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By Dawn Allcot
One of the best things about Disney Springs is there is always something new to explore.
Whether it’s a small kiosk or a new restaurant, if you’re a regular visitor you’re almost bound to discover some unexplored corner of the vast, 120-acre shopping and dining extravaganza.
If you haven’t been there in a while, you will be amazed by the changes and improvements.
And Disney keeps adding more to do each year.
Here are a few Disney Springs adventures you won’t want to miss. (And most of them are free – or close to it.)
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1. Take Your Picture with the Coca-Cola Bear
Venture up to the second level of the Coca-Cola Store and you’ll find the famous Coca-Cola Polar Bear all ready for a photo opp. The photos link to your Disney PhotoPass so you can download them free as part of your Memory Maker subscription.
Other reviewers say that you can even have a friend take a photo with your phone or your own camera to keep, for free. #PolarSelfie, anyone?
Keep going to the rooftop soda bar and taste a flight of 16 Coke beverages for just $9.
The LEGO store, one of the original retail venues when Disney Springs was still Downtown Disney, is a great place to spend time with your kids. We literally spent two hours there building and racing LEGO cars near the water’s edge.
Photo opps abound, but you’ll need to use your own phone or camera. You’ll find a dragon, Buzz Lightyear on a rocket, Woody and Buzz, the Incredible Hulk, LEGO friends, and the famous Loch Ness Monster peeking out from the lake.
You can also build your own LEGO creations on multiple tables throughout the store, or create LEGO mini-figs to take home, three for $10.
3. Become an On-screen Superhero
Ever wonder what you would look like as Iron-man, Captain America, or Black Widow?
Find out in the Marvel Super Hero Headquarters.
The magic of green screen technology puts your face onto the Marvel super hero of your choice and displays it on the wall-mounted monitor for all to see. The store’s team members clap when the latest super hero is born.
The experience doesn’t link to your Disney PhotoPass or MemoryMaker, but you can take a photo home for $30. Even if you don’t buy the print, the experience is worth a few minutes of your time.
4. Build Your Own Lightsaber
Disney Springs boasts two Star Wars stores – one right next to the Super Hero Headquarters. You can build your own lightsaber in either store from a wide collection of parts. No one frowns upon a mini-lightsaber battle inside the store, either.
While we didn’t purchase any of our lightsaber creations, you certainly can. But for our kids, the fun was in the building.
Make a right at the entrance to the TRex Café and you’ll find an alcove filled with sand and children digging happily. Whether or not you eat at the TRex Café, children can play paleontologist and unearth dinosaur bones with the brushes provided – or their hands.
Great for toddlers but I saw several tweens digging with younger siblings, too.
This one’s for the hard-working moms.
After a day of Disney parks and the Florida heat, you’ll want to chill out in Disney Springs with this free perk during Happy Hour. Stop by Wine Bar George for a free taste of Frose, the season’s coolest adult beverage.
Six- and nine-ounce pours are also affordable by Disney standards, so get one to-go.
Take a Break (From Spending) at Disney Springs
With more than 150 shopping, dining, and entertainment venues, Disney Springs can certainly get as expensive as other properties in the Disney World Resort.
But it is also fun to wander for several hours and take in the atmosphere without spending a bundle.
What’s your favorite free activity to do in Florida’s Disney Springs?
