Our “Ghost Town” Experience at Disney Springs
Following reopening day of Disney Springs, we headed back to Walt Disney World for the first time in over two months. It was an odd mix of surreal, normal, apocalyptic, and comforting. You know, all the usual feelings you get when wandering an outdoor mall and dining at a restaurant.
We’re not going to rehash much here, so if you haven’t read our previous posts about the reopening of Disney Springs, here are photos and videos of what you can expect in terms of the temporary health screening & safety requirements. If you do opt to visit, this list covers the 40+ restaurant & retail locations currently open.
In this post, we’ll share photos from our visit to Disney Springs, thoughts on the health screening and safety protocols, our experience dining at the Boathouse, recommendations for visiting, and some commentary about pent-up demand (or lack thereof).
One of the big discussion points thus far has been pent-up demand. We’ve consistently held that this is being over-estimated for Walt Disney World’s theme parks, and that organic demand will likely be below the ~25% cap set by Disney–at least after the first few days.
We were hesitant to say the same about Disney Springs. While it obviously doesn’t have the same appeal or drawing power as the parks, it also has some things going for it. For one, Disney Springs does not charge admission. It also is easier to visit in small doses, making the masks and other requirements more palatable.
In other words, Disney Springs is more like an outdoor mall, restaurant, public park, or beach. In various places around the United States, all of those venues have seen serious crowds upon reopening. We were worried about the same at Disney Springs, which is why our intent was to avoid the opening day and the holiday weekend.
However, the crowds never materialized. This was clear from the get-go, as photos and videos we saw of opening day showed mostly bloggers, vloggers, and diehard hot dog hounds…but few others. Even with those three key demographics, it was hardly busy. Once those groups had their fill, attendance further dropped. It was a veritable ghost town over the weekend.
We’ve already seen some “unsurprised” reactions on social media, with people pointing to the lack of tourists with Walt Disney World closed right now. While that obviously cut into the potential audience pretty significantly, I think vacation-goers underestimate the local appeal of Disney Springs.
Quite simply, Disney Springs is our closest mall. This is true for a lot of people in Central Florida, and this reality is normally reflected in crowd levels. Disney Springs sees its biggest attendance spikes on weekends and evenings, when locals are off work. Same goes for the entire holiday season, when it’s significantly busier due to locals doing Christmas shopping and meals with family.
For many locals who don’t have Annual Passes, it’s a way to get a Disney fix. For others, it’s a great spot for dinner in a lovely setting. While Disney Springs is absolutely dependent on tourists, it’s also dependent upon locals. Those dozens of restaurants would not be viable without the local audience–tourists are disproportionately eating in the parks, not at Disney Springs.
In any case, attendance levels were well below expectations, and likely far too low to sustain the ~40 businesses currently open at Disney Springs. We wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these close again in the coming weeks, and other restaurants scuttle plans to reopen.
There are likely a variety of explanations for the low turnout among locals thus far at Disney Springs. Fears of a “crowdpocalypse” scenario, health & safety concerns, mandatory mask opposition, unemployment levels, economic uncertainty, high heat & humidity, lack of Disney-owned venues operating, and more things I’m probably overlooking. We could quibble over how much each variable is influencing attendance, but they’re all undoubtedly playing some part.
Regardless of the explanations for low attendance, this cannot be what Walt Disney World expected. It’ll be interesting to watch trends in the next week or so to see whether things pick up, level-off, or further decline.
If I were an executive with Disney, I’d be closely watching this, and surveying guests who visited Disney Springs plus everyone with a vacation booked for this summer or fall. I’d also be very hesitant to announce reopening dates for the parks without better insight into the “why?” of this, as well as what attendance projections look like for the parks.
I suspect Walt Disney World leadership anticipates operating the parks at a loss with limited capacity while things gear back up–you have to walk before you can run–but Disney Springs suggests that pent-up demand and visitor appetite for the Walt Disney World experience might be low.
That, or Disney Springs is totally different than the parks, and I’ve simply given this way too much thought. Not like I have anything better to do.
Let’s move along to our Disney Springs “report.”
We parked in Orange Garage (because we’re not barbarians) and headed to the temperature check. This took all of 3 seconds, and was the most people we encountered all day. It was no different than a temperature check coming through customs at an international airport; totally frictionless and doesn’t warrant further commentary.
Here’s a look at the text of the sandwich board warning.
These signs were all over the garage and by the escalators. None beyond that, though.
In general, the signage was fairly minimal.
