some tips on finding the Disneyland merchandise that you really want.

If the item you are looking for is a more generic Disney item you will probably be able to find it at a local Disney Store or K-Mart/Wal-Mart like store. I'd recommend checking your local Wal-Mart's first since their prices tend to be cheaper then the official Disney Stores, and many times you will be able to find the exact same merchandise. Your second bet it to visit a local Disney Store. These usually carry some exclusive Disney merchandise that you may only be able to find within the Disney world. Prices at the Disney Store tend to mimic those of Disneyland, but can be a tad cheaper at times. I'd highly recommend looking into either of these locations before continuing on, because prices will be cheaper and you will save on shipping.

The next location you will want to look into is the Disney Catalog. The Disney Catalog offers most of the same items that you can find or get ordered at a local Disney Store. You can request a catalog online at: Disney Catalog Online. If you can get your local Disney Store to order any of these items for you might be able to save on shipping, but they will often order it and have it shipped directly to your house.

Finally if you cannot find the item your interested in at any of the above suggestions you can call Disneyland DelivEARS. This is a mail order phone number that is directly connected to Disneyland. They can get you any merchandise that you saw at Disneyland, including Disney Gallery artwork, and any Disneyland specific merchandise. Basically if it's in Disneyland and in stock they can get it for you. The only downfall is that shipping and handling is quite expensive on many of the products. To order from the DelivEARS call 800-362-4533. You will also find that many of the special and exclusive merchandise that is offered at Disneyland can be purchased through this number.