I shopped at one of the last Disney stores in the country, and it was full of discounted theme-park merch

As a lifelong Disney fan, I was pretty upset to see most of the company's retail stores close in the spring of 2021.

Read more: The Disney Store closed dozens of locations in 2021. Laid-off employees say they feel heartbroken, betrayed, and confused.

But I discovered that a few Disney Outlet stores — similar to official, discount-merchandise shops located near Disney World — still exist across the country.

Read more: I shopped for Disney World souvenirs at a discount store 20 minutes away from Magic Kingdom and saved more than $70

So last summer, I drove 40 minutes from my home to the Disney Outlet store in Elizabeth, New Jersey. There are 20 other Disney Outlets in the US, including ones in California and Texas.

The store is located inside The Mills at Jersey Gardens mall, which is also home to outlet shops for brands like Coach and Adidas.

The mall seemed pretty huge and daunting when I walked in, but directories led me exactly where I wanted to go.

When I reached the Disney store, I was greeted with a glowing entrance sign and a sale poster promising "fabulous clearance."

Inside, the location looked exactly like the modern Disney stores that closed not too long ago.

There were some major differences though, like clearance prices on most items. One Disneyland shirt I found was more than 50% off, with its original $34 price tag replaced by a $12.99 clearance sticker.

The selection was also better, in my opinion. There was regular Disney Store merchandise, some of which you can buy online, and items straight from Disney theme parks.

For young Disney fans, you could buy everything from pajamas to princess costumes.

Adults, especially those who are fans of Marvel and the Muppets, could choose between lots of clothing options.

Seasonal items, like Halloween costumes and Christmas decorations, were available when I visited in the summer.

I saw a few Disney fans gathering around walls of mugs, and was tempted to buy one myself.

But then I was distracted by shelves of plush toys, which brought me back to my childhood.

When I visited, I noticed a 40% off sale on children's bathing suits, and discounted toys including princess dolls.

I also found lots of home decor, including wine glasses, trinket trays, and decorative notebooks.

For theme-park lovers, there were plenty of pins, Minnie Mouse ears, and Loungefly bags. To my surprise, these were discounted too.

I was surprised to find some newer merchandise, like the popular nuiMO dolls and accessories. I found an Eeyore one on sale for $6.98, despite originally retailing for $19.99.

I was also thrilled to find popular Disney jewelry. Though it wasn't all on clearance, some pieces were on sale for 30% off.

But what really shocked me were the highly-discounted items, like $5 theme-park sweaters and $3 limited-edition candles.

There is one frustrating aspect of shopping at a Disney Outlet: limited quantities of merchandise. I found shirts I liked that weren't available in my size, and cute collectibles that were a bit damaged.

I bought four items — a "Luca" plush, Mickey Mouse shirt, castle necklace, and reusable bag — which came to $55 total. At full price, the items would have amounted to almost $78.

I loved shopping at the Disney Outlet, and would happily drive 40 minutes to visit again. The store had tons of merchandise, steep discounts, and the Disney magic that fans know and love.