“Hard-to-finds” and “one-of-a-kinds” abound at the Walt Disney World Resort -- from the exclusive to the extraordinary -- as savvy shoppers discover a treasure trove of exclusive merchandise in the dazzling array of shops and eclectic boutiques.

From museum-quality memorabilia to handcrafted, wearable art, guests searching for unique merchandise find a world of shopping throughout the 47-square-mile Vacation Kingdom.

Some highlights include:

Celebrities, memorabilia and nostalgia, oh my!

Starabilia’s, located at Downtown Disney West Side, is a 2,000-square-foot gallery that features nostalgic items including music, movie, political and historical memorabilia. With an ever-changing inventory, shoppers never know what to expect. In fact, more than 1,000 pieces of original memorabilia are available at any given time.

Among the recent “finds”:

One of the original “Shankara stones” used in the 1984 film classic “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” framed in its own shadowbox with photos of it in the film. While Indiana Jones risked everything to save this stone in the film, a Downtown Disney shopper can take it home for approximately $10,000.

A framed Life magazine cover of John and Jacqueline Kennedy, complete with their signatures, sells for $6,995.

For the hard-to-buy-for baseball fan, Starabilia’s offers a dugout-full of bats, autographed by some of the league’s greats. Examples: a wooden bat signed by 19 members of the 1927 New York Yankees goes for a cool $65,000; one signed by base-stealing great Ty Cobb is a steal at $10,000.

Reach for the Stars

At the nearby Disney-MGM Studios, movie memorabilia takes center stage at Sid Cuhuenga’s One-Of-A-Kind Antiques and Curios, a '20s-styled bungalow-turned-mercantile on Hollywood Boulevard. Here, amidst the autograph-lined walls and prop-filled shelves, “Sid” -- the fictitious proprietor of the shop -- acquires wardrobe pieces and hand-signed photos from Tinseltown’s favorite stars, as well as oversized movie posters and actual props from silver screen classics.

Some of Sid’s recent acquisitions include:

Personal wardrobe and furniture pieces from the likes of Cher, Dyan Cannon and Barbra Streisand.

Original props from famed films including “Evita,” “Apollo 13,” “The Birdcage” and “Deep Impact.”

Custom-framed, cancelled checks signed by Hollywood greats Errol Flynn ($1,250), Judy Garland ($1,900) and Clark Gable ($1,350).

‘One-Of-A-Time’ Artwork

Just around the corner from Sid’s, guests can purchase their very own hand-drawn, personalized wristwatch. In the shadow of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ on Sunset Boulevard, Disney artists create these exclusive timepieces for guests at Sunset Club Couture.

Guests choose a favorite drawing from the shop’s giant catalog of Disney heroes, classic Disney characters and even the Disney villains. Then, at an animator’s table located near the shop entrance, a Disney artist sketches (and colors, if desired) the selection. Names can also be added, as well as a special date or other select personalization. The hand-drawn piece is then transferred onto the face of a wristwatch and presented alongside the original artwork. The shop will even custom-frame the two pieces together. A certificate of verification is included.

These “timely” gifts can be used to mark important occasions (one of the most popular choices depicts Mickey in a tuxedo and Minnie in a wedding dress, featuring the couples’ names and date of marriage), commemorate holidays or celebrate a special family vacation.

Disney Fine Art

But what if a wristwatch-sized Mickey just isn’t large enough? How about a 5' hand-painted wooden Mickey Mouse? This mammoth mouse ($8,800) greets guests at The Art of Disney in Epcot, one of several locations across Walt Disney World Resort that specializes in rare Disney collectibles, animation cels and fine art.

Featuring many limited-edition pieces created especially for Disney, the store’s artful inventory includes:

Museum-quality wall art, including limited-edition sericels and original production cels used in the films “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and “The Little Mermaid.”

Waterford crystal in the shape of Cinderella’s glass slipper ($175) and Spaceship Earth at Epcot ($275).

Lenox Fine China created in honor of some of Disney’s famous animated characters.

Walt Disney’s love of trains is on display in the form of a limited-edition “G”-gauge toy train built in honor of The Lilly Belle, the scale-model train that Walt actually conducted outside his home in Holmby Hills, Calif. The scale model ($595), limited to an edition of 1,500, is encased and includes an actual cross-section of track from Walt’s original backyard railroad.

 

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