As Orlando natives, one of our go-to places to take visiting friends or family is Disney Springs. It’s an easy and obvious spot for a meal, but it’s also good to go if you want to give someone a bit of Disney magic when they don’t have a ticket. 

In fact, if you’re traveling to our fair city and don’t have a ticket to one of the Disney parks, you can spend an entire day solely at Disney Springs. Don’t believe us? Take a look at this all-day-at-Disney-Springs itinerary.

Breakfast at Disney Springs

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and you have quite a few options to start your day on the right foot. The best part about having breakfast at Disney Springs is the sheer variety of food you can find. Here are some of your Disney Springs breakfast options:

• House of Blues: House of Blues offers a Sunday Gospel Brunch. Breakfast fans can have omelets, chicken and waffles, and bread puddings, while lunch fans can have mac and cheese, fried catfish, prime rib, and more!
• Maria and Enzo’s: Maria and Enzo’s brunch menu isn’t as diverse as some, but you can still find some breakfast favorites with an Italian twist. Enjoy some sweetness with the Nutella-stuffed French Toast or an Italian-style omelet with the Frittata Rustica.
• Raglan Road: Featuring by far the largest and most diverse menu for brunch, Raglan Road has something for everyone. There are Irish-themed breakfast options, lunch options, drinks and so much more. You’re also guaranteed to have fun because the famous Irish dancers will make an appearance!
• Wine Bar George: Airing almost entirely on the breakfast side of the food equation, Wine Bar George features omelets, French toast, and eggs are all served with a side of wine.
• Art Smith’s Homecomin’: If you want a good ol’ fashioned Southern brunch, then this is the spot for you. There’s everything from fried green tomatoes with eggs and ham to fried chicken and doughnuts. The drinks are also pretty good if you’re looking for a mimosa or Bloody Mary.

Aside from these more sit-down-type options, you also have Starbucks and Joffrey’s among others for a quick bite or coffee.  

Shopping at Disney Springs 

Once breakfast is complete, you’re going to want to burn off some of the calories. This would be a great time to check out some Disney Springs shopping. There are more than 100 shops at Disney Springs, so you’re bound to find something for someone. 

There are many Disney-themed shops like: 

• World of Disney: It’s one of the largest Disney stores in the world. If you’re looking for a piece of merchandise, you’re bound to find it here.
• Disney’s Days of Christmas: We love ornaments; they’re a great way to remember your travels and fun activities from throughout the year. We pop in here once in a while to check out all of the new ornaments. Personalization is available for ornaments, too.
• Marketplace Co-Op: Some of the vendors inside this area may change around from time to time, but there is always unique merchandise here. 
• Star Wars Trading Post and Star Wars Galactic Outpost: Disney Springs is so big, you have two Star Wars-themed shops to choose from if you can’t make the trip over to Batuu.
• Super Hero Headquarters: Find your favorite Marvel-related merchandise here!

Disney Springs also has stores you’d typically see in a mall, like Sephora, Vera Bradley, Columbia, Lucky, Coach, Kate Spade, Under Armour, and Zara to name a few. A lot of these stores will sell some Disney-specific merchandise too, which is kind of fun.

Regardless of if you need a new purse, phone case, or pair of shorts…there is something for everyone at Disney Springs.

Unique Activities at Disney Springs

Disney Springs may seem like just shops and restaurants, but there are actually really fun activities that keep you coming back! 

Something that is really unique to do at Disney Springs is taking a ride on an amphibicar. Docking at The Boathouse restaurant, you and your family can take a ride in a half-car-half-boat hybrid. Other than the car being super unique, this short ride also gives you a perspective on Disney Springs that most don’t get to see. One note: space is limited on this, you can only fit about 3-4 people. It’s also a bit on the pricier side, costing $125 for the 25-minute tour.

One of our absolute must-do unique activities at Disney Springs is The Void. The Void a virtual reality experience where you can choose a Star Wars or Wreck-It Ralph-related mission. Younger kids and families may want to choose the Wreck-it Ralph side because it’s a bit less intense and more kid-friendly. However, our favorite part of The Void is the Star Wars experience. You go undercover as a Stormtrooper to steal back an important relic for the resistance. Will it go smoothly? That’s up to you and your crew.

If The Void gets your blood pumping, you may want to keep it going with some physical activity at The NBA Experience. This is where you and your family can live out the dream of being an NBA or WNBA player. Get drafted by your favorite team, test your dribbling and shooting skills, throw down some dunks and hoist the NBA and MVP championships. You get unlimited time in the experience for the day, so be sure and do each activity more than once.

If you want a more low-key type of activity, head over to Splitsville for some bowling. Jessica actually incorporated Splitsville into her bachelorette party. If you forget to pack socks, don’t worry, they have some for sale!

