Disney Springs

Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment district at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando. Operated as part of the Disney resort, it combines retail, restaurants, bars, attractions, live entertainment, transportation links, and Disney-owned merchandise experiences in a setting designed to function as a destination beyond the resort’s theme parks. Admission to the district is generally free, although individual restaurants, attractions, entertainment venues, and premium services charge separately. The complex opened on March 22, 1975, as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. It was initially conceived as a relatively conventional shopping area serving Walt Disney World visitors and nearby residents. Disney subsequently repositioned it several times as the resort’s visitor base expanded and the company sought to encourage guests to remain on Disney property for more of their leisure time. The site became Walt Disney World Village in 1977 and Disney Village Marketplace in 1989. In 1997, it was incorporated into the larger Downtown Disney district, which added the West Side entertainment area and broadened the mix of shopping, dining, nightlife, and attractions. The modern Disney Springs identity was announced in 2013 as part of a multiyear redevelopment. The redesign substantially expanded the site, added Town Center, introduced new parking and road infrastructure, and replaced the former Downtown Disney concept with a fictional Florida town organized around a natural spring. Disney Springs officially adopted its current name on September 29, 2015, while Town Center opened in phases beginning in 2016. The creative concept presents four neighborhoods—Marketplace, The Landing, Town Center, and West Side—each associated with a different period and function in the imagined history of the town. The design draws on Florida coastal communities, including Spanish Revival and American Craftsman influences. The approximately 120-acre complex includes Disney-operated stores such as World of Disney and a broad collection of third-party retailers, restaurants, lounges, theaters, and entertainment providers. Major dining and entertainment offerings have included The Boathouse, Paddlefish, Rainforest Cafe, T-REX, Raglan Road Irish Pub, AMC Disney Springs 24, and Cirque du Soleil’s former resident production La Nouba. Attractions and experiences have changed over time: DisneyQuest closed in 2017, the NBA Experience operated briefly from 2019 until the COVID-19 shutdown, and later redevelopment plans have continued to reshape the West Side. Disney Springs also operates as a transportation hub within Walt Disney World. Disney Transport buses connect it with resort hotels, while water taxis serve Disney Springs and selected nearby Disney resort hotels. The district is highly automobile-oriented and is supported by the Orange, Lime, and Grapefruit parking garages as well as surface lots. Disney Springs closed on March 17, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and began a phased reopening on May 20, 2020. In 2024, it hosted Dreams That Soar, a limited-run nighttime drone show. Its continuing role is to provide a flexible, high-capacity leisure district that extends Disney’s resort ecosystem beyond ticketed theme-park gates.

Disney Springs originated as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, which opened on March 22, 1975. The original concept was a modest shopping destination within Walt Disney World rather than a major entertainment district. Disney renamed it Walt Disney World Village in 1977. Under the resort strategy associated with Michael Eisner’s management era, Disney increasingly looked for ways to keep vacationers on property after theme-park hours and to compete with Orlando’s off-property nightlife and entertainment venues. That strategy produced Pleasure Island, announced in 1986 and opened on May 1, 1989. The nighttime district added clubs and comedy venues and helped transform the shopping village into a broader leisure destination. The surrounding complex was renamed Disney Village Marketplace later in 1989. In the 1990s, Disney invested heavily in the area as Walt Disney World grew. The first World of Disney store opened in the Marketplace in 1996, and the West Side expansion opened on September 15, 1997. West Side added major entertainment and retail concepts, including DisneyQuest, AMC theaters, Virgin Megastore, Planet Hollywood, and the resident Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba. The broader district was branded Downtown Disney beginning in September 1997. Pleasure Island’s clubs closed permanently on September 27, 2008. Disney briefly explored replacing the area with a turn-of-the-century wharf concept called Hyperion Wharf, but those plans were delayed and ultimately abandoned in favor of a comprehensive redevelopment. Disney announced the Disney Springs project on March 14, 2013. The planned changes included expanded retail and dining capacity, approximately 150 additional tenants, new parking structures, redesigned pedestrian connections, a new bus terminal, road improvements, and a fictional Florida-town theme organized around springs and four neighborhoods. The Disney Springs name became official on September 29, 2015. Town Center, constructed largely on former surface parking areas, opened in phases, with the initial area opening in 2016 and the first phase of retail opening on May 15, 2017. The redevelopment introduced Spanish Revival architecture in Town Center, coastal and industrial references in The Landing, and themed pedestrian infrastructure linking the four districts. The Grapefruit Garage opened on April 16, 2019, completing the principal parking expansion. Disney Springs has continued to evolve through changes in tenants and attractions. The former Pleasure Island area became The Landing. Fulton's Crab House was extensively remodeled and reopened as Paddlefish. DisneyQuest closed on July 2, 2017, and the NBA Experience later occupied the site, opening in August 2019 but never reopening after the pandemic closure; Disney confirmed in 2021 that it would remain closed. The district’s entertainment program has also included seasonal and limited-run offerings, such as the 2024 Dreams That Soar drone show. Transportation has remained central to the complex’s operation. Disney Transport buses connect Disney Springs with Disney resort hotels, and water taxis connect the district with selected resort hotels around Lake Buena Vista. Three parking garages and multiple surface lots support visitors arriving by car. In 2022, Disney ended plans for a nearby Brightline station, leaving Disney Springs dependent primarily on road, bus, ferry, and private-vehicle access.

