We have been covering Disney Springs for a long time and right now we are genuinely keeping a mental tally of what is left in Town Center because the closures have been coming fast.
Johnston & Murphy closed on Thursday, May 7th. That is the fourth notable departure from Disney Springs in less than five months and this one only gave guests about a week of notice. One week. For a store that has been a fixture of Town Center’s retail lineup.
For those unfamiliar with the brand: Johnston & Murphy has been making shoes for American presidents for over a century. Abraham Lincoln wore their shoes. John F. Kennedy wore their shoes. Barack Obama wore their shoes. This is not a discount outlet we are talking about. This is a storied American brand with serious heritage, and it sold premium footwear, apparel, outerwear, and accessories for men and women out of its Disney Springs location.
Cast members are currently boxing up merchandise to transfer to other Johnston & Murphy stores. The staff will move to a new location the brand is opening at The Mall of Millenia in October. If you need a Johnston & Murphy fix while in Orlando, the brand still has stores at Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets and Orlando International Premium Outlets on International Drive. The shoes still exist. They just no longer exist at Disney.
The Running Tally of What Is Gone
Let us lay this out because we think it is important to see it all in one place.
Sprinkles Cupcakes: closed January 1st. Francesca’s: closed March 29th. Shore: closed April 30th. Johnston & Murphy: closed May 7th.
Four closures. Five months. All in Town Center at Disney Springs.
We want to say clearly that Disney Springs tenant turnover is normal and has always been part of how the district evolves. Stores and restaurants come and go. That is not unique to Disney and it is not inherently alarming. But the pace of this particular stretch is notable, and as a site that covers Disney Springs food and dining closely, we feel it when these places close because we have often eaten there, recommended them, and written about them.
Shore is gone. We ate there. Sprinkles Cupcakes is gone. We ate there too. The former Sprinkles space now has a Black Tap Craft Burgers and Shakes pop-up operating in it, which is a limited-time arrangement rather than a permanent replacement. Gideon’s Bakehouse is opening a new restaurant called Six Ravens later this year, which is the Disney Springs food news we are most excited about right now, but it is not open yet and details are still sparse.
Disney has not announced permanent replacements for any of the four closed locations. That is the honest situation on the ground right now.
The Good News Coming to Disney Springs
We do not want to leave you with just the list of departures because there is something genuinely significant on the horizon that changes the conversation about Disney Springs as a destination.
Level99 is coming this summer. If you have not heard of Level99, here is the short version: it is a massive interactive entertainment venue that combines physical challenges, puzzle rooms, social gaming, food, drinks, and immersive environments in one large space. It is taking over the former NBA Experience building on the West Side of Disney Springs, which if you remember, opened in 2019, failed almost immediately, and has been sitting largely unused since 2020.
Level99 is getting a much better shot at that building than the NBA Experience ever had, and the concept is genuinely better suited to what Disney Springs guests actually want.
The Disney Springs location will be the company’s largest Level99 ever. More than 60 life-sized mini-games and challenge rooms. More than 40 original art installations made specifically for this space. A two-story bar with the kind of atmosphere that makes people want to take photos and stay for a few hours. The food menu includes Detroit-style pizza and wagyu burgers. The drinks menu has handcrafted cocktails and rotating draft beers.
Disney is hiring around 150 employees for this place, which tells you it is not a small boutique operation. This is a full anchor venue.
As a food site we are particularly interested in the dining component because Level99 positions itself as a place where you spend an entire evening rather than popping in for 30 minutes. That food and drinks menu is going to matter a lot in terms of whether guests see it as a dinner destination alongside the gaming or just a place they stop by. We will have full coverage when it opens.
Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn to Life and Splitsville currently anchor the entertainment side of Disney Springs. Level99 would be a third major entertainment option and the first one specifically designed for teens and adults who want something active and competitive rather than a show or bowling.
What You Need to Know Before Your Next Visit
Check before you go. Seriously. The My Disney Experience app and the official Disney Springs website have current tenant listings and given how much has changed in Town Center over the past several months, assuming your favorite spot is still there because it was there on your last trip is a gamble right now. Johnston & Murphy, Shore, Francesca’s, and Sprinkles are all gone. Black Tap is temporary. Six Ravens is not open yet.
If Johnston & Murphy was on your list specifically, the International Drive outlet options are your best move. If you want to plan ahead for Level99, follow their official channels for the opening date announcement because that is going to be a busy launch period and you will want to know what to expect before you show up.
Disney Springs is in transition right now and we think what comes out the other side of this is going to be genuinely exciting. We just need to get through the gap between what left and what arrives.
Before your Disney Springs visit, spend two minutes checking current listings on the My Disney Experience app so you are not walking up to a closed storefront. And if the food scene at Disney Springs is something you follow closely, bookmark this page because we cover every new opening, pop-up, and menu change at the district and we will have full coverage of Six Ravens and Level99 the moment they are open. Those are two of the most anticipated Disney Springs openings in a while and we want you ready for both of them.
