A half-century ago, as Walt Disney World was welcoming its first guests, this area was simply the Lake Buena Vista shopping village, with a handful of stores. As Disney World expanded, so did this district. Initially, there were only two hotels and a campground close to the Magic Kingdom, which was then Disney's only theme park. Over time, Lake Buena Vista saw the addition of hotel after hotel, and today, there are more than dozen in or near the area now known as Disney Springs. And that original handful of shops? Well, it’s now a robust selection of stores, restaurants, and nightclubs—not to mention a golf course right around the corner.
The proximity to Walt Disney World naturally means that Disney Springs lodgings—a mix of hotels that are both Disney owned and not—tend to have higher room rates. If you can swing a stay here, though, you'll be in a good location, and, since the district's non-Disney hotels are on Disney property, they have some (but not all) of the privileges of official Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
