Drawing inspiration from Florida’s waterfront towns and natural beauty, the re-imagining of Downtown Disney as Disney Springs will include five outdoor neighborhoods interconnected by a flowing spring and vibrant lakefront. In addition to a new gateway with a signature water tower and grand entry, the destination will be reoriented around a new focal point: The Springs, a unique place at the heart of the property for guests to explore their options to shop, dine and be entertained.
The Landing, formerly Pleasure Island, will have increased lakefront dining, and connections to water. It will be a colorful commercial district with inspired dining and retail, filled with old warehouses, brick buildings and re-purposed boat houses. The New Town Center, will offer a mix of dining and shopping along with a promenade where guests can relax, refresh and reconnect. The area will boast new international restaurant and retail options that do not have a presence anywhere else in the U.S. The existing Marketplace a family-friendly shopping district, with Lego and Once-Upon-A-Toy, will continue to engage guests of all ages by combining new experiences, such as an over-the-water pedestrian causeway, along with classic Disney favorites, including an expanded World of Disney store. The West Side that provides an atmosphere with lively entertainment, will have a new series of spaces that offer both shade and an overlook to the activity below. It will look as though the city found new ways to reuse old elevated railway tracks and stations.
Two multi story parking garages will bracket the new entry court and pond off Buena Vista Drive, one near The World of Disney, and the other currently under construction next to the AMC theaters.
Read more in the article by Richard Bilbao of the Orlando Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2014/06/more-details-emerge-on-disney-springs-design.html