I have to say I enjoyed Disney Springs nearly as much as the Disney parks themselves. It seemed at the time Disney execs really weren't paying that much attention to Downtown Disney - as it was called then. Sadly, I've been reading that Disney execs now realize just how lucrative Disney Springs could be...which in Disney terms means they're going to turn it into another 'grab your money' pit.
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Case in point...the iconic Planet Hollywood restaurant went from looking like it does at left, to what Disney is now calling "Planet Hollywood Observatory".
The old Planet Hollywood
The new Planet Hollywood Observatory
As several Disney bloggers have pointed out, at least make the interior look like an observatory! Don't just slap the label "Observatory" on it and affiliate Guy Fieri's name with it! The only thing "out of this world" about the place now are the prices that have skyrocketed as a result. Which like the Disney parks, will translate to no more savings to be had - like all of the savings my sister and I scored at Planet Hollywood and other Disney Springs restaurants that allowed us to eat free in every Disney Springs restaurant we dined at.
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
Cirque du Soleil is a MUST DO you should add to your Disney Springs bucket list! The acrobats in this show are beyond phenomenal. This year's Cirque du Soleil show is called "Drawn to Life". Here's a sneak preview...
Although tickets are expensive (starting at $69) believe me, you'll leave the show thinking it was worth every penny you spent. There's also a special running currently...on Thursdays you can get a free child's ticket with every adult ticket purchased. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission.
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Cirque du Soleil is on the west end of Disney Springs.
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There's plenty of free parking right out in front of the Cirque building.
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You want to get there at least 15 minutes before showtime.
DANCING WATER
Dancing Water is a water fountain with timed jets that shoot water upwards at different intervals.
We brought our lunch one day and grabbed a bench on which to eat while watching the kids playing in the fountain. Very entertaining! It was so hot that day I was tempted to join them in the fountain!
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AEROPHILE
Aerophile simulates a hot air balloon ride where you ascend high enough to see all of the WDW property, all of the parks. Your pilot will point out all of them to you.
$30 per ride per person.
My recommendation would be to do the Aerophile at night when everything is all lit up!
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CAROUSEL RIDE
There's a lot for your little ones to do while at Disney Springs and the carousel seems to be one of their favorites. The carousel is located in the Market Place in Disney Springs.
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MARKETPLACE TRAIN EXPRESS
Another Marketplace ride the little ones love is the miniature train.
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VINTAGE AMPHICAR TOURS
These cars are such a rush to just tool around on the water in. It is a captain-guided tour but you do the driving on Lake Buena Vista. You do have to make a reservation through Disney's website to ride one.
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MORE DISNEY SPRINGS DINING
HOUSE OF BLUES
We ate at House of Blues a couple of times since I had free meal coupons. House of Blues isn't just a restaurant, they have live entertainment outdoors on their patio area. They also have a weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Their food is scrumptious too! Check out this BBQ Bacon Ranch Smashburger! It was HUGE!
CHIRADELLI SODA FOUNTAIN & CHOCOLATE SHOP
I'm a sucker for Ghiardeli's chocolate so of course, I had to hit up their chocolate shop and soda fountain in Disney Springs to buy some chocolate to take back to the hotel.
I was tempted to try one of their sundaes until I saw the price - between $18 and $22! YIKES!
So I stuck with the chocolate I was buying.
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However, I've discovered that currently Ghiardeli's is offering a 10% discount at select dining locations most days and times of day (alcohol excluded) when using the Disney® Visa® Card.
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RAGLAND ROAD IRISH PUB
Irish soda bread
We're half Irish so when we were hot and needed to give our feet a rest we stopped into Ragland's Irish Pub just to check it out.
We ended up ordering some soda bread and drinks and staying to watch the Irish dancers and listen to some Irish music.
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Ragland's Irish Pub does serve full Irish meals.
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There are many more restaurants at Disney Springs but of course, we didn't eat at all of them.
You can find a complete list of Disney Springs restaurants here.
ENJOY SOME FREE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Disney Springs has so many local bands for you to enjoy. You can find them in areas such as:
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The Westside food truck courtyard area
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Area near Paddlefish
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By the Orange parking garage
Disney Springs entertainment usually starts around 7 p.m. during most evenings during the peak season.
SOME WDW FREEBIES FOR YOU...
Visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge (something to see in itself!) and walk the commons areas that include an animal viewing section. The back portion of the lobby leads directly to a small safari with amazing wildlife to see.
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Nor do you need to stay at that particular resort to be able to enjoy the free tour. Check with the resort front desk to see if there are any tours that day.
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DO A MONORAIL BAR HOP​
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This is a form of Disney transportation (public transport of the future) in which you can visit each Disney resort hotel on your bar crawl on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop.
And it’s absolutely free!
