Disney Springs...wondering what it is like

[yulilin3]

We have at least 2 Blaze locations where I live. And many of the "new" stores at DS we have at our local malls.

I much preferred the old DTD to the new DS. It feels a lot more generic to me than it used to.

this is the argument I don't understand.
Yes they added a lot of well known, high end stores that you can find at your local malls but the old DTD stores are still there, with the exception of Pleasure Island, which closed in 2008. almost 10 years ago, all the rest of Marketplace is still there.
You don't even have to walk through Town Center which is where all the high end mall stores are if you don't want to. You can just head towards Paddlefish and into The Landing section, which to me is pretty unique in style and selection, and walk over to the West Side.
As for the locals I can tell you that having all of these high end store at DS is really great (not for me I can not afford them) but before people had to deal with going over to the Florida Mall or Millenia Mall, now you can get your (free) Disney fix and shop at the stores, and eat at food places you can't find anywhere in Orlando, in one place

 

[Praying Colonel]

this is the argument I don't understand.
Yes they added a lot of well known, high end stores that you can find at your local malls but the old DTD stores are still there, with the exception of Pleasure Island, which closed in 2008. almost 10 years ago, all the rest of Marketplace is still there.
You don't even have to walk through Town Center which is where all the high end mall stores are if you don't want to. You can just head towards Paddlefish and into The Landing section, which to me is pretty unique in style and selection, and walk over to the West Side.
As for the locals I can tell you that having all of these high end store at DS is really great (not for me I can not afford them) but before people had to deal with going over to the Florida Mall or Millenia Mall, now you can get your (free) Disney fix and shop at the stores, and eat at food places you can't find anywhere in Orlando, in one place

My WAG is other locals share your point of view. For a non-local like me, I just had the feeling that they spent that much and inconvenienced everybody for so long to basically embed a standard mall in a place that previously felt more uniquely Disney to me.

As for the old DTD stores still being there, yes, but I feel like I have to park and wade through a lot of clutter to get to them.

Goodness knows I'm probably not Disney's target demographic, and they're still making $ hand over fist with these new changes. It's just not for me.

 

[yulilin3]

embed a standard mall in a place that previously felt more uniquely Disney to me

but remember that where Town Center is now was the parking lot areas, so they did not displace anything other than parking lots.
I do have a different view being local but as I said I never go to those shops even at Millenia or Florida Mall.
As with everything Disney everything is not for everyone and that is perfectly fine

 

[disneyvoice]

I must be in the minority here. I LOVE Disney Springs - but I'm a shopper, so I can understand why some people don't enjoy it. We just signed the paperwork to build a house 20 minutes from WDW so I am even more excited about Disney Springs now that we will soon be locals! My husband jokes that Disney Springs is my new mothership! They have really great stores, an amazing selection of restaurants, bars, and dessert places, a big movie theater, plus the various Disney themed stores in the Marketplace section. It's also just a beautiful place to walk around. As a PP pointed out, for people in Horizons West it is a much more convenient location compared to having to drive to Millenia Mall. But I also really enjoyed it when it was Downtown Disney and we only visited WDW once or twice a year.

 

[bettybooplove]

This is the thing...I'm not looking to "kill a few hours." We work very hard to save up for our trips to WDW every 2-3 years. We make major sacrifices to stay at the Deluxe resorts and have the BEST experience we can in 7 days time. I arduously plan down to the second because unlike other vacations, getting the most out of WDW seems to require that. I want to get the most bang for my buck. I can "kill a few hours" at home. At WDW, where there is more to do than can be accomplished in 7 days, I cannot waste one moment. Oh, and by the way, I can get cocktails at any of the spectacular restaurants in whichever Deluxe resort we stay in next time.

Everyone has different priorities for their vacation. Disney Springs might be just what some people are looking for, especially if they are locals who go to WDW regularly.

Sounds like you've made up your mind.

Anything you do outside of the theme parks is basically killing time.

There are millions of restaurants, resort lobbies and pools all over the world and people still use them at Disney to kill the time until it cools down or because the crowds are high.

Anyway, I enjoy Disney Springs. You're not required to shop or eat three meals or watch a matinee while you're there.

 

[Leelo]

My husband and I LOVE the upgrades they have done. It was super enjoyable even if you don't spend a penny. We have only been there during the evenings (late January and May) but it was very lively and filled with families having a great time. I remember several years ago, walking through and there was a huge dead zone in the middle after the clubs closed. It was sad. Now it is amazing with a great retail shopping section, street performers and musical entertainment, new delicious restaurants (spare ribs at Morimoto!) and high-tech parking decks. We were really, really impressed!

