Guests Won’t Recognize Disney Springs After Multiple Closures and Openings
Disney Springs is experiencing significant changes in 2026 that will alter the shopping and dining district’s landscape. Between a massive new entertainment venue opening and several permanent store closures, frequent visitors will notice substantial differences from previous trips.
Level99 Brings Interactive Entertainment to Disney Springs
The most significant addition to Disney Springs is Level99, an interactive social entertainment venue opening in the building that previously housed the NBA Experience and DisneyQuest. This will be the largest Level99 location built to date, featuring over 60 themed challenge rooms designed primarily for adult audiences.
The venue divides its experiences into three main categories. Physical rooms test strength, balance, and flexibility. Skill rooms test accuracy, timing, and reflexes. Mental rooms test memory, problem-solving, and spatial thinking. Beyond the challenge rooms, Level99 offers duels for head-to-head competitions and art hunts that function as scavenger experiences throughout the facility.
Food and beverage options include a two-story bar serving handcrafted cocktails, local beers, and made-from-scratch menu items. The signature food offering is Detroit-style pizza. Level99 fills a gap in Disney Springs for interactive adult entertainment beyond traditional shopping and dining.
Gideon’s Bakehouse Expands With Savory Concept
While Level99 is a completely new addition, the already popular Gideon’s Bakehouse is expanding with a second location, Six Ravens. The new concept opens in the former Art of Shaving space and focuses on savory offerings rather than duplicating the bakery’s sweet treats.
Six Ravens specializes in Coffyns, the historical term for old-school hand pies. These fluffy yeast bread creations feature fillings developed by Gideon’s kitchen staff and Central Florida guest chefs. The menu also includes potatoes, local draft beer, and desserts designed for grab-and-go service.
Gideon’s owner Steve Lewis explained that the concept pays forward his own start at Disney Springs and brings more local culinary talent to the international visitor base. The expansion addresses guest demand while offering something distinct from the existing Gideon’s Bakehouse experience.
Multiple Permanent Closures
While new venues are opening, Disney Springs is simultaneously losing several established retailers to permanent closures. The most significant is Francesca’s, a women’s fashion boutique, closing as part of a complete nationwide shutdown. The company announced it’s moving through liquidation with all remaining stores closing permanently.
Sprinkles Cupcakes abruptly shut down on January 1, 2026, when the company ceased operations nationwide without warning. Guests arrived to find doors closed and the iconic cupcake vending machine no longer operating. The sudden closure caught both visitors and employees off guard.
Sanuk, the casual footwear brand, permanently closed its Disney Springs location in August 2024 without major announcement or fanfare. Sosa Family Cigars ended its presence in early 2023 after more than two decades of operation, closing one of the longest-running independent businesses associated with Disney Springs and its Pleasure Island predecessor.
Infrastructure Work Affects Disney Springs Parking
Beyond retail and entertainment changes, Disney Springs is also addressing infrastructure needs. The Lime Garage closes for refurbishment from January 12 through February 11, reopens briefly from February 12 through 16 for Presidents Day weekend, then closes again from February 17 through March 13.
This extended closure affects parking access for guests visiting Level99, Gideon’s locations, and other establishments in that section of Disney Springs. Alternative parking requires using the Orange or Grapefruit Garages with longer walks to certain destinations.
What It Means for Disney Springs Visitors
The combination of openings and closures creates a 2026 Disney Springs experience that differs from what returning guests might expect. Familiar shops like Francesca’s and Sprinkles are gone permanently. Long-established businesses have disappeared. Parking access faces temporary disruption.
However, Level99 provides genuinely new entertainment unavailable elsewhere in the area. Six Ravens expands Gideon’s presence with different offerings. The shopping district continues evolving even as specific familiar elements vanish.
For guests who visit Disney Springs regularly, these changes require adjusting expectations about which stores and experiences will still be available. The district’s character is shifting in ways that reflect both intentional additions and broader retail industry challenges affecting even high-traffic tourist destinations.
