Disney Springs is the kind of place that surprises people who go in expecting a glorified mall. It started life in 1975 as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, a modest lakeside shopping area for Walt Disney World hotel guests. Over the following decades it evolved through several identities, becoming Pleasure Island in the 1980s and eventually Downtown Disney in the 1990s. The current Disney Springs, which opened in phases between 2015 and 2016, represents a $2 billion reimagining that turned a utilitarian shopping center into something genuinely interesting to visit regardless of whether you buy anything.
This is a guide to what Disney Springs actually is, what makes it worth spending time there, and how DVC members in particular can use it as part of a broader Walt Disney World trip.
The Four Districts and What Each Offers
Disney Springs is organized into four neighborhoods, each with a distinct design language inspired by different aspects of Florida's history and geography.
The Marketplace
The Marketplace is the oldest section and contains the World of Disney store, which Disney describes as the world's largest Disney character merchandise location. Whether or not that designation is accurate, the store is genuinely large, organized by character and theme, and worth walking through even if you are not a serious shopper. The selection includes things you will not find in the parks, and prices on many items are identical to what you would pay inside the gates.
The LEGO Store in the Marketplace has a hands-on building area where children can construct things with demonstration bricks, plus a life-size LEGO sculpture display outside that changes periodically. It tends to be a crowd-stopper for families with children who have any interest in LEGO. Marketplace Co-Op cycles through merchandise from Disney-inspired independent designers and small brands, which gives it a different character from the flagship stores.
The Marketplace lakefront area has water views, boat docks for transportation from certain resort hotels, and a generally pleasant pedestrian atmosphere in the evenings. Gideon's Bakehouse in the Marketplace makes very large, dense cookies that have developed a genuine cult following. The wait can be long during peak periods but the product is legitimately excellent if you like that style of baked good.
The Landing
The Landing sits along the water between the Marketplace and the West Side and has a waterfront dining and entertainment focus. The design references Florida waterfront architecture of the early 20th century. Dining anchors include STK, a modern steakhouse with a lively atmosphere, Raglan Road Irish Pub which brings in Irish folk performers from Ireland, and The Boathouse, an upscale seafood restaurant with vintage amphicars that actually drive into the lake.
The Landing is the district with the strongest evening atmosphere. The combination of water views, string lighting, and the mix of restaurants creates something that genuinely feels like a destination rather than a shopping stop.
Town Center
Town Center is the newer section of Disney Springs and has the most conventional retail mix. The architecture references historic Florida resort towns, and the tenants include a range of national and international brands: Anthropologie, Kate Spade, Levi's, Zara, Uniqlo, and others alongside Disney-focused retailers. If you need to do practical shopping during a Disney trip, non-Disney brands included, Town Center is where you do it.
The Coca-Cola Store in Town Center has an unusual rooftop terrace where you can try Coca-Cola products from around the world, which is a better experience than it sounds. The M&M Store next door has a similar concept. Both are tourist-focused but genuinely fun for short visits.
West Side
The West Side has the entertainment venues: Cirque du Soleil performs "Drawn to Life" here, a show that incorporates Disney animation into Cirque's signature acrobatic format. House of Blues has live music and a restaurant. AMC Theatres operates one of the larger multiplex cinemas in the Orlando area at the West Side. For a non-park evening, West Side offers genuine evening entertainment options that go beyond shopping.
The Historical Context: From 1975 to Today
The evolution of what is now Disney Springs reflects broader shifts in how people relate to Disney as a destination. The original 1975 Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village was purely functional: a place for hotel guests to buy things they needed without leaving the property. By the 1980s, Pleasure Island added nightlife, with ticketed clubs and entertainment venues that created an adult evening district adjacent to the family-focused parks.
The transition to Downtown Disney in the 1990s expanded both the retail and dining, but the design was more additive than intentional. Different sections felt disconnected because they were built at different times without a unifying vision. By the early 2010s, Disney management had concluded that the shopping district needed a fundamental rethinking to compete with Orlando's growing selection of non-Disney entertainment and retail options.
The Disney Springs project started in 2013 and cost roughly $2 billion. The design drew on research into Florida's actual history, particularly the natural springs that were gathering places for communities throughout central Florida in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The four districts represent different aspects of that historical Florida identity: industrial waterfront, resort town, marketplace, and entertainment district. Whether guests consciously register that narrative is less important than whether the physical environment feels coherent, and the current Disney Springs does feel more intentionally designed than its predecessors.
DVC Member Benefits at Disney Springs
DVC members receive merchandise discounts at select Disney Springs retailers and dining discounts at participating restaurants. The specific discounts and participating locations change over time, so the most current list is available in your DVC member portal or by asking at individual stores. The standard DVC merchandise discount tends to be around 10 percent at World of Disney and other Disney-operated retail locations, which adds up on higher-value purchases.
