BOATHOUSE | Disney World Enthusiast

There are always changes happening at Disney World and one of the biggest that is taking place right now is the transformation of Downtown Disney into the newly reimagined Disney Springs. When Downtown Disney’s largest expansion in history is complete in 2016, the dining, shopping and entertainment options will have doubled, Buena Vista Drive will have been expanded to ten lanes (including a dedicated bus lane), an I-4 interchange will have been added to allow for direct access, two pedestrian bridges will have been built as well as two parking garages (the first of which opens tomorrow offering 4,000 guest parking spaces).

Disney Springs will include four areas known as The Landing, Marketplace, West Side and Town Center that will be host to over 150 shopping, dining and entertainment venues. A lot of progress has already been made with the addition of two Starbucks locations, nightly entertainment at the Waterview Stage, the announcements of THE BOATHOUSE and Morimoto Asia, and the recent installation of the Springs Bottling Co. sign. Check out this time-lapse video:

Another soon-to-be-realized change is the walkway between The Landing and the West Side will be fully opened by the end of November.

Later this month, we’ll also see the opening of the Food Trucks at Exposition Park in the West Side which will serve as their new permanent home. If you haven’t tried them yet, here’s the scoop:

Fantasy Fare Food Truck – This truck offers favorite foods from Disney Parks around the world such as hand-dipped corn dogs from Disneyland, chicken & waffles from Magic Kingdom and Croque Monsieur from Disneyland Paris.

Namaste Café Food Truck – This truck offers foods from Disney’s Animal Kingdom such as tandoori shrimp, naan with samosas, butter chicken and lamb kefta.

Superstar Catering Food Truck – This truck offers the flavors of Disney’s Hollywood Studios with menu items such as a pot roast sandwich, margarita flatbread and a turkey meatball sub.

World Showcase of Flavors Food Truck – This truck features favorites from Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival such as pierogies, beef sliders and a grilled chicken breast gyro.

Would you like to know more about the back story of Disney Springs? Check out this interesting video:

I’m so excited to explore all of the changes to Downtown Disney on my next visit and I can’t wait to see the World of Disney Store once it has been expanded. I better start saving souvenir money now!

What are you most looking forward to with the reimagined Disney Springs?
Please leave a comment!

(all photos, concept art and videos courtesy of Disney)

Earlier this week the details of two new restaurants located in the reimagined Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) were released. The first location, opening in the spring of 2015, will be the BOATHOUSE featuring steak and seafood. The second location, opening in summer of 2015, will be Morimoto Asia offering pan-Asian cuisine. Here are the latest details from Disney Parks Blog:

It was just announced that Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who many of you know from his appearances on Iron Chef America, is opening a one-of-a-kind dining experience in the heart of Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort. Morimoto Asia will be the Japanese master chef’s first-ever pan-Asian restaurant featuring flavors from across the continent. This Disney Springs dining destination will include unique exhibition kitchens showcasing traditions like Peking duck carving, and dim sum. “I’m very excited to bring this new concept to Disney, something I’ve always dreamed of,” said Chef Morimoto. “It’s a wonderful chance to share some of my favorite foods from across the Asian continent.” The two-story restaurant is scheduled to open in the Summer 2015 at The Landing (formerly Pleasure Island) in Disney Springs. Morimoto Asia will feature waterside seating, terraces, a grand hall and a cocktail lounge.

Also today, another new concept dining experience, The BOATHOUSE, was announced for The Landing in Disney Springs. The BOATHOUSE will be an upscale, waterfront dining experience that’ll immerse guests both on land and on water with live music, guided tours aboard the Captain’s piloted 40-foot Italian Water Taxi with champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries and guided Amphicar rides that launch from land, enter the water, and take guests on a 20-minute tour of the landmarks of Disney Springs. “We are very excited that the BOATHOUSE is joining the Walt Disney World family at Disney Springs,” says creator Steven Schussler. “Walt Disney Imagineering has created a wonderful, interactive, culinary and entertainment experience at Disney Springs. We are proud to be part of this magical experience.” The BOATHOUSE will open in the Spring of 2015 in Disney Springs. The restaurant’s gourmet menu (served daily until 2 a.m.) will feature steaks, chops, seafood and a raw bar. The BOATHOUSE is the latest project of Schussler Creative, the creators of Rainforest Cafe, T-Rex and Yak & Yeti at the Walt Disney World Resort.