There is so much to do on Disney World property! Even when you don’t include the parks and resort hotels, you still have tons of stuff to experience on property. One of these experiences is Pick-a-Pearl.
There are a few locations on property that offer this experience.
- In Epcot you will find this in the Mitsukoshi Department Store in the Japan Pavilion. I have picked a pearl here a few times and it’s a lot of fun!
- There is also a Pearl Factory located at Typhoon Lagoon.
- The Pearl Factory also has the Yacht and Beach Club listed as a store location.
- In Downtown Disney look for the Pearl Factory located near the Marketplace Train.
Here are the addresses and phone numbers for the Pearl Factory locations in Disney World:
Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World
1780 Lake Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone : (407) 827-0966
Typhoon Lagoon
Walt Disney World
1800 Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone : (407) 828-8915
Yacht and Beach Club
Walt Disney World
1700 Epcot Resorts Boulevard
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone : (407) 934-0124
I love doing this when we go to Disney World! My friend and I have already put it on the list of must-dos with our daughters for the next trip. We know the girls will have as much fun as we will picking out their own oysters to see what is inside.
So, here is the tip for this week. If you are going to do the Pick-a-Pearl, look for the ugliest oyster. I have not personally tested this theory, but I can’t tell you how many times I have read that this is the way to get a good pearl.
So when you go to pick your oyster, the one that makes you think “Wow, that’s pretty gross looking” is the one you want to pick! Again, I haven’t tested this out myself, so this is just going by what I have read on other blogs and heard from people. I’m excited to test out the theory during the next trip!
Have you tried the “ugly theory” when picking a pearl? If so, please feel free to comment below and let us know how it worked for you!
Thanks for reading!
*Liz*
My son was 13 at the time when we went last year to Pick a Pearl in Japan (Epcot). He purposely picked the ugliest oyster because he heard about this too. My pearl was 7 3/4mm which is bigger than the average size. We’ll be doing it again on our next trip!
Hi Laurie!
Nice! I’m glad to hear it worked for you guys! I haven’t tested it yet, but on our next trip we are going to pick the ugliest oyster in the case and see what happens 🙂
I’m curious – Are all the sites so… Interactive? I love the idea, and finally got up the nerve to Pick a Pearl at Epcot last year. I’d like to do it again, but I was uncomfortable with “having to” count in Japanese, and the whole being part of the show thing.
Hi Anne!
I’m not sure if the others are as interactive. I picked a pearl at the location in Downtown Disney years ago and it was very low key. You just picked which one you wanted to open and they opened it. The one in Epcot might be more “theatrical” because they get more traffic in that location. If you want to try it again, but want to keep it low key, I would check out the one in Downtown Disney. You should be able to see whether they do the same performance as the Epcot location before you go up to pick your pearl.
Hope this helps!
*Liz*
Perfect! Thanks for the input…
You’re very welcome! 🙂
*Liz*
What is the average cost for this?
Hi Mandi!
The cost varies depending on whether or not you want to have the pearl set in jewelry. If you just want the pearl it’s pretty inexpensive. I picked a pearl during our last trip and it was $15.99 to pick an oyster. We were at the Beach Club location. I wanted to have the pearl set and put on a necklace, so that increased the cost.
So it really depends on the type of setting you pick. I’ll be writing another post about my latest pick-a-pearl experience soon and there will be pictures of the setting I chose.
It’s a fun experience and I definitely recommend it! Make sure to pick the ugliest one 😉
*Liz*
I can’t wait to try this on our next visit which is in 52 days. I purchased a pearl holder in the shape of Cinderella’s carriage. Going to put the pearl inside and add it to my Disney charm bracelet. Thanks for the tip.no always cheer for the underdog(ugliest oyster there)
Hi Marci!
Yes, definitely look for the ugliest oyster. I got a good size pearl the last time I did this and I picked the ugliest one in the tank. 🙂 Have fun picking your pearl! It’s a great experience!