The practical benefit for DVC members beyond discounts is how Disney Springs fits into a multi-day stay. When you are staying at a DVC resort for a week rather than rushing a single-day trip, Disney Springs becomes a natural half-day option for days when you want to be at Disney but not in a park. It is free admission, there is parking, and it is accessible by Disney transportation from all the on-property resorts.
Several DVC resorts have boat transportation directly to Disney Springs. Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans, and Caribbean Beach all have boat access that makes Disney Springs easy to reach without dealing with parking. If your resort has boat access, the Disney Springs trip has a different character than driving: you board a boat from your resort, arrive at the Marketplace dock, and spend the evening with water transportation back at the end. It is a genuinely pleasant way to spend an evening that most guests who stay at those resorts never take advantage of.
Dining at Disney Springs: What Is Worth Your Time
Disney Springs has over 60 dining options, which sounds like more than it needs, but the quality across the dining options is more consistent than you might expect from a shopping district. A few restaurants have become genuine destinations that people plan visits around.
The Boathouse combines a thoughtful seafood menu with the spectacle of vintage amphicar tours, where boats that also function as cars drive directly into the lake and take guests on water tours. The food is good enough to stand on its own without the novelty element, which is a meaningful bar to clear. Reservations are recommended.
Raglan Road Irish Pub has Irish folk musicians performing nightly, a genuinely Irish kitchen, and an atmosphere that reproduces an actual Irish pub environment rather than an American interpretation of one. The performers come from Ireland and the energy on busy nights is distinctive. It is one of the few restaurants at Walt Disney World that feels like an actual place rather than a themed concept.
Maria and Enzo's Ristorante and its adjacent quick-service sibling, Pizza Ponte, occupy a gorgeous building designed to look like a 1930s Italian airport terminal. The food is solid Italian and the setting is the most visually distinctive restaurant environment in Disney Springs.
For quick service, Chicken Guy! from celebrity chef Guy Fieri has developed a following among Disney regulars for its chicken tenders and variety of sauces. It is counter service, fast, and genuinely better than the price point would suggest.
Practical Information
Disney Springs is open daily with no admission charge. Parking is free in the large garages and surface lots. The Disney Skyliner gondola connects Disney Springs to several resort hotels, and bus transportation runs to all Walt Disney World resorts. Operating hours are roughly 10 AM to 11 PM with entertainment venues and some restaurants staying open later.
The district gets busiest in the evenings, particularly Thursday through Sunday. If you want a less crowded shopping experience, weekday mornings are the quietest window. For the evening atmosphere and entertainment, the busiest periods actually contribute to the energy, and Disney Springs at peak capacity on a Saturday evening has a lively character that is not unpleasant.
If you are a DVC member looking at resorts and want to know which properties have the easiest Disney Springs access, check our resort overview page. Saratoga Springs Resort is directly adjacent to Disney Springs and is often cited for that specific location advantage. Old Key West and the Port Orleans properties have boat access that makes the trip an experience in itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Disney Springs worth visiting if you are not a Disney fan?
Yes, particularly if you are with a family that has mixed levels of Disney interest. The combination of National retail brands in Town Center, genuine entertainment options at the West Side, and good dining across all four districts means non-Disney-specific guests have real options. The design of the district is pleasant independent of its Disney connection, and it functions as a legitimate entertainment and dining destination rather than purely a merchandise opportunity.
Do you need a park ticket to visit Disney Springs?
No. Disney Springs is free to enter. No park ticket is required. You can drive in and park for free, or arrive via Disney transportation from resort hotels. The only costs are whatever you choose to spend on dining, shopping, or entertainment tickets for specific shows like Cirque du Soleil.
Do DVC resorts have transportation directly to Disney Springs?
All Walt Disney World DVC resorts have bus service to Disney Springs. Several resorts also have boat service: Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Caribbean Beach all have direct boat routes to Disney Springs. The boat trip is a pleasant way to arrive and is included as part of Disney's resort transportation system at no additional cost.
What is the best restaurant at Disney Springs?
This is genuinely subjective, but Raglan Road Irish Pub and The Boathouse are the two restaurants that most consistently get recommended by guests who visit regularly. Both have reservations available through Disney's dining system and are worth booking 60 days in advance, particularly for weekend evenings. If you have young children who need faster service, Wine Bar George is excellent for adults and accommodating for families, and the quick-service options in the Marketplace handle families with minimal fuss.
If you are considering DVC ownership and want to understand how Disney Springs access and other resort benefits factor into the ownership experience, our team at DVC Sales is happy to answer questions. We have been helping families navigate the DVC decision for over 25 years.
