On March 22, 1975, Lake Buena Vista Vista Shopping Village opened at Walt Disney World. This area offered shopping, dining, and unique entertainment outside of the parks.
It was as one of the first of its kind to bring high-quality, unique shops to such a popular destination.
Throughout the rest of the 70s, the shops had a variety of themes and products, including toys, handmade goods, gourmet kitchen accessories, Disney souvenirs, and more.
Opening day shops included the Pottery Chalet (which sold handmade pottery and offered demonstrations daily for guests to participate in), Toys Fantastique (an FAO Schwarz-like version of a toy store with detailed displays enticing guests to buy), and the Character Shop (where guests could shop for souvenirs based on their favorite Disney characters).
Over the years, this area has gone through a series of name changes.
- In 1977, it was renamed Walt Disney World Village
- In 1989, the area became the Disney Village Marketplace
- In 1997, Downtown Disney became the new name
- In 2015, it became known as Disney Springs