Hello all, and welcome back to another blog post! A lot has happened since the last time Iโve posted, so Iโve been taking the time to settle into my new normal. For those who donโt follow me on social media, I have exciting news I am back working at Disney!
I started my new Cast Member journey at the Walt Disney World Resort on June 1st, and this time around, I will be making magic as a Merchandise Cast Member at Disney Springs. To say I am excited would be an understatement. One of the most exciting things this time around is not only am I finally able to do one of my dream roles but in my location, there is a range of different stores that I am able to work at! I will be sure to cover my role and location more specifically in a future post however, in this specific post we are going to learn more about the history and layout of my new home! So follow along as I introduce to you โOur Town.โ
The History of the Disney Springs Area
Disney Springs is a 120-acre retail, dining, and entertainment complex located at the Walt Disney World Resort. The area is open to the general public and there are no admission or parking fees for guests to visit the district.
The Disney Springs area was first established on March 22, 1975, as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. Two years later, the location was renamed as the Walt Disney World Village which introduced Pleasure Island to the district. In 1997 the area was once again rebranded to Downtown Disney. This reimagination introduced Cirque Du Soleil, DisneyQuest, and World of Disney. In 2013, it was announced the area would once again be redesigned, introducing the biggest expansion to the area to date. The 3-year project would include 150 new stores, two parking structures and retheme the areas of the district, now known as Disney Springs!
Our Town – The Story Behind Disney Springs
The story behind Disney Springs was inspired by the small Florida towns that developed around these natural bodies of water. According to the Disney Parks website, the reimagining of this area ” was inspired by the welcoming, waterfront towns of the early 1900s; early Florida settlers were attracted by the springs and their natural beauty.” The springs coursing through the Town Center contain 1.2 million gallons of water. The distance from one end to the other is the same as the walk down Main Street, U.S.A. to Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.
80% of the Disney Springs team is made up of Operating Participants, which means that they are not affiliated with Disney. A lot of these third-party companies that make up Disney Springs are locally owned and operated Florida-based stores. Such stores include: Polite Pig (Winter Park), Joffreyโs Coffee & Tea Company (Tampa), Gideonโs Bakehouse (East End Market Orlando), Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew
Along with the renaming of the shopping center, Disney Springs also grew double in size and opened up more than 50 new shops and restaurants to the district, with the shopping center now boasting 150 venues. Such new areas include the West Side, the Landing, Townplace, and Marketplace.
Town Center
As the story goes, the Town Center was the first area developed in the town by a cattle rancher named Martin Sinclair and his wife Clara. They discovered the natural spring in the early 1800s and were attracted to the area as towns during this time were created and built around natural water sources, so this was the perfect location for them to create the town.
Today, this area is the heartbeat of Disney Springs, and some notable areas that showcase how buildings have been repurposed to showcase modern-day stores and restaurants include:
- The first development in this new area was a ranch house called the โGlowing Oak Ranchโ, which eventually shifted from just being a cattle ranch house into a family restaurant, which now is known as D-Luxe Burger.
- Blaze Pizza used to be occupied by the townโs lumber mill – The Buena Vista Timber Company. You can see the leftover ruminants of the sawmill throughout the building.
- The Ganachery Chocolate Shopโs building used to house the townโs only apothecary shop. Guests who visit can see a sign on the brick wall in the shop with lettering that states โChocolate is Good Medicineโ and the vintage shelves.
- The bottling plant, that was used to bottle the spring water, was reclaimed to house Morimoto Asia. You can see the original sign on the top of the building.
The Landing
As the area developed from a small town into a bustling community, more areas were added to the community. The Landing became the communityโs transportation hub, with this being showcased by the industrial nature of the architecture in the district.
Businesses in this area include:
- Jock Linseyโs Hanger Bar
- The Boathouse
- Gideonโs Bakehouse
- Paddlefish
- STK
Marketplace
The Marketplace theming is centered around an arts and crafts style on the buildings and is one of the most recognizable areas from the reimagination from Downtown Disney.
Notable stores in this Neighborhood include:
- World of Disney
- The LEGO Store
- Basin
- Ghirardelli
- Marketplace Co-Op
The West Side
The West Side of the town was built in the 1950s to hold the โ1950s Springs Centennial Expoโ that celebrated the history of the town after 50 years of being created. Many of the attractions created for the expo still remain such as Splitsville, Cirque du Soleil, AMC Movie Theater, and Character is Flight. Other attractions built for the area, like the elevated freight train, can be seen repurposed for the times.
Popular stores and attractions in this area include:
- M&M Store
- Cirque du Soleil
- House of Blues
- AMC Movie Theater
- Splitsville Luxury Lanes
And that is Disney Springs! Thank you for reading and following along on this next step in my Disney Journey! Funny enough, this blog post has been 5 years in the making. Iโve always wanted to cover this area of Walt Disney World and now with Disney Springs being my home location, it finally gave me the push that I needed to finally cover it! I canโt wait to share this journey with you all in the form of more fun photos on my Instagram and hopefully some fun blog posts as well! Until next timeโฆ
Keep Moving Forward
-Kacey
Great story Kacey. So glad you are finally home. Looking forward to future episodes or your wonderful adventure.
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