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| The final day of our Disney adventure |
Two words that you don't typically find in the same sentence are "free" and "Disney". As I had mentioned in a previous blog, many a child's future college tuition has been sacrificed by well meaning parents taking their kids to Disney World. It's amazing how much it costs and even more amazing is how many people are willing to fork over the big bucks to Mickey and all of his friends. One bit of good news is that Disney has created an area that somewhat allows for the words "Disney" and "free" to stand side by side. Even better news, it's also fun and can keep kids and adults entertained for a fair bit of time.
The area I am referencing is the 120 acres outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex currently known as Disney Springs. I say "currently" since it opened in 1975 it's been renovated and rebranded five times. Originally it was known as Lake Buena Shopping Village. In 1977 it became Walt Disney World Village. That was followed by Disney Village Marketplace in 1989. From 1997 until September of 2015 it was named Downtown Disney. Needless to say, the sign vendors have been kept busy through the years.
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| I'm not sure how many different names this dragon made of lego's has seen but he's been there for quite a while. |
Disney Springs
If you go to Disney Springs keep in mind "free" is a relative term. There is plenty of "free" and convenient parking. There is no admission fee to get into Disney Springs. Also, a stage where "free" entertainment is frequently scheduled day and night. When we were there a group of children from an elementary school in Delray Beach were singing. They opened their performance with a choreographed song and dance routine to Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" that brought smiles to an appreciative audience.
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| Trying to steal a kiss from Anna |
Of course there are plenty of things to spend money on in Disney Springs if you're so moved. Shopping and dining options run the gamut from reasonably priced to ridiculously priced. There is a movie theater, bowling alley and later this spring the Cirque du Soleil show "Drawn to Life" will open in the newly remodeled theater.
Drawn to Life
If you have young kids, unless they are really young or really naïve, you probably won't be able to bring them to Disney Springs and convince them that's all there is to Disney World. If you can, congratulations, you've saved yourself a couple of billion dollars!
However, no matter if you're a local or a visitor, Disney Springs is a great place to spend a magical bit of time.
