Credit: Martin Lewison, FlickrDisney World is packing its bags as Mickey Mouse opens a new location in Florida, not in Orlando.
It would appear that a new and exciting experience is coming to Tampa Bay soon, bringing in hundreds of Disney World families to the area.
Disney World to Open New Expansion Outside of Orlando
Tampa Bay residents may soon have a new way to buy official Walt Disney World merchandise without making the drive east on Interstate 4. The destination isn’t a park, resort, or entertainment complex. It is a Disney Character Warehouse at Tampa Premium Outlets.
Disney confirmed the retail location through two Walt Disney World Resort job postings published in August 2026. Both identify the workplace as “Disney Character Warehouse, Tampa Premium Outlets in Tampa, FL,” putting the company itself behind the news even though a consumer-facing announcement has not appeared.
Disney has not disclosed an opening date, an exact suite, store hours, or the size of the location. Those omissions matter for anyone already planning a shopping trip. For now, this is a confirmed store with an unfinished public timeline.
Disney Character Warehouse Confirmed Through Hiring
The clearest evidence comes from Disney Careers. A Merchandise Inventory Specialist posting dated August 6 lists the Tampa outlet and a starting rate of $20.10 per hour. The role covers inventory counts, pricing, transfers, deliveries, and sales-floor stock levels.
A second Disney Careers posting, dated August 9, seeks a full-time Heart of House lead at the same location. Disney lists a $21.10 starting hourly rate and duties that include opening and closing the store, directing Cast Members, processing deliveries, replenishing merchandise, and handling point-of-sale transactions.
That is more than a generic recruitment notice. The jobs describe the systems and leadership needed to run a physical retail operation. Disney’s outlet operation has also undergone major merchandise policy changes in the past year.
What Tampa Premium Outlets Adds
Tampa Premium Outlets sits at 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, north of Tampa near the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange. Simon’s official center directory already lists Disney among the brands offered at the property, although its current store list does not yet provide a dedicated page with hours or a unit number for the incoming shop.
The location gives shoppers on Florida’s Gulf Coast another point of access to Disney-operated retail. It could be especially useful for Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Pasco County residents who want official merchandise but aren’t visiting Walt Disney World that day. Previous Character Warehouse inventory reports have documented discounted Spirit Jerseys, Loungefly bags, pins, and other park goods.
Still, guests should not read this as Walt Disney World building a Tampa attraction. No rides, themed land, hotel, or ticketed experience has been announced. Disney is extending one piece of its merchandise operation beyond the immediate Orlando tourist corridor.
How the Orlando Outlets Work
Disney currently has Character Warehouse stores at Orlando International Premium Outlets and Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets, according to Simon’s official brand directory. The International Drive listing describes the chain as selling official character toys, clothing, collectibles, and other goods.
Inventory at an outlet can differ from what guests see inside Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Selection can also change between visits, so shoppers shouldn’t assume a specific Spirit Jersey, Loungefly bag, pin, or seasonal item will be available in Tampa. Disney has not released a product list for the new store, while Disney World souvenir prices remain a consideration for guests buying inside the resort.
That uncertainty is part of the format. A Disney Character Warehouse functions less like a predictable catalog and more like a rotating outlet floor, with the operational postings specifically referencing transfers, markdowns, stock replenishment, and incoming deliveries.
Why Disney Is Moving West
The insider read is operational: this store places discounted Disney merchandise closer to a separate population center while keeping the location within Walt Disney World’s staffing and distribution network. Disney’s inventory specialist would work with data-maintenance Cast Members, leaders, and the resort’s distribution center, according to the job description.
That connection suggests Tampa won’t be treated as an unrelated licensed shop. The posting identifies the business as Walt Disney World Resort, while the lead position is employed by Disney Destinations, LLC. It also follows Disney’s recent return to physical retail locations through limited-time stores in other markets.
It also gives Disney another channel for moving merchandise after products rotate out of prominent park displays or require markdowns. That interpretation is an inference from the listed inventory, transfer, delivery, and markdown duties; Disney has not issued a statement explaining its broader strategy for the Tampa store.
What Tampa Bay Shoppers Should Watch
The next meaningful update will be an official opening date and the store’s placement on the Tampa Premium Outlets map. Disney must also clarify operating hours, launch-day procedures, purchase limits, and whether any store-specific policies will apply.
Until then, making a special trip would be premature. Tampa Premium Outlets’ directory and Disney’s careers page are the strongest places to watch for a public listing or another wave of hiring. The arrival also follows the reported closure of Disney’s South Florida outlet in April 2026.
The Disney Character Warehouse marks a real westward extension of Walt Disney World’s retail footprint, but the scale should stay in perspective. Tampa Bay is getting an official Disney-operated shopping location, not a new outpost of the resort. Once Disney posts the date and suite, Gulf Coast shoppers will finally know when that shorter merchandise run can begin.
