Is Disney Springs Worth It?

[mhgmom]

Hi. It's been several years since we've been to Disney. Our kids were 9 and 7 and will be 16 and 14 for our upcoming trip! Disney Springs is new to us, so I'm not sure if it's worth us factoring it into our plans. Our then 9 year old doesn't remember much about the parks, so that is our priority and they've never been to either of the water parks, so we'd like to get at least one into our plans. None of us are big on shopping and I don't really feel the need to go to WDW for bowling of the movies. All of that being said, should I factor time at Disney Springs into our plan???? Thanks!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

If shoppings not important then no. There are a lot of good restaurants there and the Void is cool but if you’re time strapped I’d skip it.

 

[barb969]

I’d skip it if you’re not shoppers. However your family would probably like the Cirque de Soleil show. It’s not cheap but is enjoyable.

 

[SG131]

How long is your trip? If either of your kids loves Star Wars the void is a really neat experience, but if you only have 6 or 7 days in the park I don’t think it would be worth the trek over there.

 

[NoTime42]

I don’t think it’s necessary to go to Disney Springs.
It’s nice if you have a non-park day or want additional dining options on a longer trip, but not essential.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

It isn't one of the Parks so you are not missing anything.

 

[OKW Lover]

I agree with the PP's that you could probably skip it. Its really about shopping and dining, except for the bowling alley and the movie theater.

 

[elaine amj]

We love the atmosphere at Disney Springs. We are not shoppers but love to dine there or just walk around enjoying the live entertainment. But if time is short, I would stick to the parks. Or - go to Disney Springs after park close.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

If you like malls it’s nice. We’ve gone for lunch one time and dinner another but usually skip it. It definitely doesn’t feel like Disney to us so we’d rather spend time in the parks or at the resorts.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

We usually pop in at least once for shopping and dinner on longer trips. But on shorter trips it’s totally skippable IMO

 

[5kidsmommy]

We usually go one night for a couple hours. We'll get something to eat (dinner or a snack) and walk through the World of Disney store and maybe a couple of others. It's just a fun atmosphere.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I still have not been to the new Disney Springs.

We always say "maybe next trip we should check it out" but never do.

 

[ncc1701]

We love the atmosphere at Disney Springs. We are not shoppers but love to dine there or just walk around enjoying the live entertainment. But if time is short, I would stick to the parks. Or - go to Disney Springs after park close.

That is what we do. OP if you are staying at one of the resorts near DS that have water launch service (OKW, SSR, POR & POFQ) going there is easy compared with driving or using a bus

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Now if the Adventurers club was still open () I’d definitely recommend a visit....

 

[disneyinthespringtime]

How many park days do you have? We did 2 days at MK and the 2nd one we left shortly after the parade to go for an early dinner at Disney springs.

My kids STILL talk about how awesome the dinner experience (Ragland Road) was - it was a big highlight and memory of the trip.

BUT if we only had one day at MK I would not have invested the time to go to DS. We were also at one of the Port Orleans hotels so the ferry back was nice and relaxing too vs doing the bus again.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

We always get over to Disney Springs at least once each trip. I like the atmosphere and we love going to The Boat House for a cold beer and shrimp. One can't miss for us is Ghirardelli for the awesome sundae!

 

[Canooknic]

We love going there for a relaxing evening. A simple supper at Blaze, Ghiardellis for dessert and then the boat back to POR.
We have scheduled an afternoon and evening in for our next trip for the NBA Experience as we're huge basketball fans

 

[snappy]

I would much rather spend time at the resort pool than go to Disney Springs. Been about 3 times in the last 3 years. I am good.

 

[mrsap]

We used to go every trip, but have only gone once since it became Disney Springs. We typically would go for dinner, then get an adult beverage, stroll around, and shop. My kids prefer the parks, so less time for shopping and relaxing. Lots of great restaurants. You might find one you’d like to try. Have fun!

 

[Hafer71]

We never miss an opportunity to head to Disney Springs. There is so much to see and do. It is sooo much nicer than the former Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. A lot more family oriented, lots of food options, and live entertainment in the evenings. For the wife and I we like to bar hop for different appetizers and drinks. We have also spent time on either coast of Florida and make DS a day trip. We walk around DS and also use the Disney transportation and check out other Disney properties. Just a few weeks ago we were in Fl for a trip to Clearwater and ended up making a day of Dinner reservation for Kona cafe at the Poly after spending the afternoon at DS. We consider DS a part of the Disney experience and recommend it!!

 

[darthvaderusa]

It's a fun place. DS and I go there on the day we arrive. I didn't want to spend a day's admission in just a couple of hours. Disney Springs is a fun way to fill in the open time.