This has been rumored on the Disney rumor boards for a while, but the official announcement was made today...

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/03/disney-confirms-disney-springs-coming.html

And, anyone who has tried to park at Downtown Disney on a busy evening will definitely appreciate the two new parking garages!

I hope the Buy N Large jingle plays when you go in.

This should be pretty interesting! When I was last in Downtown Disney, I wasn't too impressed. However, I was still young.

I hate the name!!

Well, I think another name wouldn't be bad, but it will do with the lake; I always have liked the region of Disney, and I am glad it is moving in a good direction.

This has been rumored on the Disney rumor boards for a while, but the official announcement was made today...

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/03/disney-confirms-disney-springs-coming.html

And, anyone who has tried to park at Downtown Disney on a busy evening will definitely appreciate the two new parking garages!

Agreed...I believe we spent almost an hour trying to find a good place to park and ended up on the other end of where we needed to be. One thing that was not told to us until after - the boats are free - don't walk!

Cool news. I think we might be heading there next February so should be knee deep in construction.

The new concept is great - though changing the name is an unneeded complication.

"Downtown Disney" says exactly what it is, the newly named districts could still fit nicely under that umbrella.

"Disney Springs" is so vague, so attached-to-nothing, it could easily be a new water park, a spa, a resort...

To be fair, Disney Village was a really vague name as well.

I think this is a great idea.

Colonel who may become a castmember again soon.

To be fair, Disney Village was a really vague name as well.

Yeah, the LBV Village and Disney Village names were vague, but they accurately described what it was supposed to be (a residental and commercial development). I love just about every aspect of this project, as it seems to address just about every major issue they currently have (parking, pedestrian walkways, interior space). The name, though, is a step backwards.

I liked the idea of Downtown Disney, but it lost so much character after Pleasure Island was closed and not replaced and they started removing cute little things like the old kaleidoscope.

But Disney doesn't plan to pay for the garages itself. The giant resort will instead have its personal government, Reedy Creek Improvement District, pick up the estimated $85 million tab.

The arrangement is likely to save Disney — and cost Florida and federal taxpayers — millions of dollars. Reedy Creek, unlike Disney, can finance the garages with tax-free bonds. And Reedy Creek, unlike Disney, does not have to pay sales tax on the materials used to build them

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-03-19/the-daily-disney/os-disney-springs-parking-garages-20130318_1_disney-spokeswoman-andrea-finger-reedy-creek-improvement-district-downtown-disney

Ah, the benefits of having your own personal government...

...and court system.

Terp, just pointin' out stuff (no, I did NOT say anything about a Mickey Mouse court system, thank you very much).

The establishment of Reedy Creek was a brilliant move on Disney's part in the early development of WDW...and shows just how "motivated" the Florida legislature was to have Walt's "East Coast Disneyland" end up in the Sunshine State.

^ I have never heard about Reedy Creek till you mentioned it. Thanks!

It seems to be a fantastic and continuing project!

Info: http://www.rcid.org/