The 50-Year Evolution of Disney Springs
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the property’s transformation into Disney Springs. However, its history goes back much further; the location first opened in 1975 as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village with just 37 retail and restaurant locations.
Today, Disney Springs boasts over 150 ways to shop, dine, and play and annually attracts more visitors than even the Magic Kingdom. Let’s take a journey through time to explore the rich history of this popular retail, dining, and entertainment district and trace its fascinating evolution!
Related – Experience Flavors of Florida at Disney Springs: Essential Dates and Details
Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village (1975-1977)
Opening just four years after Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village was originally created to serve the planned residences on Walt Disney World property.
Original offerings included: Arribas Brothers, Bath Parlour, Captain’s Tower, Gourmet Pantry, It’s a Small World After All Shop, and 2Rs – Read’n and Rite’n.
Can you guess which of these original offerings has stood the test of time and continues to delight guests to this day? If your answer was Arribas Brothers, known for their fine glass and crystal artistry, you’re right!
Fun Fact! Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village is named after the address of the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California: Buena Vista Street.
Walt Disney World Village (1977-1989)
Within a few short years, Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village underwent its first transformation into Walt Disney World Village, as the complex began to attract all Walt Disney World visitors.
The most notable addition to the property during this time was the Empress Lilly, a riverboat offering fine dining named after Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian.
Fun Fact! The riverboat currently serves as the iconic seafood restaurant, Paddlefish!
Disney Village Marketplace (1989-1997)
The next evolution of the property occurred in 1989 when it was renamed to Disney Village Marketplace. As part of this expansion, the property attracted several known brands that will strike a chord of nostalgia with my fellow millennials out there and remain wildly popular today: Rainforest Café and LEGO.
This era also brought us the legendary Pleasure Island – an entertainment district with clubs, lounges and comedy venues for adults wanting to experience a taste of nightlife outside of the theme parks.
But the most beloved addition that draws shoppers today is World of Disney – although its famous Stitch figurehead didn’t come until much later. This started as a souvenir destination, and continues to grow to broaden its selection and make it even easier (and more fun!) for guests to shop.
Fun Fact! World of Disney at Disney Springs is home to the largest collection of Disney merchandise in the world.
Downtown Disney (1997-2015)
In 1997, Disney Village Marketplace and Pleasure Island were combined and rebranded into Downtown Disney.
This was a period of significant growth with the addition of West Side to property, bringing memorable offerings like: La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, DisneyQuest, AMC Pleasure Island Theaters, and eventually the Aerophile Balloon.
These innovative experiences transformed the property from a simple shopping destination to a true retail and entertainment complex that is the foundation of what we know and love today.
Disney Springs (2015-Present)
The Disney Springs we know today is home to local artists, talented chefs, and the cast members who make happy happen beyond the parks.
As Disney legend has it – a cattle rancher discovered the beautiful springs water source in the mid 1800s and chose to settle there. The official town of Disney Springs was established in 1850 as a historic waterfront town inspired by the coastal towns of Coral Gables and St. Augustine with four distinct lakeside neighborhoods: Town Center, The Landing, Marketplace, and West Side. Each neighborhood reflects its function and the fictitious time period when it was developed.
This current era of transformation at Disney Springs is the property’s largest expansion to date with 5,000 jobs created in its construction alone. This expansion doubled the number of available venues making way for smaller local businesses and a greater economic impact. In fact, Disney Springs features several Florida-based businesses including Joffrey’s Coffee, Wondermade, The Polite Pig, Basin, and Gideon’s Bakehouse!
Every shop and restaurant at Disney Springs has its own history, with elements of its imagined back story seamlessly integrated into the present.
For example, according to lore did you know the Morimoto Asia restaurant is in the building that was once the Springs Bottling Company? A dramatic chandelier made out of a former bottle conveyance system can even be found just inside the main doors to the restaurant.
Fun Fact! Over at STK Steakhouse you might note that right outside the restaurant entrance are train tracks and part of a train turntable, which would once have been used to turn the trains around as they came and went from Disney Springs.
Fast forward to today, Disney Springs is celebrating its 10th anniversary as home to over 150 distinctive brands, world-class restaurants, and unforgettable entertainment spread across 1,210 acres so guests can “shop, dine and play” with the high standard they’ve come to expect from Walt Disney World.
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