How long for Disney Springs?

#1

We are planning a combined trip to hit up both Disney and Universal Studios in late April/early May. We’ve never been to Disney Springs, but have one of our Universal days where the parks are closing at 7 pm, and there are a couple places in DS that we want to visit (only stores, no restaurants). So we are going to use that day to try out DS.

How long should I plan for it to take us to get to a couple stores and just wander around a little, including getting to and from parking? I’ve heard that parking can be difficult there as well. We have an early rise the following day, and I don’t want to be exhausted the next day because we stayed out too late. We would be there on a weekday, if it makes any difference.

#2

Weekdays during the day are easier much of the time.

I would still allot at least 4 hrs for what you’re wanting to do so you can do it at a leisurely pace. This includes transit time

#3

We had several rainy days on our trip and turned one of those into Disney springs. Easy to quickly duck and cover into the many stores and kiosks and used the free ship to hotel feature with all the purchases so we weren’t laden down with bags.

#4

We love the Atmosphere at night. Even if you don’t stay late, I suggest staying long enough for the after dark vibe. Live music and having snacks, etc.

#5

How would you answer the question “How much time should I plan to spend at the mall?” - because that’s really what DS is, a large and beautifully landscaped mall. DS is very large and spread out; for comparison, DSs 150 acres exceeds MK’s 145 acres. with 150-plus shops and restaurants, there’s a lot of browsing that could be done there. Just to walk from one end to the other is around 2/3 of a mile (I typically walk in one direction and take the water taxi back. If I didn’t have at least 2 hours there (not counting transportation), I probably wouldn’t make the effort to go. I virtually always eat when I’m there (so many good choices) so my typical visit is from mid/late afternoon to mid/late evening. I completely agree with @ryan1 about night time; the whole feel of DS changes - for the good - after dark.