Disney Springs – previously known as the Walt Disney World Village – is the Florida resort’s shopping, dining and leisure destination and it’s one of our favourite places to go if you fancy some time out from the parks (trust us, you may think this is impossible now, but all that scorching Florida heat can take its toll on sun-starved Brits after a while).
If you’re staying at one of the Buena Vista-based hotels – including third-party hotels like the Hilton or the Four Seasons resort, you’ll find Disney Springs lies within walking distance. But you can also drive there (parking is free) or, if you’re staying at a Disney resort, you’ll find a free bus will take you there, courtesy of the Disney Transportation system. Hotels close to the Sassagoula River – such as the Port Orleans – will take you to Disney Springs via boat, an experience which is utterly lovely and which we can highly recommend.
Once there, you’ll find an airy, beautifully-designed, waterside complex of shops, eateries, bars and entertainment, including a cinema, a tethered hot air balloon (which offers rides), vintage Amphicar tours (those are boats made to look like classic cars that take you for a spin around the water) and the breathtaking Cirque du Soleil. It’s definitely worth a visit, whether during the day or later in the evening. Opening hours vary but Disney Springs is normally open from about 10am until around 11-11.30pm.
It also has some fab restaurants you won’t want to miss out on. Dining at Disney Springs has, traditionally, been a more relaxed affair than eating at some of the restaurants at the parks, mainly because of the presence of several third-party chains, such as McDonalds and the Rainforest Cafe. But, for the more popular spots, you should still book in advance (remember, you can book dining reservations 60 days in advance of your stay).
Here are some of our favourites:
The Boathouse
The Boathouse has only been operating at Disney Springs since 2015 but it already feels like an institution, in the very best sense. It’s super-casual, fun food – lobster rolls, cocktails – in a relaxed, coastal bar-like interior. We loved the atmosphere inside and outside, where the fun continued on the evening we visited with a live music show and intrepid explorers preparing to take the plunge in the aforementioned vintage Amphicar, which is based right next door and is well worth a look.
Wolfgang Puck
Wolfgang Puck’s express restaurant was a fixture at this location for several years, beloved by fans of casual dining for its speedy service and delicious, good value food. The express bar has gone but Wolfgang Puck lives on in its bar and grill, offering the same laid-back California style. It’s here that you can come for your avocado on toast and wood-fired pizza brunches. If you’re looking for a UK point of comparison, think high street staple Bill’s, with added sunshine.
Rainforest Cafe AND T-Rex
These are both run by Landry’s Inc, a Houston-based company and we really like them for different reasons. They are both themed to the max – we probably prefer the atmosphere at Rainforest, where you’re surrounded by leafy jungle and the animatronic wildlife to match, as well as a simmering volcano and regular tropical storms, which seem to bring the gorillas and elephants to life. But, on our last visit to Disney, we had the best service we had anywhere at Disney World at T-Rex – the waitress was lovely with our young family and lots of fun. T-Rex, as you’d expect, has a prehistoric theme with animatronic dinosaurs. Both have hugely family-friendly menus, loads of choice and kids love them.
Terralina Crafted Italian
This waterfront eatery moved in when our old favourite, the Portobello Yacht Club moved out, and we have to say, it’s every bit as good as its predecessor. The menu includes high-quality ingredients with plenty of options for fish and meat-eaters and vegetarians, including seafood fettucini, pork gnocchi and wild mushroom risotto. It probably veers more towards Italian-American fare (Portobello always had an air of rustic Italian). But it’s still delicious!
The Basket at Wine Bar George
Wine Bar George is a restaurant and bar located in The Landing area of Disney Springs. Again, you’ll find brunch service here (brunch is a very Disney Springs meal!) and arrays of artisan nibbles – a little like you get served in European bars, along with your drinks. You can try pumpkin fritters with sage, pan seared chicken and steak and look – it’s our favourite Disney dessert – key lime pie.
Paddlefish
Paddlefish is located in a Disney Springs landmark – the restaurant boat previously known as The Empress Lilly, named in honour of Walt’s wife. This was a beloved destination for many years but fell into disrepair during the 1990s, before becoming Fulton’s Crab House for several years. Fulton’s incurred the wrath of several Disney regulars by removing several of the boat’s features in their refurb but, under the name Paddlefish, the boat has been restored to something a bit more akin to its former glory, albeit a bit less fancy and formal. The food is pretty good too – as you’d expect, it’s surf ‘n’ turf, with crab ceviche and poke bowls sit alongside shrimp pasta and rib eye steak and (for the adventurous) grilled octopus.
These are just some of the ones we’ve eaten at, so let us know if you have a favourite dining destination too. And we haven’t even begun to touch on the wealth of casual dining options at Disney Springs – you can pick up pretzels, burritos, churros, ice cream, coffee, doughnuts, poutine, not to mention the legendary pineapple Dole Whips. My mouth is watering just writing those words… we feel a whole different blog post is needed to describe our love for Disney Springs snacks!