1. 2024Dreams That Soar presented

   A limited-run nighttime drone show operates from May 24 through September 2.

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2. 2020Pandemic closure and phased reopening

   Disney Springs closes on March 17 and begins phased reopening on May 20.

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3. 2017Town Center retail phase opens

   The first major Town Center retail phase opens on May 15.

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4. 2015Disney Springs name introduced

   The current name officially replaces Downtown Disney on September 29.

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5. 2013Disney Springs redevelopment announced

   Disney announces a multiyear expansion and comprehensive redesign of Downtown Disney.

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6. 2008Pleasure Island clubs close

   The district’s nightclubs close permanently on September 27.

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7. 1997Downtown Disney branding launches

   The complex adopts the Downtown Disney identity and opens the West Side expansion.

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8. 1996World of Disney opens

   The first World of Disney store opens in the Marketplace on October 2.

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9. 1989Pleasure Island opens

   A nighttime entertainment district with clubs and comedy venues opens on May 1.

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10. 1977First renaming to Walt Disney World Village

    Disney changes the name as the destination develops beyond its initial shopping-village concept.

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11. 1975Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village opens

    The complex opens on March 22 as a shopping destination within Walt Disney World Resort.

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A free-to-enter, resort-integrated shopping, dining, and entertainment destination designed for Walt Disney World visitors and local leisure traffic.

• World of DisneyRetail1996

  A large Disney merchandise store in the Marketplace offering apparel, toys, souvenirs, collectibles, home goods, and other products associated with Disney characters, franchises, and theme-park destinations.

• Disney Springs dining collectionDining1975

  A broad restaurant and bar portfolio spanning counter service, table service, themed dining, international cuisine, nightlife, and waterfront venues. Notable concepts have included The Boathouse, Paddlefish, T-REX, Rainforest Cafe, and Raglan Road.

• Amphicar cruisesRecreation2015

  The Boathouse operates sightseeing cruises on Lake Buena Vista using amphibious automobiles that function both as road vehicles and boats. The experience connects the waterfront setting with the district’s transportation and entertainment theme.

• AMC Disney Springs 24Entertainment1997

  A large cinema complex on the West Side offering movie screenings and enhanced food-service formats. It developed from the former AMC Pleasure Island Theatres and has been rebranded alongside the wider district.

• Dreams That SoarLive entertainment2024

  A limited-run nighttime drone presentation featuring coordinated aerial imagery and music. It was staged over Disney Springs during the 2024 summer season rather than functioning as a permanent attraction.

• NBA ExperienceInteractive attraction2019

  An interactive basketball-themed attraction that occupied the former DisneyQuest site on the West Side. It opened in August 2019, closed during the pandemic in 2020, and was later confirmed not to reopen.

• 2022Cancellation of planned Brightline stationStrategy

  A proposed rail connection would have linked the Walt Disney World area with Orlando Airport, Tampa, and Miami.

  What changed. Disney announced that the planned station would not be built and that the rail service would not run on Walt Disney World property.

  Aftermath. Disney Springs continued to rely on road access, Disney buses, water taxis, and other existing transportation options.

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• 2020Temporary pandemic closure and phased reopeningOther

  The COVID-19 pandemic led Disney to suspend operations at the complex in Florida.

  What changed. Disney Springs closed on March 17 and reopened in phases beginning May 20, subject to health and operational measures.

  Aftermath. The district resumed operations before the full Walt Disney World theme-park complex returned to service.

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• 2013Comprehensive redevelopment and rebrandingStrategy

  Disney sought to expand the former Downtown Disney district, improve visitor circulation, add capacity, and create a stronger all-day shopping and entertainment proposition within Walt Disney World.

  What changed. The company announced a multiyear transformation into Disney Springs, adding Town Center, parking garages, pedestrian bridges, transportation infrastructure, and new tenants.

  Aftermath. The new name was introduced in 2015, with the major redevelopment completed through phased openings from 2016 onward.

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• 2024Dreams That Soar drone show begins at Disney Springs

  Disney introduced a nighttime drone presentation at Disney Springs that ran from May 24 through September 2, 2024.

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• 2022Brightline Walt Disney World station plans are canceled

  Disney announced that the proposed Brightline station at Walt Disney World would not be built and that the planned rail service would not operate on the resort property.

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• 2020Disney Springs closes during the COVID-19 pandemic

  Disney Springs closed on March 17, 2020, as Florida implemented pandemic-related restrictions. Disney announced a phased reopening beginning May 20, 2020.

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1. Disney Springs
2. Official Disney Springs website