Disney Springs - A must do or just another mall

[GoofGoof]

Since the layoff thread got sidetracked with a lot of debate on the merits of Disney Springs I added this thread to continue the discussion. Feel free to talk about anything related to Disney Springs. I would have added an "I miss Pleasure Island" choice for the poll but I'm sure it would have gotten nearly 100% of the votes.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

The World of Disney is my favorite souvenir gift shop. My hubby's is the Lego store and the hat shop (the name escapes me right now). We can't go to Disney without going to Disney Springs. Also, Raglan Road is one of our favorite restaurants.

 

[Mander]

We go for a meal or two (next trip we're doing Morimoto and Paddlefish) and to do some shopping. We really only visit shops with Disney merchandise though. World of Disney is probably what makes it a "must do" for us. Take away the Disney specific offerings and we likely wouldn't visit.

 

[King Capybara 77]

I like the marketplace and the dining options ( heres to you RR) . The shopping part of the springs section just doesn't intrest me.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We always plan at least 3 side trips to DS during our stay. Usually its one morning visit to shop, then off to a park. Then one afternoon that includes a dinner. We always used to do a Cirque show. And the third, we always have a Sunday Gospel Brunch at HoB.

 

[scarr13311]

Just go to Disney Springs to visit the World of Disney or other stores that have Disney souvenirs, or sometimes have a meal and walk around. Now that they put in all those overpriced stores the atmosphere feels like one of those high priced store outlet malls. Disney seems to be losing the magic in some of the changes that are being made (i.e. resort room refurbishments, Disney Springs) sad to see.

 

[GoofGoof]

Just go to Disney Springs to visit the World of Disney or other stores that have Disney souvenirs, or sometimes have a meal and walk around. Now that they put in all those overpriced stores the atmosphere feels like one of those high priced store outlet malls. Disney seems to be losing the magic in some of the changes that are being made (i.e. resort room refurbishments, Disney Springs) sad to see.

I don’t really have much interest in the shopping aspect either. I guess it appeals to some people. I do like the Market Place area which is still mostly the same and Disney focused. It doesn’t bother me at all that they added the other stores. It’s easy to skip.

 

[Bairstow]

I don't know if I'd characterize the place as a "must-do", but given that it's free to get in and usually open for a few hours after the parks close, it's always been a "no good reason not to" kind of thing for us. I don't always buy something there but it's definitely a decent way to spend an evening.

Most of the time we visit the Springs on the evening after a day at MGM, since that part doesn't have the best late night dining options.

 

[FigmentFan3]

I'm a huge fan of the original village marketplace as well as the immaculate theming throughout the added spaces, namely the town center.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

As other people have said, the World of Disney and other exclusive stores are the shopping we do there. But, there's so much more to do. If you're a foodie like me, then there are so many tastes to experience!

 

[KBLovedDisney]

Honestly, even though the ad-on stores were a cool thought, I tend to avoid the new additional area because it isn't well themed (the Springs are, not the stores themselves) and does feel too "mall-ish". Silly, I know but I prefer the Marketplace overall.

 

[DisneyDoctor]

Honestly, even though the ad-on stores were a cool thought, I tend to avoid the new additional area because it isn't well themed (the Springs are, not the stores themselves) and does feel too "mall-ish". Silly, I know but I prefer the Marketplace overall.

Very mall-ish! And, pretty expensive. I'm already spending quite a bit just to be at Disney, definitely don't have the money to add a shopping spree in there lol.

 

[Disvillain63]

We stick to the marketplace shops. We may grab a meal at Ragland Road or attend a show at Cirque.

 

[hanwill]

Its like a really nice high end mall... but we like to walk around and go to world of Disney and maybe a meal... we're not huge souvenir buyers, but we might buy my teenage son clothes if he finds them as a souvenir.... its a very nice area though.

 

[sgtbtlbailey]

We stick to the Marketplace shops as well. Went to the new area last February after getting off the cruise and having time to kill before our flight home. It was nice, but just felt like an outdoor mall and even though I completely understand the point and need for it, the parking garages only enhanced that mall feeling. If I want to go to Banana Republic, I can do it at home. We did have lunch at D-Luxe Burger and it was really good. Other than that and a stop into Joffrey's, we spent the rest of our time in the Marketplace.

 

[GoofGoof]

As other people have said, the World of Disney and other exclusive stores are the shopping we do there. But, there's so much more to do. If you're a foodie like me, then there are so many tastes to experience!

There are so many new and interesting dining options. It’s definitely a huge upgrade over the previous versions for dining.

Honestly, even though the ad-on stores were a cool thought, I tend to avoid the new additional area because it isn't well themed (the Springs are, not the stores themselves) and does feel too "mall-ish". Silly, I know but I prefer the Marketplace overall.

I like all of the waterfront areas. It was smart to better utilized the lake and create more waterfront with the additional springs. As much as I loved PI the clubs never fully utilized those waterfront locations.

 

[Herdman]

We usually walk through most of it, but World of Disney is the only store we spend a lot of time in. The other few we go in we just duck in and look around. That being said, we love going and do it every year on the evening of our resort day. If I had to give up a theme park to go to DS instead I'm not sure I could do that. We do stop in at most of the bakery/food related stores. My waist line is the proof...

 

[brifraz]

I wouldn't quite call it a must-do, but pretty a most-likely-do. We almost always have a meal at Raglan Road and most trips we will hit one other restaurant (or sometimes we do a little Springs-crawl and visit a couple different places for a drink or a small bite to share). Shopping-wise, we love to walk into quite a few of the shops and take a look at things, but rarely do we buy anything.

 

[Bullseye1967]

I love to stop and shop at World of Disney, as well as many of the other classic shops. When It comes to the upscale shopping, we don't do much of it, but we have bought some great stuff at Uniqlo. I have eaten at every dining destination at Disney Springs. Some I think are great and others I would be happy to never visit again. RR is a must every visit as is Earl of Sandwich. It is by far the best bang for your buck on property. Let's also not forget all the unique entertainment such as the travelling piano and the many talented artists that provide FREE live music every night. Disney Springs has a little something for everyone. Will all the new stores make it? Time will tell. RIP Pleasure Island.

 

[GoofGoof]

The fact that this is even being questioned (and it is a lot) is a problem. The problem with Disney Springs is that very little of it is unique, yes it's been said thousands of times but it's still true. When your lineup is 95% third party chain venues that you can find elsewhere (some of which just down the road) then why go there to begin with?

Almost every shopping area in America has majority third party chain stores. By this logic nobody should ever shop anywhere

Disney Springs is not unique like Pleasure Island was but that doesn’t mean it has no value at all either. If you are going in expecting it to be a 5th gate or a fully immersive unique experience you are going to be disappointed. It’s a free to visit shopping and dining area that has some entertainment options as well. It’s not a reason to visit WDW but it can be an enjoyable place to spend some time while there on vacation. There are also buses or boats to get directly from Disney hotels to the area so if people are visiting without a car it’s a lot more convenient than driving to another mall “down the road”.