10 things to do at Disney Springs

I love Disney Springs, and I also know it has so.many.things that a rest day can quietly turn into another park day if you let it. Buuuuut you do not have to do all ten of these, and you definitely do not have to spend a fortune before you sit down.

For an afternoon, I start at Marketplace with World of Disney (browsing counts) and the LEGO sculptures outside, then walk to The Landing for one Gideon’s cookie to share, because those things are huge. No reservation means one Quick Service stop: Morimoto Asia Street Food, The Basket at Wine Bar George, or Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza. The table I book is Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ for the fried chicken. And I round up my night at the Coca-Cola Store close to buses to my resort.

Shop at World of Disney

If you go to Disney Springs, walk through World of Disney. It’s the biggest Disney store in the world and it has, I’m not kidding, everything: clothes, ears, home stuff, toys, pins, plush, the whole situation. I have a great time in here even when I don’t buy a thing, which is a sentence I have said out loud to myself and then ignored, because of course I still found something.

Pro-tip: I like to browse first and pay later, so I’m not dragging bags the whole walk. If you’re staying at a Disney resort, complimentary transportation to Disney Springs is included, which is such a nice little budget win 😉

Play at the LEGO Store

Take your kid, or take the version of you that still wants to build the castle, because the LEGO Store in Marketplace is the creative stop for your trip. You’ll find Disney sets inside and those giant brick sculptures outside that I always pause to photograph because let’s be real: I’m in awe every time I look at those.

The outside is free, it’s easy, and it’s a sweet little pause between World of Disney and the walk over to The Landing.

Eat a cookie at Gideon’s Bakehouse

It’s the must-get cookie of your trip. And trust me, I don’t have a sweet tooth but I found that the coffee cake cookie is definitely worth the wait.

Gideon’s Bakehouse is on The Landing, and you’ll probably see the crowd before you see the sign. The cookies are almost half a pound, the dough sits overnight, and people are obsessed for a reason. As of summer 2026 they’re about $7, the flavors rotate, and if you don’t want to overthink it, the original chocolate chip is the one that made this place famous. The inside of Gideon’s is truly something and it smells delicious.

On a weekday morning you can sometimes just wait in a normal line. On a weekend or when they release a new flavor, they could switch to a virtual queue at the door, they text you when to come back, and that return time can be a couple of hours. So what I’d do is join the list, go do something else around Springs, and come back when they call me. Then it feels like a treat instead of a project.

On my first visit, I bought 3 cookies just for myself. Huuuuuge mistake! Live and learn, so now I share one because they are huge. Hot Cookie Hour is 2 to 3 and 7 to 8 if you want it warm, which is cute if you’re already nearby, but I wouldn’t rebuild the whole afternoon around that window.

And if the wait looks wild, it’s okay. Save Gideon’s for another pass through Springs because there is plenty of dessert around there.

Eat Quick Service

I love a sit-down meal, but I also love not losing a whole Springs afternoon to a wait. If you’re in the middle of something like 4 parks in 2 days and nobody booked dining, these three are the Quick Service spots I actually point people to:

Morimoto Asia Street Food is the walk-up counter on the patio at Morimoto Asia, on The Landing, with ramen, bao, ribs, the kind of plate you can eat outside with a fork or your hands. This is my pick when I want real food and I want it now.
The Basket at Wine Bar George is the grab-and-go window under the terrace, also on The Landing, with mac and cheese bites, fries, a little charcuterie, and frozen wine drinks if you’re 21. This is the picnic version: grab it, find a table by the water, and sit for a minute, because you earned that.
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is in Town Center, the line where you build an 11-inch pizza and they fire it in about three minutes. One price, a ton of toppings, cauliflower crust if you need it, and it’s an easy win with kids, especially when the group wants different things and you still want everyone happy.

Have dinner at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’

If I’m booking one table at Disney Springs, this is it. Southern food, fried chicken brined overnight, Church Lady Deviled Eggs, the kind of meal that makes you slow down in the best way. Art Smith knows what he’s doing, and it tastes like it. Even the salads are incredible!

Book it about 60 days out in My Disney Experience, same window as the parks. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday is a whole mood if you want doughnuts with the chicken, which sounds extra until you try it.

If the reservation is gone, you’re still fine. Go back to the Quick Service list and have a cute little waterfront lunch.

Visit the Coca-Cola Store

If you like Coke, this is such a fun stop. The store is built to look like an old bottling plant, packed with shirts, mugs, and the souvenirs you only grab on vacation. The polar bear is on the second floor, and the drinks with a view are on the rooftop, which is my cheap little win, because you get the Springs laid out under you without buying a balloon ticket. That’s especially nice on a windy day when Aerophile isn’t flying.

Dress like you meant it at DisneyStyle

Oh.my.god. DisneyStyle is the West Side shop I found and immediately decided was my personality! Trendy Disney clothes, bags, ears, the stuff that feels a little more fashion than the giant tee wall at World of Disney (I love that wall too, they’re just different).

If you’re going to buy one thing you’ll actually wear at home, this is a great place to look. And if you’re already over budget, walking through is still fun, because it’s small enough that window shopping doesn’t eat the afternoon.

Catch a movie at AMC

Maybe you are having an extended stay at Disney and you want to find new activities, or maybe the latest Disney movie comes out during your trip and you don’t want to miss it. Whichever is the case, you have to visit AMC Movies. This dine-in theatre will take the dinner and the movies to new heights, where you will be able to enjoy seat-side gourmet meals at this state-of-the-art theater!

Go up in the Aerophile balloon

Is there anything else to say? You get to fly for 8 minutes on this tethered helium balloon, which has been handpainted. YES! Handpainted! An experience you will never forget but in order to get on, you will have to buy a ticket. As of August 2026 it’s $29.99 for ages 10 and up and $24.99 for ages 3 to 9, plus tax, tickets at the balloon, first come first served.

It won’t fly in a storm or if the wind is over 22 mph, so I peek at the sky before I walk all the way to West Side for it. For current hours and the weather call, use the official Aerophile page.

Why is Disney Springs perfect for a rest day

Because you still get the Disney feeling, and nobody is making you set a 5:45 alarm. Complimentary transportation from your resort, no park ticket, and the afternoon can be a cookie, a movie, a balloon, or just walking around looking at pretty things. That is the whole point of a rest day to me. You get to be at Walt Disney World without treating it like another park.

And that pretty much concludes an afternoon and evening at Disney Springs 🙂 My suggestion is don’t overdo it, because if you try to fit too many things, it won’t feel like a rest day. So pick a few things, eat something good, and leave a little room for wandering.