Disney's third Character Warehouse is no longer just a line on a mall directory. Pasco County permit records show a nearly 6,000 square foot build-out in Unit 839 at Tampa Premium Outlets, a $329,890 job with new walls, display fixtures, a cashwrap counter, and a back room built for cast members. Framing passed inspection in late July, electrical inspections are scheduled for this week, and the county has not yet scheduled a final inspection. Disney still has not announced an opening date.
Here is everything the permits show, what they say about timing, and what to expect when the doors open.
Where is the Tampa Disney Character Warehouse?
The store is going into Unit 839 at 2312 Grand Cypress Drive, inside Tampa Premium Outlets in Lutz, off Interstate 75 in the Wesley Chapel area north of Tampa. The mall's own listing already shows Disney's Character Warehouse as coming soon, with no hours posted.
It will be the first Character Warehouse outside Orlando since the Sawgrass Mills store near Fort Lauderdale closed on April 15, 2026, and the only one on Florida's Gulf Coast. The two Orlando stores, at Vineland Premium Outlets near Walt Disney World and International Premium Outlets near Universal Orlando, remain open with regular hours.
How big is the new store?
The main building permit lists a scope of work of 5,998 square feet, all interior, with an occupant load of 81 people. That is a full outlet storefront, not a kiosk or a pop-up.
The job is valued at $329,890 in the county's records. The permit is classified as a change of occupancy for a mercantile, retail use, which fits a space being converted for a new tenant rather than a refresh of an existing Disney store.
What is Disney building inside?
The main permit describes the tenant improvements in plain terms.
- New partition walls, wall finishes, and flooring
- New light fixtures and a new wall mounted electrical transformer
- New display fixtures and a cashwrap counter
- A mop sink and water heater
- A new cast member area and a remodeled office
Two later plan revisions add detail. In July, the plans added three drum light fixtures in the sales area, for six in total, plus extra outlets. In late August, a revision filled in the back of house, with a suspended ceiling and lighting in the cast area, carpet in the manager's office, a water cooler, wall panels in the two restrooms, and dedicated outlets for backup power at the phone board.
The contractor of record is Fred Olivieri Construction Company, a retail builder based in North Canton, Ohio. The plans were drawn by an architecture firm in Burbank, California.
The permit timeline so far
| Date | Record | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2025 | Main building permit | First county notice on the tenant build-out, flagging that separate fire permits are required |
| Feb 5, 2026 | Sign permit | One illuminated wall sign, filed under the name Disney Warehouse. The county now lists it as expired |
| Jul 23, 2026 | Fire alarm permit | Five ceiling speaker strobes, three strobes, a pull station, and a relay that shuts off the store's music when the alarm sounds. Issued |
| Jul 24, 2026 | Plan revision | Three more drum light fixtures in the sales area, six in total. Approved |
| Jul 29 and 30, 2026 | Inspections | Electrical underground, rough wall wiring, and rough wall conduit passed. Building framing passed |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Plan revision | Back of house finishes for the cast area, manager's office, and restrooms. Approved |
| Aug 28, 2026 | Fire sprinkler permit | Adding and relocating sprinkler heads for the build-out. Issued |
| Sep 24, 2026 | Inspections | Electrical rough ceiling and wall inspections scheduled |
As of today the county shows 17 completed inspections on the main permit and 10 more upcoming or pending, including mechanical rough and fire damper inspections. None of them is a final inspection yet.
When will the Tampa Character Warehouse open?
Disney has not announced a date. Reporting in the Tampa Bay area in August pointed to a winter 2026 opening, and Walt Disney World job postings for the store surfaced the same month.
The permits back up a store that is well along but not finished. Framing is done and inspected, the electrical rough-in is being checked this week, and the mechanical and fire damper inspections are still ahead. Retail build-outs usually move from rough inspections to finishes, fixtures, and final inspections before a certificate of occupancy, and none of those final steps appear on the county calendar yet. We will update this story when a final inspection is scheduled or Disney names a date.
What will it sell, and how will it work?
If it follows the Orlando stores, expect surplus and retired Disney Parks merchandise, from spirit jerseys and ear headbands to plush, pins, drinkware, and holiday leftovers, usually at 50 to 70 percent off what it cost in the parks. Since February 1, 2026, every Character Warehouse sale is final, with no returns or exchanges. On busy days the Orlando stores admit shoppers through a free virtual queue you can only join at the door.
Our Disney Character Warehouse guide covers what the stores sell, how the markdowns work, and whether the trip is worth it. Its store map now includes the Tampa location, and you can build a haul to see what your park wish list might cost at Warehouse prices.
Sources
Pasco County building records for 2312 Grand Cypress Drive, Unit 839, including the main commercial alteration permit COMALT-2025-000524 and its revisions, fire permits FIRE-2026-000814 and FIRE-2026-001000, and sign permit BLDSGN-2026-000063, checked September 24, 2026. The Tampa Premium Outlets store listing for Disney's Character Warehouse. Tampa Bay area reporting from August 2026 on the planned opening and the Walt Disney World job postings.