If I think about it, I probably like the small resort shops a little better than the ones in the park. Mostly because the resort shops tends to be a bit less busy.
One thing that has disappointed me over the last several years is a homogenization of the Disney gift shops. Before I lived in Florida, I'd truly delight in spending one day of my Disney vacation riding buses, catching boats and hopping on monorails going from resort shop to resort shop. Why? Because each gift shop used to carry unique merchandise. Now you can find just about the same core products in every shop. An exception, of course, is resort-specific merchandise.
I suppose there's a convenience factor there for some guests. But, the quest for the perfect Disney vacation souvenir was always part of the fun for me.
Still... I walk into every shop "just in case" there is something I've never seen before. That maybe, just maybe, the shops will go back to being a little unique. A girl can dream, can't she? That's part of the Disney magic.