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Downtown Disney (Walt Disney World Resort)

Disney Springs
Disney Springs.svg
Location Walt Disney World Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States
Coordinates 28°22′13″N 81°31′16″W / 28.3702539°N 81.5209851°W / 28.3702539; -81.5209851Coordinates: 28°22′13″N 81°31′16″W / 28.3702539°N 81.5209851°W / 28.3702539; -81.5209851
Opening date March 22, 1975; 42 years ago (1975-03-22) (as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village)
Previous names
  • Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village (1975–1977)
  • Walt Disney World Village (1977–1989)
  • Disney Village Marketplace (1989–1997)
  • Downtown Disney (1997–2015)
Management Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
Owner The Walt Disney Company
Public transit access Local Transit Lynx 50 & 300-306
Disney Transport
Website Official website

Disney Springs (previously known as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1975, Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997) is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The complex opened on March 22, 1975, and has been expanded and renamed at other times over the years, until 2013, when plans were announced for a three-year renovation and expansion of the complex, and on September 29, 2015, the name officially changed to Disney Springs.

The complex includes four distinct areas: Marketplace, The Landing, Town Center, and West Side. Buses and water taxis operated by Disney Transport provide transportation between Disney Springs and other areas of Walt Disney World.

The Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, which opened on March 22, 1975, was originally envisioned as an area shopping mall. Two years after its opening, the complex was renamed Walt Disney World Village. With the advent of new management under Michael Eisner in 1984, Disney began looking for ways to keep vacationers on Walt Disney World property longer, and prevent them from leaving for entertainment beyond Disney's borders.

To compete with the popular Church Street Station clubs in downtown Orlando, Disney announced the addition of Pleasure Island, featuring nightclubs showcasing Disney's quality and creativity, to Walt Disney World Village on July 21, 1986. Construction began the following August and Pleasure Island was opened on May 1, 1989, the same day as the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. Later that year, the complex was renamed Disney Village Marketplace.

In the mid-1990s, the growth of Walt Disney World created the potential for further expansion, leading to a $1 billion investment in projects across the resort. The first World of Disney store opened October 2, 1996, in Marketplace.


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