Even if you’ve been a longtime Disney Springs visitor, we’re willing to bet these facts slipped right past you.

Disney Springs, Disney World’s sprawling shopping, dining, and entertainment district, has been a guest favorite destination since 2015. But for decades prior to its official renaming, it was welcoming visitors as Downtown Disney (or one of its even earlier names, like the Disney Village Marketplace, Pleasure Island, or the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village).

Even if you’re familiar with the long history of Disney Springs, odds are you don’t know all of this district’s secrets. So, we’re sharing some awe-inspiring facts about this Disney World destination that we think will surprise even those who’ve stopped by, shopped, and dined here countless times.

1. Disney Springs Spans Over 100 Acres

If you’ve ever marveled at just how big Disney Springs is, you’re not alone – and it really is huge. Its four neighborhoods and more than 150 venues cover 120 acres in total. 

To put that in perspective, Magic Kingdom Park is currently 107 acres in size. That means Disney Springs is nearly 15 acres bigger than Disney World’s most iconic theme park. It’s most similar in size to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which is 135 acres in size.

2. Disney Used Recycled Resources to Build Disney Springs

If you take a close look at the details Imagineers sprinkled across Disney Springs and its neighborhoods, you won’t instantly notice all of the local – or impressive – behind-the-scenes work that brought the district to life. For example, most guests don’t realize that there are more than 57,000 bricks used in the hardscaping of The Landing.

You also probably didn’t know that all of those bricks are recycled! Disney sourced them from Rollins College, a nearby college in Winter Park, Florida. This was done to give the buildings within the Disney Springs neighborhood a naturally aged appearance (one that’s well-kept over time, of course).

Plus, if you notice a lot of white paint across Disney Springs, you might not realize those shades of white all differ. 15 different shades of white paint were used in the Town Center Neighborhood alone to make it crisp and eye-catching, yet distinct.

Photo by Judd Helms

3. Those Namesake Springs Use a Ton of Water

Disney Springs is named after the bubbling springs that run between its neighborhoods. Those springs may be artificial, but the water in them is 100 percent real – and there’s a lot of it. 

In total, the springs you’ll see in the Town Center neighborhood are made up of 1.2 million gallons of water.

To put that in perspective, that’s enough water to fill the space from Main Street, U.S.A. all the way down to Cinderella Castle inside Magic Kingdom Park.

4. The World of Disney at Disney Springs is Uniquely Large

The World of Disney store located at Disney Springs has long been one of the most popular destinations within the shopping, dining, and entertainment district. That’s because it’s incredibly large and chock-full of Disney goodies – so large, in fact, that it’s the biggest Disney Store in the world.

Yep, you read that right. World of Disney at Disney Springs is the largest Disney store. It may not be the largest in actual square footage, but according to Disney, it’s home to the world’s largest collection of Disney merchandise (and it’s arguably the center piece of Disney Springs itself!).

5. You Can Create One-of-a-Kind Souvenirs at Disney Springs

Shopping is one of the biggest reasons guests head over to Disney Springs, but you won’t necessarily find the same stuff you’d see at your local mall here. Disney Springs offers plenty of one-of-a-kind experiences and offerings – including the chance to create or design souvenirs unlike any others. 

Head to these spots within Disney Springs to create a customized item you can bring home or gift to someone else:

• The Art Corner, where you can make your own spin art on a stationary bike
• The LEGO Store, where you can build a custom LEGO minifigure
• Disney Days of Christmas, where you can personalize ornaments, Mickey ears, and celebration buttons
• Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers, where you can create customized Crystal Wish Keepers, personalized wood photo frames, customized tiaras, and more

Photo by Laurie Sapp

6. Disney Springs Has Its Own Character Meet and Greets

Characters aren’t just reserved for Disney World’s theme parks and resorts! Well, Disney characters are – but there are a couple of non-Disney characters you can catch at Disney Springs.

Head to the Coca-Cola Store, and you’ll find one of these unique character meet and greets. Here, you can stop in, hug, and snap photos with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. This adorably fuzzy friend stands 7 feet tall (you might recognize him from those iconic Coca-Cola Christmas commercials) and hangs out on the store’s second floor.

Just note that the Coca-Cola Polar Bear isn’t always out and about, so you’ll want to call the store in advance to double-check his visiting hours for the day of your planned visit.

Over at the M&M’s Store, you may also bump into a character: a life-size M&M! The colorful candy characters tend to come out on weekends, greeting guests Fridays through Sundays in the store and offering a rare meet and greet opportunity. Plus, you never know which of the M&M’s you might have the chance to snap a photo with.

7. There’s a Secret Way to Score Last-Minute Disney Springs Dining Reservations

Here’s a tip that’ll come in handy if you can’t nab an advance dining reservation (ADR) at one of the Disney Springs restaurants you’re hoping to dine at during your visit. While you’ll find the restaurants all on the Disney World website for booking, you may be able to find more reservation availability if you get off of there and look elsewhere.

Since a good number of Disney Springs restaurants aren’t owned or operated by Disney, you may be able to find them on third-party reservation websites like OpenTable. And if you check OpenTable, odds are you’ll find more availability for last-minute dining.

In our firsthand experience, OpenTable tends to offer more wide-ranging available, especially for those who don’t want to plan too far in advance. Even if the Disney World website and My Disney Experience app aren’t showing availability for spots like STK Steakhouse or Morimoto Asia, for example, you may be able to find a table by looking elsewhere – all without any stress.