You’ve heard of the four main theme parks in Disney World, but did you know there’s an entirely separate “park” that’s dedicated to shopping, dining, and entertainment? 

Disney Springs is full of incredible food, fun stores, and unique merchandise kiosks. Before you visit, though, there are some very important things you need to know!

Disney Springs is Walt Disney World’s outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment district! With nearly 100 retail locations, over 60 eateries, and over 20 opportunities for entertainment (and just plain FUN), there are plenty of options to enjoy all over Disney Springs throughout the day and into the night.

The district is home to four neighborhoods: The Landing, the Marketplace, the West Side, and the Town Center. These neighborhoods are built around “bubbling springs” in tribute to waterfront towns in the Sunshine State.

It’s a super fun place to hang out, but it can be a little overwhelming if you’re visiting for the first time. To help you out, we reached out to our readers on Facebook to ask for their BEST Disney Springs tips. Here’s what they said!

Know What To Expect

Depending on your expectations, Disney Springs could be super overwhelming or possibly super UNDERwhelming. Here’s the first thing you should know: It’s NOT actually a theme park. You won’t find any roller coasters or dark rides here.

In response to our request for Disney Springs tips, William said visitors should “temper expectations.” He said, “Know what it is. Shopping and food. Some people love it, others do not.”

It’s not quite a theme park, but it’s also not just your average outdoor shopping mall. There are TONS of stores to explore, a bowling alley and movie theater, a couple of attractions (like a carousel), and more restaurants than you could possibly visit in one trip. Lou said that Disney Springs is “not an add-on but a destination too.”

Nella on Facebook recommended budgeting at least a few hours to visit the Springs: “Take your time, enjoy every minute of it, leave at least 6 hours for visiting.” Mary pointed out that there’s too much to do in one trip, so you should pick your must-visit spots ahead of time: “Pick out 5 things you really want to see or get then hit those first. Anything else is gravy!!! Have fun!”

Also, it’s important to note that the Springs is very big. If you’re visiting all four neighborhoods, you’re going to do a lot of walking! Christine recommended planning ahead and making note of the weather: “Try to plan out what you want to eat or what you want to do before you go. Don’t exhaust yourself. There is a lot of walking in the heat.”

Come Hungry!

This might be the best advice we got from our Facebook readers. Victoria said, “Go hungry, so many food options,” and she’s not wrong!

There are almost 70 different places to eat in Disney Springs, and SO MANY of them are incredibly delicious.

We strongly recommend NOT eating right before your visit — you’ll want as much stomach space as possible to try all the delicious snacks and treats here!

And speaking of this advice, there’s another very important bit of information you’ll need to know: WHERE to eat!

COMPLETE Guide to Disney Springs Restaurants

Know Where To Eat

As we just said, there are tons of places to eat in Disney Springs. So how do you decide where to go first? Our readers had some great recommendations!

Brian (and several other readers” recommended Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’: he said, “Do not miss.”

Brady recommended another fried chicken joint for lunch: Chicken Guy! This quick service spot — which is one of Guy Fieri’s restaurants — is a popular option for lunch.

Jackie reiterated the Homecomin’ recommendation and also mentioned that The BOATHOUSE is another great choice.

Other recommendations by our readers include Earl of Sandwich, Raglan Road, and Cookes of Dublin.

But wait — there was one eatery that was recommended FAR more frequently than any other. Can you already guess what it is?

If you guessed Gideon’s Bakehouse, you’d be correct! This bakery is VERY popular because of its nearly half-pound cookies, monstrous cake slices, and flavored cold brew.

The atmosphere and decorations inside the shop are fun and spooky — if you’re a “celebrate Halloween all year long” person, it’s absolutely a can’t-miss stop!

The popularity of Gideon’s means that the line to get inside can sometimes be super long, and they’ll even occasionally use a virtual queue system when demand is high. However, we still think it’s worth the wait.

On Facebook, Eric said, “Don’t be scared by the Gideon’s queue. We were at the corner of Morimoto Asia when we joined the line, and it took about ten minutes before we were through the line, waited on, and out the door. The employees know what they are doing and keep things moving quickly.”

Marie said, “Yes, the cookies are that good!..wait in line!”

Mike had another tip about Gideon’s: “Get there early to get the Coffee Cake cookie at Gideon’s Bakehouse before they run out for the day!”

Looking for more recommendations? We’ve eaten at EVERY restaurant in Disney Springs — these are the BEST.

Reservations Are Essential

While we’re talking about dining in the Springs, we want to make sure you know to make restaurant reservations ASAP.

Jill said, “We always prebook a reservation for a new place we haven’t been. Then we work around the place on the reservation. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to go eat and can’t get in anywhere.”

As is the case with table service restaurants in the Disney World theme parks, you can book reservations for restaurants in Disney Springs 60 days before your trip. Remember that you can’t make reservations for quick service restaurants, like Earl of Sandwich and Chicken Guy.

If you forget to make reservations or you decide last minute that you want to eat somewhere different, you can always ask at the host stand whether there’s availability for walk-up dining!

Click here to learn how to make Disney World dining reservations.

Timing Is Everything

Your experience at Disney Springs is going to depend heavily on WHEN you go. Sometimes it’s super crowded; other times, it’ll feel like a ghost town! Our readers had some solid advice about the best time to visit.

Cathy said, “We like to go during the day as it’s not as crowded.” Disney Springs definitely gets more crowded in the evening as people who were in the theme parks all day decide to hop over for dinner and some evening entertainment.

Yvette agreed with this advice: “Go earlier in the day to explore some of the shops and the great food they have without crowds. It gets wild at night.”

Barbara also noted that when you should visit will depend on what you want to do: “Go on a weekday for shopping. Evenings and weekends for entertainment.” Going on a weekday will mean fewer people in the Springs, but there’s also less going on during the week. If you’re looking for an exciting nightlife scene, you’ll find it on the weekends!

Don’t Miss Out on Cool Experiences

Although we mainly love Disney Springs for the plethora of fantastic restaurants, it’d be a mistake to visit and not check out some cool, unique experiences.

Jennifer recommends that you “check out the photo pass studio! Lots of fun and included in Memory Maker!” This studio offers different backgrounds that you can pose in front of, which would make great photos to remember your trip by.

Several readers recommended the Aerophile attraction as well, which is the world’s largest hand-painted helium balloon! It’s like a hot air balloon that takes you over Disney Springs, giving you a great view of the area. Tickets for the eight-minute ride are $25 for adults and $20 for kids (ages 3 to 9).

You’ll also find a boat dock at Disney Springs, which offers water transportation to the following hotels:

• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (including Disney’s Treehouse Villas)
• Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter

Those hotels have even MORE dining and shopping options. We love the Mickey beignets at Port Orleans — French Quarter!

How You Should Spend Your Money in Disney Springs

Those were our readers’ best tips for visiting Disney Springs for the first time! If you’re heading to Disney World soon, you might need some new outfits for your trip — Have you checked out our line of fun graphic tees to wear on your trip? We’ve designed some for the whole family – from infants to adults! Click here to check them out!

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news!

Click here to learn more about Disney Springs!

 What’s your favorite thing to do in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments.