Walt Disney World Resort released this past month new sketches and plans for the Downtown District including Disney Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side. The newly refurbished area will be renamed Disney Springs and will encompass all three districts and expand to enable more themed areas to focus on Florida’s waterfront heritage.
Many of the announced or at least envisioned improvements for the district will be a multi-level parking garage that will take up most of the parking of the Market place area and a enlarged Bus Stop area near West side and Pleasure Island.
Other improvements will be the addition of many unique anchor stores and other entertainment venues. Tom Staggs, Chairman of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, was quoted by the Disney Parks Blog as saying, “Disney Springs will be a timeless, vibrant place where Walt Disney World guests and local residents can relax, shop, dine and be entertained in an imaginative setting where they’ll instantly feel at home. Featuring distinctive brands, world-class restaurants and unforgettable entertainment, Disney Springs will be brought to life with the same focus on storytelling and attention to detail that goes into our theme parks, resorts and cruise ships, resulting in a welcoming space that only Disney could create.”
In addition to Marketplace and West Side, there will be two new districts that will be replacing the Pleasure Island and adding on from there. The first of the two districts is the Town Center District that by the looks of things will be in between the West Side and Marketplace. This area will include both shopping and dining options and have a promenade area where guests can relax in. The second district is The Landing. This area has a strong Waterfront dining and shopping theme with a waterfront view.
All these changes are expected to be completed in 2016. Stay tuned for further details.
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