 

[AngiTN]

I must be in the minority here. I LOVE Disney Springs - but I'm a shopper, so I can understand why some people don't enjoy it. We just signed the paperwork to build a house 20 minutes from WDW so I am even more excited about Disney Springs now that we will soon be locals! My husband jokes that Disney Springs is my new mothership! They have really great stores, an amazing selection of restaurants, bars, and dessert places, a big movie theater, plus the various Disney themed stores in the Marketplace section. It's also just a beautiful place to walk around. As a PP pointed out, for people in Horizons West it is a much more convenient location compared to having to drive to Millenia Mall. But I also really enjoyed it when it was Downtown Disney and we only visited WDW once or twice a year.

I'm a huge shopper myself. Anywhere but Disney. Last thing I want to do on my precious Disney vacation time is shop. I can do that at home, or at fabulous malls 2 hours from home (in Atlanta). See less than zero appeal to do it at Disney. Much less with a very grumpy DH in tow. There is NO JOY in that at all! For any one. Least of all me.

 

[disneyvoice]

@AngiTN - We usually sit at a bar or two and have some drinks as we shop, my DH doesn't mind the shopping as long as I give him a few breaks!

 

[Westcoastwild]

Sounds like you've made up your mind.

Anything you do outside of the theme parks is basically killing time.

There are millions of restaurants, resort lobbies and pools all over the world and people still use them at Disney to kill the time until it cools down or because the crowds are high.

Anyway, I enjoy Disney Springs. You're not required to shop or eat three meals or watch a matinee while you're there.

Yeah, I agree there. If you don't want to "kill time" why ask about Disney springs or anything else like it.

 

[AngiTN]

@AngiTN - We usually sit at a bar or two and have some drinks as we shop, my DH doesn't mind the shopping as long as I give him a few breaks!

It would take a lot of drinks for ME to tolerate taking DH shopping with me. I love him but he is not a shopping partner, bless his heart

 

[Westcoastwild]

this is the argument I don't understand.
Yes they added a lot of well known, high end stores that you can find at your local malls but the old DTD stores are still there, with the exception of Pleasure Island, which closed in 2008. almost 10 years ago, all the rest of Marketplace is still there.
You don't even have to walk through Town Center which is where all the high end mall stores are if you don't want to. You can just head towards Paddlefish and into The Landing section, which to me is pretty unique in style and selection, and walk over to the West Side.
As for the locals I can tell you that having all of these high end store at DS is really great (not for me I can not afford them) but before people had to deal with going over to the Florida Mall or Millenia Mall, now you can get your (free) Disney fix and shop at the stores, and eat at food places you can't find anywhere in Orlando, in one place

I don't quite understand the argument itself, but my problem with it that they aren't impressive outposts of those stores. They don't have quite as good selection. So even though I know and like many of the chains, I didn't find shopping to be worth it. So I'm not sure who their target audience is. People who have access to shops like that at home are less likely to spend money. People who don't have access may be impressed but they also may not be inclined to spend money at places they don't shop at. Even the more indie stuff is stuff I could buy at home, except the more unique Disney items. So I agree that it does strike me as very generic. (I have no idea what PI was like?)

But that said, I could see spending Saturday night there if I was a local, to dine and window shop and get my Disney fix.

 

[adelaster]

Really curious why so many liked the old setup? Was it like what Disneyland has now? We visited both parks for the first time in the last year so I have no context for the changes.

We really enjoyed boating to DS in the afternoon and evenings, and found it to have a more relaxed vibe than the park we visited. The crowds were better, and there was a lot to see and do without feeling overwhelmed. We really liked seeing a film and grabbing food there, and I'm anticipating visiting again to see the new additions. I disagree that it is the same as your local outdoor mall, but I understand why some skip it. It's definitely set up to encourage spending... but isn't all of Disney? It's not a must-see, but I would say it's worth checking out if you have the time & have a destination in mind.

 

[epcotty]

It really is no different than Downtown Disney was. Now that DisneyQuest has closed we probably won't go there anymore

 

[Summer2018]

Yeah, I agree there. If you don't want to "kill time" why ask about Disney springs or anything else like it.

Um...I asked about Disney Springs because I have not been there...I was hoping to get some information from people who have been there.

Once again, I'm grateful for the info. I never intended to start such a heated debate. We all have our preferences. Have a nice day.