Is Disney Springs Worth it?
The “Magical or Tragical” series offers up my group’s opinion on some of the offerings at Disney World. Pros and Cons, Dustless Pixie-style.
Is Disney Springs worth adding to your Disney World vacation plans?
While planning your trip to Disney World, I’m sure you have seen or heard the words “Disney Springs” a lot. Once called Downtown Disney, Disney Springs is, basically, a large outdoor mall located near the parks. It covers 120 acres along Lake Buena Vista with meandering paths around storefronts and restaurants. Considered part of the Disney World Resort, Disney Springs obviously has a lot of Disney going on, but not everything there is. Plenty of other shopping and entertainment options fall outside of Mouse’s purview.
Considering giving up some precious park or resort down time for a trip over? Looking for something to do on arrival or departure days without park tickets? Let’s see if we can give you some information to help make that decision.
Getting there is pretty easy. Mostly.
Guests can use Disney World’s free bus transportation to Disney Springs from the resorts. After 4pm, guests can also take buses from the theme parks to Disney Springs. The buses run fairly regularly and are FREE. That’s the pretty easy part.
There are two small stumbling blocks, however. The first is that buses DO NOT travel from Disney Springs to the theme parks. Taking the bus from Disney Springs to a theme park involves a two step process. Guests need to take a bus from Disney Springs to a resort and then get another bus at the resort to the theme parks.
Similarly, guests looking to travel to Disney Springs from a theme park BEFORE 4pm also have a two step process: bus from the theme park to a resort and then a bus to Disney Springs. Basically the resorts have to be a stepping stone to and from Disney Springs in those cases.
It’s not a complicated process, but does involve more travel time.
It’s a good way to sneak a boat ride into the mix.
Guests at Old Key West or the Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside resorts can take a boat over to Disney Springs. Guests staying at Saratoga Springs are either a boat ride OR short walk to Disney Springs. It’s a super simple and scenic way to get from point A to point B. If you have the time, and have to do the two step process to get there anyway, consider taking the bus to one of those resorts and then the boat to Disney Springs. You don’t have to be a guest at those resorts to take advantage of the FREE boat transportation.
It’s not all Disney but it does have a lot of it.
While some of the merchandise in the Disney centric shops is the same as what you can get in the parks, a lot of it is unique to Disney Springs. DisneyStyle and the Cherry Tree Lane dress shop have a lot of fun and different items for sale. ALL of the Disney Pandora or Alex and Ani jewelry is for sale here and some of it is not necessarily available in the parks. I think the Disney Springs Location of Disney Pin Traders has the best and most varied selection of pins on property.
That being said, it is a mall and there are “chain” stores. Chances are that your town may not have many of them nearby, however, so take a look at the list of stores to see if anything strikes your fancy.
There are many, many great restaurants.
Disney Springs has a ton of really great dining locations for snacks, desserts, quick meals and sit down table service. Making a trip over just for a meal is not unheard of. Most of the restaurants are also part of the Disney Dining Plan which adds even more dining options for using those credits should you choose to purchase a plan.
Goofy’s Candy Company is the best place to unload left over Dining Plan snack credits. Pick up edible “souvenirs” for friends and family back home. Or, shore up your at home supply of Mickey shaped goodies. I’m not judging.
There is something for everyone from foodies to chicken nugget fans. For a complete list of restaurants, click here.
It’s a great way to take a break from the parks.
If one of the Disney parks is a half day park for your group, Disney Springs is a great way to split your day. When we couldn’t get a Flight of Passage FastPass for earlier in the day, we snatched a late afternoon one and planned to spend the morning and early afternoon at Disney Springs. It worked out perfectly. We had lunch at D-Luxe Burger, shopped and then hopped a bus over to Animal Kingdom Lodge to chill out in the lobby. After taking in the ambiance, we took a bus from the Lodge to Animal Kingdom and spent the late afternoon and evening there.
The reverse could work as well. Rope drop a park in the morning and then have a swim at your resort when you have had your fill of attractions. After your afternoon siesta, get ready and head over to Disney Springs. Spending the evening shopping, eating dinner and strolling around the area can round out a perfect day.
Use it to spice up travel or rest days.
Looking for something to do on arrival or departure day if you don’t have park tickets? Disney Springs is PERFECT for that. Figuring in a mid trip rest day without going to the parks? Consider sleeping in, hanging at the resort and then heading over to Disney Springs later in the day.
While Disney Springs does attract crowds, they are pretty dispersed throughout the area. The pace is DEFINITELY less hectic than a park day and works well for a mostly “rest” day.
There is a Unique PhotoPass experience.
Disney Springs has a great Disney PhotoPass Studio. If you have Memory Maker, this activity is a no-brainer. Located inside the Marketplace, PhotoPass Cast Members take pictures of your group in front of a green screen. You have no idea what the backdrop is until you see the pictures later. It’s a lot of fun and a must do if you are fans of PhotoPass. The backdrops are unique to this studio and a service like this is not offered in the parks.
The studio is also where you can have pictures taken after getting your Princesses and Knights all fixed up at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Lego fans will love the Giant Lego Store.
If there are any Lego fans in you group, there is a HUGE Lego store for them to visit. The store is a great place to occupy the kiddos for a bit. Giant Lego sculptures inside and outside of the store make for great photo opportunities.
Use it as another way to resort snoop.
We are big fans of resort snooping. How else can we figure out where we want to stay on future visits? Disney World resort properties are open to all guests with the exception of the actual rooms and the pools. Why not take advantage of that?
As I mentioned above, Disney Springs is a scenic boat ride away from the Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter resorts. We like to head over for a beignet breakfast at the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory food court at French Quarter, walk along the river to the boat dock at Riverside and have a leisurely boat ride to Disney Springs.
It’s a great way to check out those resorts and the PERFECT thing to do if you are already staying there!
It’s not all shopping and eating. Disney Springs has some attractions of its own.
Go up in a giant balloon, ride a car in the water, or watch live music. Your kids can hug a giant Coca Cola polar bear or ride a carousel. Tweens and teens might enjoy The Void virtual reality Star Wars or Wreck It Ralph experiences.
If you need to escape the heat or rain, there is an AMC movie theater as well as a Splitsville bowling alley at your disposal.
Check the complete list of activities and entertainment.
So. Is Disney Spring worth it in the long run?
That depends on how much time you have to devote to it. It is fairly easy to get there, however, it can take some time to get there. One solution is taking Lyft, Uber or Disney World’s Minnie Van service if you aren’t driving yourself or don’t want to wait for the bus. However, those options are pricier, particularly the Minnie Van service. While we splurged on the Minnie Van service when it was shiny and new, the upgraded base charge may squash that for us now.
The free resort bus service from Disney Springs has worked out for us as well, but it does depend on how you are getting there. Remember, a two bus trip may be in the cards. It is totally doable. Just factor in the travel time.
If you like to shop and eat, Disney Springs is probably worth a half day of your time. Consider going on arrival or departure day if time permits. Any day that you don’t plan on going to the parks is also a good option. Maybe even just dropping in for dinner and an evening stroll would be nice.
Having said all of that, it’s a mall. I don’t necessarily recommend heading over if you are already busy enjoying the parks. This is especially true if it is your first visit. While it has loads of interesting shops that I don’t have at home, that might not be the case depending on where you are from. Check out the full list of shops, entertainment, and dining at the official Disney Springs site. Disney Springs can be a great addition to your Disney World vacation, but only if you have the time to spare.
