Disney Character Warehouse Opens at Tampa Premium Outlets in Lutz, With Sales Jobs From $19.60 an Hour

LUTZ, FL — Disney is no longer just an hour and a half up I-4. A Disney Character Warehouse opened Monday, November 9 at Tampa Premium Outlets, off I-75 at State Road 56, and the company has been posting Tampa Bay retail jobs for it since August, with sales roles starting at $19.60 an hour.

It is only the third Character Warehouse in Florida, and right now the only one outside the Orlando area. Disney staffs these stores with its own cast members, so this is a real Walt Disney World job without the commute to Lake Buena Vista.

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📍 Business at a Glance

Business	Disney Character Warehouse
Opened	Monday, November 9, 2026
Address	Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive, Lutz, FL 33559
Concept	Outlet store for discounted official Disney merchandise, including items rotated out of the theme parks
Employer	Disney Destinations, LLC, part of Walt Disney World Resort
Industry	Retail
Starting pay	$19.60 an hour for Merchandise Sales Assistants, per Disney's posting

🏆 What Opened at Tampa Premium Outlets

Character Warehouse is where Disney sends merchandise that has finished its run in the parks: past seasonal collections, spirit jerseys, ear headbands, pins, bags and toys, sold at a discount. Until this week the only two were in Orlando, at the Vineland and International Drive outlet centers. Shoppers do not need a park ticket or an annual pass to walk in, and all sales are final.

For job seekers the bigger point is who signs the paycheck. Disney's postings for this store list the employer as Disney Destinations, LLC, part of Walt Disney World Resort, and the workplace as the Disney Character Warehouse at Tampa Premium Outlets. That puts a Disney name on a resume for people in Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Lutz and New Tampa who would never sit in I-4 traffic to get one.

💼 The Jobs Disney Has Posted

Disney has not announced a total headcount for the store, so we are not going to guess at one. What it has done is post specific roles on Disney Careers that name the Tampa Premium Outlets store:

Merchandise Sales Assistant, part time and full time. Both start at $19.60 an hour. The work covers helping guests, running the register and mobile checkout, processing shipments, restocking the floor and keeping the store clean.
Merchandise Lead Cast Member and a Heart of House Lead, the behind-the-scenes lead who opens and closes the store and handles deliveries.
Merchandise Inventory Specialist, handling counts, pricing, transfers and deliveries.
Guest Experience Manager, Merchandise.

Inside the Magic reported in August that the inventory specialist posting started at $20.10 an hour and the Heart of House lead at $21.10. We confirmed the $19.60 sales assistant rate on Disney's own posting. Openings close as a new store fills its schedule, so check what is live before you apply.

⚠️ Read This Before You Apply

The sales assistant postings spell out the bar:

You must be at least 18 and hold a valid U.S. driver's license.
You need to lift boxes up to 45 pounds and stay on your feet through a shift.
Part time asks for at least three days a week. Full time asks for open availability, seven days a week, including nights, weekends and holidays.
Training requires full availability, whichever schedule you pick.
Bilingual skills and cashier or retail experience are preferred, not required.

Opening in November means the store lands straight in holiday season at the outlets. Weekend availability will matter more here than almost anywhere else on your resume.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Disney Character Warehouse near Tampa?

At Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, off I-75 at State Road 56 in Pasco County.

When did it open?

Monday, November 9, 2026.

Is the Disney Character Warehouse in Lutz hiring?

Disney has posted sales assistant, lead, inventory and management roles for the store on Disney Careers. No total headcount has been announced.

How much does it pay?

Disney's posting lists a starting rate of $19.60 an hour for Merchandise Sales Assistants, part time or full time. Lead and inventory roles were reported at higher starting rates.

Get Ahead of the Holiday Rush

Create a free LocalJobPage account and set alerts for retail jobs so new openings around Wesley Chapel and North Tampa reach you the day they post. Browse the Tampa Career Center for role-by-role guides.

Employers: Staffing a store for the holidays? Post your openings on LocalJobPage and reach Tampa Bay job seekers who are already searching.