If I’m taking friends to Disney Springs, my ideal evening is pretty simple: a little shopping, drinks, a good dinner, something sweet, and a movie.
Of course, “a little shopping” is doing some heavy lifting in that sentence.
First stop: World of Disney
I’d start at World of Disney. We’re Disney fans. We were going to end up in there anyway.
This is the browsing part of the evening, where you tell yourself you’re just looking and give your friends permission to remind you that you said that.
Drinks at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
Next, I’d head to Homecomin’ for drinks.
This is where we slow down, catch up, and settle into the evening. I want time to enjoy the company. Nobody needs to treat a night at Springs like a race.
Dinner at The BOATHOUSE
For dinner, my pick is The BOATHOUSE.
Give dinner its own part of the evening. Sit down, enjoy it, and leave a little room for what comes next. Or at least claim you’re leaving room. That counts as planning.
Something sweet from Gideon’s Bakehouse
Dessert would be a cookie or a cake slice from Gideon’s Bakehouse.
If sweets are always part of the plan, three more Disney World carbs I’d happily buy again.
Full disclosure: I was the General Manager at the Disney Springs location, so Gideon’s is part of my story, too.
It still makes my list. Cookie or cake? That’s a decision I’m comfortable leaving until dessert.
Finish with a movie at AMC
Then I’d finish the night with a movie at AMC.
By this point, we’ve shopped, had drinks, enjoyed dinner, and handled the very serious matter of dessert. A movie sounds like a pretty good way to wrap things up.
That’s my kind of Disney Springs evening. Good company, a few favorite stops, and enough time to enjoy being there.
What would you change? Tell me your must-do stop for a night at Springs.
A little planning goes a long way
Check in at Gideon’s when you arrive, even if dessert comes later. Its official visitor guide explains that a virtual queue is used when the line gets long. Keep the order flexible, plan dinner around your movie time, and leave room for the walk between stops.
