The big reason why I went to Orlando was because I was wrestling down there. And I knew that I had to do something wrestling related outside of my business while I was in town.
That’s where Hogan’s Beach Shop came in. They opened their Orlando location just in time for WrestleMania 33, which was on the Sunday after I left. And it took a couple of attempts to actually get into the store.
That’s because they were doing autograph signings as part of the grand opening with none other than Hulk Hogan himself. I didn’t have the urge to pay at least $100 (I heard $150) to meet the Hulkster and get his autograph. I was just curious to see what kind of things they sold at the Beach Shop.
And boy is there a lot of Hogan merchandise & memorabilia. The first thing that popped out at me was the custom Hulk Hogan Dodge Viper sitting in the middle of the store that was bright red and yellow. I just took a look and said to myself, “eh, I don’t drive stick.”
I moved onto seeing 3 life-sized Hogan figures (one in each corner not occupied by the cash register), as well as a NWO motorcycle, numerous signed pieces of unique/vintage merchandise, championship belts, old VHS tapes and even a random Van Halen backstage pass. The non-signed merch included T-shirts of all colors & sizes, action figures of himself & other WWE superstars, a Hulk Hogan Halloween costume kit, weight belts, protein shaker bottles, glasses & much more.
What was even more fascinating were the few non-Hulk items in the store that looked like you can just get them at any gift shop. I guess they sell them just because some people might be dragged to Hogan’s Beach Shop against their will during their trip to Orlando. I also enjoyed that they played Hogan-related wrestling clips and movies on the multiple TVs in the store. I found myself watching a bit of Mr. Nanny when visiting the store.
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience even though I didn’t buy anything. It was a fun detour in the AC on an 85-and-sunny day.
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