That’s not reflected particularly well in this update (since I focused on spots that looked differently), but aside from maybe ~6 signs like this, ~12 sandwich board signs with the same message, directional arrows on some (but not all) bridges, and some stand/don’t stand queues outside stores, it was mostly business as usual.
There were definitely not as many of these signs as the “critter warnings” added four years ago along the shoreline of every single body of water at Walt Disney World.
In other words, I don’t think there was too much visual blight. Of course, there’s nothing to say more signs won’t be added.
The more obvious change was everyone wearing masks.
Guest compliance with this rule was scattered. The vast majority of people we saw were wearing masks, but some had them pulled down or off. In fairness, social distancing was incredibly easy to accomplish (with far more than a 6′ buffer) everywhere, which could explain why some felt comfortable removing their masks. The bigger test will be if/when things are crowded.
We’ve worn masks all day before out of courtesy when we’ve been sick in Japan, so this wasn’t totally novel to us.
However, I’m also not going to lie or sugarcoat things and say it was easy. Due to the lack of shade and surplus of concrete, Disney Springs is unpleasant on a “normal” 95º day. Masks exacerbate that.
Regardless, it was so nice to be back at Walt Disney World. Easing back into life out in public with such a low-crowd experience was perfect, too.
Selfishly, if masks are what thins out crowds a bit, I’ll happily wear them at Walt Disney World. Even in the summer heat and humidity. Locals definitely have an advantage in this regard, as a mask for 3-4 hours a couple of times per week is far easier than all-day, every-day for a weeklong vacation.
Ironically, the most surreal and apocalyptic element (and even those terms are a bit hyperbolic) of the visit was not the screening, signs, or masks–it was the absence of people.
I’m not saying I want heavy crowds (definitely not), but it was very odd for Disney Springs to be a ghost town during what should’ve been one of the busiest weekends of the year. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode, “Where Is Everybody?” except (spoiler alert) I don’t think this was to test my fitness to become an astronaut.
We made lunch reservations at the Boathouse, and requested a table outside.
This is again a matter of easing back into things and risk mitigation; even with the heat, we’re more comfortable in an open-air setting for now.
It turned out to be totally perfect, even on this hot day.
We had shade, a nice breeze, and a view of Saratoga Springs Resort across the water. Aside from our server wearing a mask and the restaurant being virtually empty, the meal had a near-complete sense of normalcy.
This being my first restaurant meal in well over two months, I decided to make up for lost time.
For those keeping score at home, I ate a half-dozen of the Boathouse’s iconic rolls.
For my entree, I ordered the 75-Day Aged Gibsons Grass-Fed Australian Boneless Ribeye.
I’m honestly not entirely sure if this is one of the greatest things I’ve ever eaten, or if it just tasted that way after I’ve been subsisting largely on a diet of cabbage and cauliflower at home. Either way, this was perfection!
Sarah had the Gulf of Mexico Red Grouper. It was also very, very good.
Going in, we had debated doing the Baked Alaska for dessert to restart our WDW dining with a bang. “Unfortunately,” I ate way too many rolls for that. Next time.
There will definitely be a next time, at least so long as crowds stay relatively low.
There’s obviously some risk in going out, but that’s not going away anytime soon. The benefits to our mood/outlook/happiness/etc. easily outweighed the minimal risk. That balance will change depending upon the circumstances, though.
If you’re thinking of doing a meal at Disney Springs, we’d highly recommend the Boathouse (hardly a surprise since it’s normally our #1 table service pick for Disney Springs).
However, the Boathouse also offers some unique advantages during this “temporary abnormal.” The restaurant is colossal, has a range of great outdoor seating options, and the menu has a ton of range for everyone in your party.
We’re debating whether to return to the Boathouse for our next meal, or go somewhere else.
STK is the leading candidate right now, for their best-value lunch in all of Walt Disney World (which we can confirm has returned–but is $1 more expensive) or the happy hour specials. STK also has outdoor seating, albeit not nearly as much.
In terms of other tips, our big one would be to visit later in the day. We arrived shortly after Disney Springs opened for the day to minimize our exposure to potential crowds, but it never got more crowded.
Next time, we’ll go for sunset and stay until closing. While it’s hot and humid out, this is the significantly better strategy (at least, until crowds pick up…if they do) due to the lack of shade at Disney Springs.