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All you have to do is catch a bus ride from Disney Springs to one of the Magic Kingdom resorts of your choosing and start your adventure.
ENJOY A CAMPFIRE & MOVIES
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Head over to the the Campsites in Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and enjoy a classic Disney movie under the stars.
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You can also watch campfire movies for free at the following Disney World Resorts:
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Beach Club Resort
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Grand Floridian Resort
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Art of Animation
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Port Orleans-Riverside
This is just a list of a few of my favorite resorts to enjoy a campfire and a movie.​
It’s important to know that many of the Disney Resorts offer “campfire” movies on the lawn depending on the weather and time of year. So, be sure to always check the schedule on or before your visit.
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WATCH A GEYSER EXPLODE
If you head to the back of Fort Wilderness Lodge, you’ll be able to see a geyser reminiscent of Old Faithful erupting every hour on the hour from around 7 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.
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PLAY WITH BUTTERFLIES
You can visit the Butterfly Garden located in the Contemporary Resort for free. This colorful garden is located on the backside of the lobby near the pool and lake.
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FREE ART CLASSES
If you’re in the mood to create, you can take one of the free art classes offered at the Art of Animation Resort.
This class is limited to resort guests, but always check to see if you can register anyway.
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WATCH A FREE EPCOT FIREWORKS SHOW
For an exciting visual display, take in the fireworks at Epcot from the Boardwalk Resort area. The best viewing spot is on the bridge right by the bakery shop.
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You can watch the Disney Happily Ever After Fireworks Show for free at the Polynesian Resort.
The perfect spot is around the beach area where you’ll even hear the actual music from the show.
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You can also get a great view for the fireworks from the:
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Ticket and Transportation Center
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Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
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ENJOY THE ELECTRIC WATER PAGEANT
You can watch this amazing show on the Seven Seas Lagoon at night. This free water parade features whimsical sea creatures sailing across the lagoon.
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This nightly parade usually happens once around the time of the Disney Enchantment Fireworks Show. You can watch the show from any of the Magic Kingdom Resorts.
Best viewing locations for Electric Water Pageant:
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Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort– Begins at 9:00 p.m.
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Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (including Narcoossee’s) – Begins at 9:15 PM p.m.
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Fort Wilderness Lodge– Begins at 9:30 p.m.
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Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground– Begins at 9:45 p.m.
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Contemporary Resort– Begins at 10:10 p.m.; in instances when the Happily Ever After fireworks show takes place at 10:00 p.m., the Electrical Water Pageant will begin shortly following its conclusion
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Right outside the entrance of Magic Kingdom park – Begins at 10:35 p.m., during Extended Theme Park Hours only
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GET YOUR FREE LEI AT THE POLYNESIAN RESORT
When you arrive in the lobby of the Polynesian Resort, you can get a free lei placed upon your neck even if you’re not a hotel guest.
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PLAY WITH LEGOS
The Lego Imagination Center is filled with thousands of LEGO blocks. It also has a free outdoor play area over 3,000 square feet.
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Once a month, there’s a mini model build that usually falls on the first Tuesday. Children ages 6-14 can even take home a free mini model at the event!
GRAB A CELEBRATION BUTTON
If you are celebrating a special moment in your life like a birthday, anniversary, or first visit to Disney, then make sure you stop by Guest Services at any Disney Park and receive your free celebration button.
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PIRATE ADVENTURE MAP & GAME
At the Magic Kingdom you can join the swashbuckling voyage in an interactive game inside Adventureland.
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During the game you’ll receive a free map that will help guide you on your journey to hunt for secret treasures! Both the map and the game are free!!!
COLLECT FREE WILDERNESS EXPLORERS GUIDE BADGES
You can collect the Wilderness Explorer Badges at Animal Kingdom like the ones Russell would get in the movie Up.
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Get Your Free Wilderness Explorer Souvenir
Become a part of the explorer society with Russell and go on a scavenger hunt all around Animal Kingdom using your Wilderness Explorer booklet.
This is a free activity and a great souvenir to take home.​
FIND ALL OF THE HIDDEN MICKEYS
If you ask any Disney World aficionado about Hidden Mickeys, they’ll more than likely be able to name you their top 5 – and name you a few Hidden Mickeys at Disneyland.
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Everyone knows what makes up the shape of Mickey’s head: 1 larger circle to form his head and 2 smaller circles to form his ears. But what makes Hidden Mickeys so special is the ability for the Hidden Mickey to subtly make up anything. Mickey can be hidden in wallpaper, paint, within plants, in the sidewalk, etc. In fact, finding Hidden Mickeys have been such a fan-favorite activity at both Disneyland and Disney World for so many years that there are books, websites, and even social media accounts dedicated to showcasing the most iconic and hardest-to-find Hidden Mickeys!
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For a map of Magic Kingdom so you can find these Hidden Mickeys, click here!