Disney Springs for young family

[DisIsForMe]

We are en route and making better time than expected. So have an opportunity to add an unplanned adventure. We are offsite so thinking to go to Disney Springs. Any must-do recommendations? We have 6,4,4,2 year olds. Are there lots of characters there? Easily accessible on a Saturday evening?
No theatre - sat in car for 23 hours driving already.

 

[birthygirl]

There are no characters in DS. Plenty of restaurants and shops. My kids loved the Lego store and the statues made from Lego surrounding it. T-Rex Cafe is a neat place to eat if your kids like dinosaurs and they can dig in the sand for "bones" (though not a Disney exclusive if that matters). You can ride the water taxi from one end to the other (and back).

 

[DisIsForMe]

@birthygirl Awesome info! Thanks. Do you need to dine at T Rex in order to do the bone hunting?

 

[birthygirl]

It's attached to the gift shop, so I don't guess you technically have to eat to play there.

Have you considered going to any of the resorts for out-of-park activities?

 

[DisIsForMe]

Needed to go to Disney Springs already to redeem our vouchers for tickets at guest services. Did you have something specific to recommend resort-wise? First-timer here.

 

[birthygirl]

From DS you could take the boat to the Port Orleans resorts. They have a campfire at 5:30 (sticks and marshmallows are free, and you can purchase the other ingredients) and there is an outdoor movie (tonight they're showing Moana at PO-R, the kids could still move and not just sit still after the long car ride).

 

[SweetMissy]

We don't care for DS, especially now that they've added way too much. There's a big disney store there which is nice. T-rex and Rainforest Cafe are good/fun places to eat and the lego store...that's about all we go for, if we do. Have fun!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

If you don't mind your kids getting wet, there is a fountain outside earl of sandwich that my son loves. But with your age kids and so many of them I think headed to my hotel and swimming would be more fun. Get some swimming out of the way first thing because that's all your kids will be asking to do when they are in the parks. Might as well beat them to the requests.

 

[tee11]

I would head to my resort/pool!

By the way - Hats of to you on making good time with ages 6,4,4, 2 driving 23 (!) hours!

How did you do it??
(Day/night driving, how many hours at a time?)

Enjoy your vacation!!

 

[blackpearl77]

Lego store, Goofy's candy store where you can make/decorate your own, T-Rex, Rainforest Cafe, World if Disney if you want to shop - big toy section.

 

[birthygirl]

Let us know what you ended up doing, @DisIsForMe and how it went!

(Also, kudos to you for 23 hours in a car with kids that age! Mine get restless on the 10 minute trip to the store! lol)

 

[DisIsForMe]

Thanks all, the time we made up was lost at the end so we stuck to swimming at rental house which they loved.
My crew were definitely angels for such a long ride. We left at 4 pm and got in at 6 pm. 4 (fairly small) adults / 4 kids in van. Only the 2 of us drove, with someone awake in passenger seat all times. Keys were to sleep when you're not driving (earplugs and sleepmasks help). For the kids a help was that 3 are mine plus niece means there's some peer pressure there - "they're not fussing so we shouldn't". And an exciting destination of course. Off to Epcot.