All things considered, this ghost town visit to Disney Springs went far better than expected. The lack of crowds is definitely interesting, and presents a lot of questions to ponder. Regardless of the reasons why–or the surreal feeling created by the absence of people–we’ll definitely be heading back to Disney Springs sooner rather than later. Even with the temporary rules, heat & humidity, it was a great experience that did wonders for our spirits and helped reestablish some semblance of normalcy. If you’re a local on the fence about doing Disney Springs, we’d absolutely recommend it.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you visited Disney Springs since it reopened? Where did you dine? How was your experience? Would you recommend others visit, or hold off? Will you be visiting Disney Springs in the near future? If you’re a local and the answer is “no,” what’s your reasoning? We welcome a variety of viewpoints here, and will not delete anything on opinion alone. However, we will not tolerate insults, arguing, or politically-charged comments. Don’t ruin a 95% fine comment with an unnecessary cheap shot—that 5% will get it deleted. Additionally, please do not incessantly harp on the same point across multiple comments. Respectfully share your opinion and move along.
Thank you for this update Tom, as the myself, wife, and daughter have been looking to head over from Tampa once it opened, but I was honestly awaiting more on the ground reporting from yourselves and others.
That’s very interesting as my fiance and I opted to not go this weekend because all the restaurant reservations were not available about the next two weeks. We figured it was because it was packed. I guess we’ll venture over tonight then!
I think there is a desire for everyone to get out again carefully. A lot of people also want to support local businesses and I wonder if there is a shift in folks wanting to help out the little guy’s right now in their areas. I definitely think everyone is scrimping what they have out of fear of uncertainty another wave and what that could result in. Thank You for the update should be interesting what will happen in the future.
I am from the Northeast and I had a trip planned for April and it got cancelled. There were 6-7 other families in my town that were also going in April that got cancelled. Not one of them plan on going if masks are required. When you are a tourist and you have to fly and spend all that money you want a top notch experience. Wearing a mask absolutely eliminates that. And this doesnt even take into account all the of the people that are still afraid to go over health concerns. Very few will spend that kind of money while not getting the full experience. Another factor is the reports of a vaccine by year end so most people will just book it for next year. I think Disney’s numbers will be extremely low when they reopen unless there’s no masks and all of the shows, character meetings and fireworks are happening.
We are also from the Northeast and, mask or not, I can’t wait for our late October food and wine visit. If the present limitations hold there will be no marathons. No competitions. No or limited South American tour groups. No conventions. .Sounds like the Disney World of old! Just families and people who like Disney and come for Disney. I don’t care if the whole place isn’t functioning. This state of being will only last a short time. I wouldn’t miss it for the world!
We bumped ours to April 2021 and hopefully will have a vaccine and masks won’t be needed. Only a few months later so we figured it’s worth the wait so we can get full experience and hopefully won’t have any of the risks. Have a good trip
Good report. Thank you. We are fans of DS and enjoy the ambience. Not too crowded sounds rather nice!
I think the mask rule is a HUGE issue. I agree with the poster above. I understand if they are required inside however outside is going to be difficult. I have still not heard anyone say how you are supposed to walk around World Showcase while wearing a mask and enjoying a beverage? Are they are going to do away with all snack and drink carts? Also the health risk for some people when wearing a mask in 95 degree heat and 100% might be a problem. I could literally see people falling out b/c of the heat. This has to be a big priority when figuring out how to open the parks.
You can always slip straw under your mask for sip of a cold drink. That said, DO NOT drink beer through a straw. If you want to find out why search it. Based on my college experience it’s just not a good idea.
From what I hear (not being a local, I am going just on blogs), Universal CityWalk is still busy, with some restaurants continuing to have long waits. Since the mask requirement and the heat/humidity are the same, is the difference due to Disney-owned venues not being opened at Disney Springs?
Tom, do you plan to go to Disney Springs when the Disney-owned venues reopen, and if yes, do you plan to update this post with the crowds you see (or don’t see)?
On a side note, you need to have a warning to not read your blog close to a mealtime. 🙂 The food pictures and description made me very hungry. I do appreciate the detailed blog, thanks.
I too am curious for an update on once Disney owned venues open again, as we may wait until then to head over. Otherwise, still planning on heading over within the next few weeks and just enjoy being “at” Disney again.
32 million Americans are out of work. Many will not be going back and if they do it may only be part time. I hope empty shopping and dining venues aren’t being driven by the economy and are just a symptom of anxiety brought on by the virus.
I went with a friend the 2nd day (5pm) that they opened & It was a rainy night.
