Disney Springs is home to some of our favorite restaurants and places to shop, and we love that it’s something you can experience for free on your Disney World vacation.

Disney Springs

Parking at Disney Springs doesn’t cost anything, and you can take a bus or boat from your Disney World hotel any day of the week to experience all the shopping and dining district has to offer at no additional charge (unless you choose to dine at a restaurant or purchase something from a store, that will, of course, cost something!). If we’re being totally honest, though, we’re seeing some trends that might be getting a liiiiittle out of control.

So Many Plastic Mini Animals

Now, this is the one trend we’re absolutely NOT mad about, but it’s the fact that there are so many little plastic animals in specialty drinks in Disney Springs right now!

Love Potion 67

These are beyond adorable, don’t get us wrong, and we love collecting them, but we will admit that they often make a drink a little more expensive than usual, so if you’ve got no interest in them, this trend may bug you a bit. Additionally, they’re currently only available in alcoholic drinks, not mocktails, so unless you’re okay giving your new little friend to someone who’s younger and can’t drink, they’re out of luck.

The Crowds

While we love that Disney Springs is a free spot to go and hang out during your Disney World vacation (it doesn’t cost anything to park, and you can take free transportation from Disney World hotels), the word has gotten around, and therefore, the crowds are INTENSE — especially if it’s a Friday or Saturday.

Disney Springs crowds

We’ve known for a while now that weekdays are the least crowded days to visit Disney Springs, but you were still able to walk around and get things done on the weekends without it being too overwhelming. That has all seemed to change now, though, because unless you arrive SUPER early on weekend days, good luck even finding parking (especially with the Lime Garage currently closed for maintenance).

Disney Springs can get pretty busy!

With that being said, if you know you’ll be traveling on a weekend, we suggest taking transportation from a Disney World hotel if you’re concerned about parking, or be sure to get there well before a dining reservation, or at least an hour before you’d actually like to arrive. This is just to stay on the safe side of things, ensuring you have enough time to arrive and get where you need to go without stress.

Speaking of Reservations…

Now that we’ve talked about those dining reservations, let’s really dive into what higher crowds often mean for those, shall we? With so many more people heading to Disney Springs, many of them are booking reservations for some of the beloved restaurants in the area, and that means there are fewer available for other guests. That may seem obvious, but when you’ve had a system down for years, or don’t worry about grabbing a reservation at certain spots due to not usually needing one, this could be what really throws you for a loop.

Enzo’s Hideaway

What does this mean for you? If there’s a restaurant — ANY restaurant in Disney Springs — that you normally don’t worry about getting a reservation for, we suggest playing it safe and grabbing it ASAP before your trip to ensure you’re not stuck high and dry. However, if you do find yourself in a bind, there are plenty of quick-service locations in Disney Springs that don’t require reservations, or you can look for same-day reservations at select locations.

Merchandise Overload

Lots of merchandise at Disney Springs can’t be found elsewhere in Disney World, and that in itself also causes major crowds. We often say that if you see something in the parks, you can often find it in Disney Springs (especially World of Disney), but the same is NOT true the other way around!

World of Disney

We’ve often also said that if you’re looking for the largest selection of Disney merchandise in one place, Disney Springs is the way to go, because factually, it’s just got the most shops and covers all different Disney IP, and additional collections in collaboration with other companies. If you’re heading to the shopping and dining district to find something specific, pack your patience and go on a weekday, if you can!

World of Disney at Disney Springs

Need some help planning your upcoming vacation? Check out our friends at Small World Vacations — we promise you won’t be disappointed!

We’ll continue to keep you updated on all the latest and greatest Disney World news, so stay tuned to DFB!

8 Restaurants Disney World Pros SKIP in Disney Springs

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