Even more low-key, there’s the AMC Dine-In Theater. We are members of the AMC Stubs A-List program, so we are here a few times a month. You have your standard-type theater set-up here, but there are also dine-in theaters and the Dolby screen. Seriously, if you’re seeing an action movie you need to see it in Dolby!

Dining at Disney Springs

In between all of the shopping and fun activities, you’re bound to get hungry. Disney Springs has a ton of different food options that range from a quick bite to a full sit-down meal. If you plan on going to a sit-down restaurant, we recommend getting reservations just in case. You can walk up to many restaurants and if there’s a wait you’ll get a text message when you’re table is ready. 

It can be a bit overwhelming to decide on where to eat at Disney Springs, so we decided to break it down by our favorites in a few categories:

Best Stand

Jessica’s Pick 

Mac & Cheese Truck: This truck offers a few different takes on mac and cheese, but honestly their best one is the five-cheese mac and cheese. Is it a little weird to have your pasta topped with Cheetos? A little, but this is some of the creamiest mac and cheese around!

Tyler’s Pick

4Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck: If you’re an Orlando local, then you know how delicious 4Rivers is. If you aren’t a local, then get ready for some class-A BBQ. The meat is always seasoned to perfection and the bowls are amazing. Make sure you bring plenty of napkins! 

Honorable Mention

YeSake Kiosk: One of our favorite items from the Epcot Food & Garden Festival is the chicken bun from the Japan pavilion. At the YeSake kiosk, you can have the bun year round!

Best Quick Service Meal

Jessica’s Pick

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza: This is one of our most-frequently-visited spots in all of Disney Springs. It’s part of our RunDisney weekend tradition to eat here before a race. The flavor combinations are endless and you can have a completely different pizza each time.  

Tyler’s Pick

Chicken Guy: The only downside about this place is just how busy it can be. You may want to go during an off-peak time because otherwise you’re bound to wait in line for at least 20 minutes to place your order. However, it’s always busy for a reason. Chicken Guy has tenders and sandwiches. Both a good, but the better bet are just the tenders by themselves because then you can have your choice of sauces to dip your chicken versus having the flavors mix while on the sandwich.  

Honorable Mention

Wolfgang Puck Express: This is a bit of a hybrid between quick service and sit down. You place your order at a counter and get a buzzer, but you have a server bring your food and refill drinks. Don’t get confused and go to the wrong restaurant since there are two that bear Wolfgang Puck’s namesake (although that one is a really good sit-down restaurant!). This restaurant is near Rainforest Cafe and the Disney Days of Christmas shop.

Best Sit-Down Meal

Jessica’s Pick

Wine Bar George: Even if you aren’t a huge wine lover, don’t let that deter you from visiting the restaurant. The servers are uber knowledgeable when it comes to wine, so you’re bound to find something you’ll like, but there’s also a full bar as well. The food is top-notch as well. Fun tip – ask to sit outside on the second floor, it’s a really cool vantage point for people watching.

Tyler’s Pick

Frontera Cocina: Two Words: Queso. Fundido. This appetizer is one of our favorite food items in all of Disney Springs and we make sure to get it every time. The entrees are good as well with a fantastic fajita platter! Be sure to get on of their great margaritas as well  

Honorable Mention

Raglan Road: We’ve mentioned this earlier on when it came to breakfast, but for lunch and dinner this place is awesome. Not only do you get a meal and a show, but the food is fantastic as well!

Best Dessert

Jessica’s Pick

Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop: This is a sentimental pick – my family and I used to come here each time we came to Disney for vacation. The sundaes are amazing and don’t forget to stop by the shop to get a free square of chocolate!

Tyler’s Pick

Sprinkles: This is the perfect stop if you want a little something sweet, but not super heavy. You can go into the store itself, or order straight for the cupcake ATM. That’s right, it’s an ATM…but for cupcakes.

Honorable Mention

Amorette’s Patisserie: The desserts here are almost too pretty to eat. A cast member will ask you what type of flavors you like so they can pick the perfect dessert for you. There’s also champagne and sparkling wine here along with coffee. 

Disney Springs Nightlife

It’s when the sun goes down that Disney Springs really comes alive. There are plenty of bars and drink spots to visit such as Starlight Lounge, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar and The Edison. Not only do most bars offer great drinks and specials, but almost all of them have some sort of live music. 

Disney Springs offers a lot of great live entertainment throughout. There’s a Spanish guitarist who usually posts up near The Boathouse, although we’ve seen him in a few different spots over the years. He is an absolute must-see! There’s also bands and other musicians who set up shop in different areas. 

House of Blues is another late-night venue for music lovers. You can hang out in the outdoor bar area and hear local musicians, or head inside to see a concert. House of Blues brings some great acts and it’s a really fun venue to see a show.

The Verdict?

Oftentimes Disney Springs is thought of as only a place to go eat or shopping, but it really is a destination in its own right. If you don’t have tickets to a Disney theme park, you can still get a taste of Disney magic and spend a good part of the day at Disney Springs.