Had a Wonderful time! Had appetizers & drinks at Planet Hollywood & by the time we left around 6:30 they had a good amount of diners. We were on the 1st floor and it was at capacity. Then shopped at a few of the stores – Tho not full, they also had a significant amount of shoppers. Dinner reservations were @ George Wine Bar @ 8:15. We arrived a lil before 8 and they were at capacity. Had to wait till 8:20 to be allowed in and seated. Last stop on our way out was at Surgarboo & Co. store. One of my FAVORITE Stores. It’s near 10pm and there was approx 6 other shoppers. Disney Springs grounds looked deserted…BUT The restaurants and stores had life. Can’t wait to going back next next (June 1st) after more stores & restaurants open. HIGHLY Recommend visiting now!
PS.While sitting at restaurants or on benches you may take your mask off.
Disney Springs has never been a favorite of ours, in fact and we usually spend less than 4 hours per trip there. That said, excellent report and it sounds like an ideal place to get re-acclimated to what will happen when the parks open. My bets are the crowds will increase relatively dramatically in the next few weeks as people find that the experience is not going to be as traumatic as first thought.
the original marketplace and pleasure island were better. and the west side was better with disneyquest. we completely skip the “new” middle part now when we go aside from walking through, there is just nothing that appeals to us there. and now that they ruined world of disney, that isn’t a huge draw for us anymore either. the rest of the original marketplace area is the best, but now that the buses don’t drop off in that vicinity, it’s a hike to get there.
I could go for some of those rolls right about now!
While reading, I couldn’t help but think of the mysterious lack of crowds when Galaxy’s Edge first opened– which turned out to be (it seems) merely a result of people wanting to wait until the whole thing had opened up, with Rise of the Resistance finally drawing the expected numbers.
Could this be the same phenomenon? Disney’s own stores haven’t opened yet: it could be that the locals are waiting to drop by until the Disney part of Disney Springs is back in the equation.
Wearing mask you have taken all the magic out. We go to escape.
I can hardly wait to go down to Disney Springs to walk around again. Since we live an hour away, we generally coincide our trip to a stay-cation over a weekend or holiday on Hotel Plaza. There are things that I wanted to pick up at Epcot during the Flower show and I’m hoping I can still get some of them at World of Disney. I really do miss the live performers outside, looking over the fountains and water, the Lego store (my inner child), Wetzel’s pretzels, T-Rex cotton candy martinis and general people watching (which with masks will bring an entirely different thing to watch for).
I’m not bothered by the mask problem that others seem to be having as I design them. Not all masks are going to give you 100% protection, that’s not happening. It doesn’t happen with even N95s or higher. There is always an inherent risk. I’ve designed one with a filter but with awesome features. I will get to test it out in the next few days, but so far I like how it feels when wearing it outside. I’m like many, I really don’t dig having to wear a mask either in the heat & humidity, but I’ll play along with this (whatever it is) to be able to go to my favorite places again. The things we do for Disney and Universal as diehard fans.
An N95 respirator will filter out 95% of particles from 0.1 microns to greater than 10.0 microns. They protect the wearer from very small particles. The mask you design, unless it is NIOSH certified as a respirator, is loose fitting and will not protect you from almost anything because of the loose fit. A surgical mask or procedure mask should be worn to protect others from what you spew, especially if you are contagious. If you have a beard, your N95 will leak and not protect you as much as a clean shaven person.
debc, the mask you wear is to protect others, as it stops your droplets. the mask others wear is to protect you, as it stops their droplets. it has been said many times that the mask you wear is not to protect you, but others, and vice-versa. N95 masks should be used on by medical professionals in a medical setting, and they should be saved for purchase by those who truly need them.
We ate at Marimoto’s Japanese restaurant in disney Springs last year. It was the most delicious meal we have ever had. I would highly recommend it to anyone. And, you receive more food then you could eat.
Any idea how this compared to the opening of CityWalk over at Universal?
Thanks for sharing!
I’m not local but lived in Florida for 3 years. My family of 8 was supposed to be at Disney this week. Obviously we had to reschedule. We are planning to come in December. I would guess though the lack of people is definitely related to masks. Florida is just too hot and humid to wear a mask all day long. As much as I want to come in December if masks are mandatory we will probably postpone. Although I REALLY wish Disney would only make masks mandatory inside. So as you are getting on space mountain, or walking in to ride toy story mania you put a mask on, but don’t require them for outside rides or walking around. I think a LOT more people would be okay with masks in that way. I am certainly not a “non” masker, but I don’t wear one outside, and would be much more willing to take our very expensive vacation if I only had to make my 5 kids wear one on rides, shops, or other experiences that are indoors. Just my two cents as an outsider, used to be a Florida resident. Thanks for continuing to research and post for those of us who don’t live close!
if they were to make the decision to not require masks outdoors, then the crowds would be higher, and social distancing would become harder, hence needing masks in the first place. it has to be all or nothing, and people who go either have to abide by it or not go.
