Disney Springs is divided into 4 zones. The first of these, located at the eastern side of the district, is the Marketplace and is our favourite spot at Disney Springs. Arguably the most ‘Disney’ of the 4 areas, this is where you’ll find a whole array of Disney themed stores including the massive Disney Store, Disney’s Pin Traders, Art of Disney, Disney Days of Christmas (the best Christmas shop at Walt Disney World in our opinion), Once Upon a Toy and many others. It’s also where the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is located (when it finally re-opens).

Other favourites are the Marketplace Co-op which includes a range of Disney inspired art, clothing and gifts, Basin for all your bath and body needs, Pearl Factory, and Ghirardelli’s for the best chocolate souvenirs you can find. The Lego Store is also in this area and is a very cool spot, but often very busy.

In terms of entertainment look out for the Carousel and Marketplace Train although both are an extra charge. Then the Waterside Stage usually has some form of live entertainment or music which really creates a brilliant atmosphere and is a real hub for area.

There are fewer dining options at this end of the district with the stand-out one being Rainforest Cafe, or our favourite The Daily Poutine for something on the go. The other areas of Springs tend to have more on offer in this regard.

The Town Centre as you might expect is the ‘centre’ of the district and where you’ll find the bulk of the ‘traditional’ shops on offer. It’s also where the Lime parking garage is located which is our go-to when we’re driving - a huge multi-story parking garage that’s very easy to use and navigate.

As with the rest of Springs there are too many shops and restaurants to name them all. However starting with sit-down dining options, stand outs are the T-Rex cafe, a brilliant dinosaur themed restaurant, Blaze Pizza, and Wolfgang Puck. For something quicker, The Polite Pig is an amazing BBQ quick-service and a favourite of ours. Then for snacks and treats there’s Amorette’s Patisserie which has amazing Disney themed cakes and treats and Sprinkles for yet more treats.

Shopping though is really where the Town Centre comes into it’s own. The bulk of the area is outdoor, much like a little town centre as you might imagine, but there is a small covered arcade towards the western side. There are a couple of stores with Disney slants here like Uniqlo and Disney Ever After which normally have some cool Disney-themed clothing. However most of the stores here are your more traditional high-street or high-end shopping mall type stores like Pandora, Superdry, L’Occitane, Sephora, Jo Malone and Lululemon.

Located on a little island, opposite the Town Centre, The Landing is where you’ll find the bulk of the dining options at Disney Springs. This is a beautiful area surrounded by the water and a nice place for an evening meal or a drink after a long day in the parks.

There are a couple of shops here but these are mainly focussed on speciality stores or snacks. The real attraction here is the food. A few of our favourite dining options are the Boathouse, Wine Bar George, and Raglan Road as we love a good Irish bar. However there are loads more on offer for you to find something you fancy.

And finally, as you might expect, the most western area of Springs, The West Side, has been through many revamps over the years. At present it’s a fun mix of entertainment, dining and shopping, as well as being the area closest to the Disney resort buses and the Orange multi-story parking lot.

This is definitely the best area in terms of entertainment given it’s home to the Cirque du Soleil show ‘Drawn to Life’ which has a fun Disney theme. We’ve really enjoyed this in the past and would definitely recommend a visit. The area also has the Aerophile - i.e. the giant tethered hot air balloon, which again we really enjoy for it’s brilliant views over Walt Disney World. And finally as well as a cinema and bowling alley, the area will be adding Level 99 - a massive indoor space that will apparently house“60 themed challenge rooms, duels and art hunts that will test your mental and physical prowess”. We don’t know too much more at this stage but it certainly sounds fun!

In terms of dining there are plenty of options here including Planet Hollywood, House of Blues and Summer House on the Lake. There' is also an awesome snack shop Disney’s Candy Cauldron that we love, and then a couple of good shops including Pele’s Soccer, Super Hero Headquarters and Star Wars Galactic Outpost.