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Shops in theme parks keep the same hours as the parks. Malls and outlets are usually open from 9 or 10am until 9pm Monday to Saturday and at least noon to 6pm on Sunday. Shops outside the main tourist areas tend to open from 9am to 5pm Monday through Saturday.

With the exception of groceries and some medications, all purchases in Orlando are subject to a 6 per cent state and local sales tax.

Look for winter-wear bargains from March through April, and summer bargains from August to October as the seasonal stock changes. In August, with the approach of the new school year, there are good buys on kids’ clothes. The day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year, with huge pre-Christmas sales attracting hordes of shoppers.

Outlet stores sell last season’s fashions at discounted prices. Shoppers who know the suggested retail prices of the goods they seek will be able to tell what is – and what isn’t – a bargain. Some stores promise as much as 75 per cent discount and some actually deliver. Others don’t. The big players here are the Orlando Premium and Belz outlets (see Orlando Premium Outlets, Belz Factory Outlet World, Belz Designer Outlet Centre).

Apart from cheap T-shirts, stuffed animals, and baseball caps, Orlando does have some more original souvenirs. These include Florida oranges, alligator meat and leather products, and manatee memorabilia.

If you have bought more souvenirs than you can carry home, why not ship them? Disney and Universal parks, resorts, and shops can make the arrangements, usually via United Parcel Service (UPS). Do-it-yourselfers must take their packages to UPS (call 1-800-742-5877 for the nearest center) or the US Postal Service ( 1-800-275-8777).

Disney (www.disneyworld.com) allows guests to buy tickets online, saving on time waiting in line, but they must be picked up in person. Universal (www.universalorlando.com) mails online tickets to buyers; buy at least five weeks in advance. Sea-World’s online service (www.seaworld.com) lets buyers print out their tickets and, when they arrive at the park, go straight to the turnstiles, where they are verified.

Disney’s Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus tickets are valid for four to seven days. Both include unlimited entry to the four parks; the Park Hopper Plus tickets also include entry to other Disney attractions. The discounts aren’t great, but you save time waiting in line. Universal (which also offers a separate two-to-three-day pass for Universal Parks only), SeaWorld, Wet and Wild, and Tampa’s Busch Gardens have joined up to offer the unlimited access, 14-day FlexTicket.

Disney (FastPass) and Universal and SeaWorld (Express) offer a system that cuts out the long wait for the most popular rides and shows. Just slide your ticket through the turn-stile to get an allocated time for your visit. When it’s time, simply go to the particular attraction’s designated entrance to take your place.

Most upscale and some moderately priced hotels have concierge desks in the lobby. They’re great places to make restaurant reservations or buy tickets for theme parks and other attractions. They don’t give discounts, but most do offer the convenience of waiting in a short line as opposed to a long one in the parks.