In the perfect world, every Disney World vacation day ends while watching fireworks on Main Street USA with the castle in the background. But what happens when you want to keep going after a theme park day?
Here’s what you should know about evenings at Disney Springs entertainment and shopping district!
ACTUAL CLOSING TIME VS THE POSTED CLOSING TIME
When you look online, the closing time of Disney Springs is midnight. Then why is the World of Disney and dozens of other retail and dining locations closing at 11pm?
Know ahead of time that the table service restaurants and most bars close at midnight (or later), but the majority of Disney Springs is done at 11pm.
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STAFFING LEVELS AFTER DARK
Disney Springs goes through levels of insanity, especially as it’s a destination for folks who either don’t have park tickets for that day or for locals. This means that the staffing levels change when the crowds leave…especially at night!
Expect locations like the World of Disney and most retail locations in the Marketplace to start closing registers and being at lower staff levels, even when you think that it’s busy enough to justify another open cash line.
EXCLUSIVE EVENTS
My suggestion is to always keep an eye out on social media, because the @DisneySprings twitter & instagram are fairly active for promoting events.
This may include live music at the House of Blues to exclusive merchandise events at the stores on property. Check the feeds in the morning and throughout the day, because last-minute fun can usually be found by staying up to date!
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PRIORITIZE SHORT LINES
Remember how I was talking about staffing levels? Well there are a number of stores that are incredible to wander around in between 9p-11pm, mostly due to the prioritizing of food & drink over shopping.
My favorite locations to check out at night are the Art of Disney, Uniqlo and the NBA Experience Store!
PREP FOR THE NEXT DAY
If you’re ending your day at Disney Springs, why not grab some stuff for the next day?
One of my tips is to hit up Starbucks (in the Marketplace or West Side) and grab a breakfast treat. This may allow you to skip the lines at your resort and hit the parks with something in your stomach without stressing out too much.
PIN TRADING
I’ve had horrible luck getting good pins during the evening hours at Disney Springs…except for a couple of locations that seem to be the gold mines!
World of Disney in the kids section, because younger guests are often looking at trading for favorite characters instead of locations or sets. I’ve got a few really great Disney Cruise Line or Star Wars pins because the kids trading before me had their eyes on Frozen or Pixar characters.
I’d skip the Pin Traders location, as it’s such a hot spot in the evening that you’re probably not going to get anything really cool…but if you head to the Disney Vacation Club or Disney Visa kiosks, you’ll probably be in luck for something epic!
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RESTAURANTS VS BARS
There’s a huge difference at Disney Springs between table service locations where you’re getting a meal and locations that you stop into for a drink or late night munchies.
Some of my favorite bars or outside patios to check out are at Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar and Stargazers at Planet Hollywood…because why not right?
BEST SNACKS
Oh, Disney Springs has a ton of great spots for evening snacks, but it’s all about staying ahead of your hunger level.
- Cupcakes at Sprinkles
- Customizable snacks at Goofy’s Candy Co
- Doughnuts at Joffrey’s
- Pizza at Blaze Pizza (because Pizza is always a good snack!)
Be adventurous with your food budget, because at the end of the day…it’s your vacation!
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PHOTO OPS
The last tip is one for the scrapbook…take photos!
From the Lego Store to the volcano at Rainforest Cafe, there’s a number of great backdrops that are even more epic after the sun goes down. That being said, please be aware that the lighting for certain daytime spots could be weak for evening shots, but it’s always worth the memory!
Hope that this was useful for your next trip to Walt Disney World! If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to reach out via social media (@StepstoMagic) anytime!