Dee, I agree with you 100%. I booked reservations at the Wilderness Lodge about 2 months ago, anticipating WDW opening for July 4th week. With mandatory masks at Disney Springs, it’s reasonable to assume mandatory masks at the parks once opened. So, I cancelled the reservations. Many others feel the same way. Disney WAY underestimated how many people would stay home rather than be forced into masks. Even limited to 25% capacity, there will be THOUSANDS inside the park, and that is NOT the place for people terrified of COVID. Masks do not PREVENT transmission, they just reduce it– and ONLY if the masks are work properly, which many people do not. People have a right to be scared, but they don’t have a right to force OTHERS to wear masks because THEY are scared. They have the right to stay home until no longer afraid, and let the rest of us enjoy the parks while we keep social distance and practice good hygiene. We can’t force you to stay home, but likewise, you cannot force us into masks because of YOUR fear.
Jay – from what I have read, I am not even sure cloth masks are that effective at even reducing transmission given that the Covid virions are much to small to be stopped by cloth. And that is before you factor in what you mentioned, most people don’t even wear them correctly. People also constantly touch and adjust their masks, meaning whatever infectious material was actually stopped by that mask is now on their hands/gloves. The whole thing seems more about feeling safe to me than actually being safe.
@Jeff
The only really effective mask is the N95. The others are mostly window dressing with very limited efficacy. And gloves are a single use item. Given that most people do not observe the proper glove protocols all involved are much better off using hand sanitizer. BTW, the latest from the CDC sharply downplays viral transmission from surfaces pretty much making gloves unnecessary. I will not use a market checkout if the person is wearing gloves. I do, however, want to see hand sanitizing between customers.
Jeff, you are correct. Cloth masks are marginal at-best against COVID, and ONLY for larger droplets. Their weave is too coarse to protect against microscopic aerosol particles, and several studies confirmed COVID can be transmitted via aerosol. Cloth masks give a false sense of security. Also as you said, people constantly touch their masks. Masks are unpleasant, and the natural tendency is to “adjust” frequently. But in doing so without sterilizing your hands first, they contaminate the mask, leaving all those germs in direct contact with (or within a few millimeters of) mouth and nose. Most people don’t have access to -quality- surgical masks, and N95’s are sold out.
no one should be looking to buy N95 masks if you are not a medical professional in a medical setting. please leave those for those who actually need them, as they are in short supply. no one should be pushing for the general public to search for N95 masks either for out and about use- the anti-maskers think a cloth mask with gaps is too hot? don’t even go near an N95. this is directly from a nurse friend who has to wear them.
Thanks for the report. We also ate out (locally) yesterday for the first time in <2 months and it felt weird driving around a normally very crowded area with no cars. We also had a great meal and I think my favorite part might have been walking away afterwards without having to clean up the dishes!
I'm curious as to your comment about the temperature check being no different than an international airport. Where have you experienced that? Is it common in Asia? It's not something I've had at an airport, but I'm less traveled than you are.
I’m wondering how many people are waiting for more stores to open later this week before visiting. My daughter has been twice since Disney Springs reopened to get her fix, but I decided to wait until next weekend, when more should be open. (I’m so excited to be back on property)
I think you make a really good point about it being tolerable to wear masks for a local outing of a few hours, but for people like me coming from another country, a whole day in the heat wearing a mask is another story. I just cancelled a trip I had booked for late July and am sad about it but it’s not a big deal when looking at the situation around the world. Thanks for the pictures of food at The Boathouse…brings back great memories from Christmas and happier times!
I gotta say I got a little teary eyed reading your post .. I don’t know .. I felt like you went to visit a friend that may or may not still be in the hospital .. it was a friendly visit and soundlngly good for the soul.
Did you guys move here? You almost sound like locals.
I visited last week and also found the mask oppressive in the heat/humidity. I probably won’t go back until there is more to do. We live about 10 miles away and usually go to the Springs for AMC movies with our A-List. Since there is nothing to do at the Springs right now other than dine at overpriced restaurants, we have no reason to be there. We’ll go back when the live music returns, which makes swallowing a 25% surcharge to local eatery prices a bit more palatable.