Disney Springs vs. Universal CityWalk: Who's winning now?

In the ongoing Disney vs. Universal war of improvements in Orlando, it's not just the theme parks that are benefitting. Their respective dining/shopping centers have also undergone some major upgrades over the last few years. Of course the real winner of this brawl is you and me. And my stomach. The only real loser so far is my wallet.

Now that Disney Springs has finally unveiled the final piece of its Springs puzzle, the Town Center, it seemed like a great time to visit and compare and contrast the two competitors for your dollar.

If you had visited the former Downtown Disney over the last year or so, the overall experience during construction phase was tantamount to driving I-4 during rush hour with no air conditioning, two screaming kids, your flatulent Uncle Arvind, and a motion sick dog. Only less fun. Surrounded by construction walls that packed you in like mice in a maze, unable to get your bearings, and driving around for hours trying to find a parking spot within a 5K distance of Downtown was a meeska mooska Mickey mess.

But I am happy to report that the walls have come down, a whole lot of new stores and restaurants are open, and with the addition of the Lime Parking Garage to the pre-existing Orange one, parking is a breeze.

Disney has done a great job with the new architectural features here. I particularly enjoyed the Old Florida feel of the Town Center with its country-style Welcome Center, many fountains, and the beautiful blue springs from which Disney Springs derives its name. TIP: Take a moment to let the kids (or yourself) hand-crank the wheel to draw some water up from the spring via the giant Archimedes screw, it's very cool.

Okay, so the place looks cool, but its purpose is to thicken your stomach at its eateries and thin out our purse or wallet at its shops. Does Disney Springs achieve that goal?

That's a resounding yes from me on both counts. We arrived at 10am as the Springs opened for business and our first stop was Sprinkles for some cupcake snacks. While a bit pricey (a dozen cupcakes will set you back $52), they are good. While the cake part of the cup was extremely tasty, I thought the icing was a bit on the overly sweet and thick side.

Next up was some shopping. We checked out new stores like Kate Spade, Tommy Bahama, Under Armour Brand House, Na Hoko Hawaiian Jewelry, and old standbys like the Lego Store where I may as well direct deposit my paycheck thanks to my little builder. There are a LOT of shops now, around 80+ with more scheduled to open in the coming months. TIP: Pop into the Under Armour Brand House for two great photo ops, a giant (and I mean giant) Under Armour Tee in the entry and a (slightly) smaller Hulk on the second floor.

Whereas in the old Downtown Disney, the emphasis was more on hawking Disneyana and Disney-branded merchandise, the wider selection of shops now making their home at Disney Springs has opened up the shopping appeal which in turn will open up tourist wallets even wider. Trust me. It's not hard to spend a fortune here.

Carrying around all those shopping bags for my wife is hard work, so she periodically feeds me to keep my energy up. Lunch was at the new D-Luxe Burger, and let me tell you this place is good.

I would strongly argue it is the best burger I have had on WDW property, though it might be hard to comprehend my argument as I stuff a Southern Classic Burger in my mouth. The fries are really good too, not greasy at all. TIP: Get here EARLY! We rolled up for lunch at a respectable 11:40 and the line was literally out the door.

The smell inside is torture as you wait for your meal which leads me to TIP #2: The burgers here are served pink in the middle, so if you like well done make sure you order it that way, but it does take quite a few mouth-watering minutes longer.

After another round of shopping, dinner was reserved at Morimoto Asia. The food here is simply amazing, the décor is beautiful, and the service was on point. (I would say on fleek, but that would earn an eye-roll from my teenager.) We loved the Orange Chicken, Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken Dumplings, and Vegetable Egg Rolls. I can also recommend the citrus salad and the Miso Soup.

We have also eaten at The Boathouse which was really fresh and tasty seafood, but be prepared for sticker shock at the end of the meal. Even the kids menu is pricey. Raglan Road is always fantastic, and if you go for dinner you get to see a spectacular live dance performance as well.

And there are still a bunch of little snackeries we never got to sample that we want to try such as The Daily Poutine, Aristocrepes, and B.B. Wolf's Sausage Co.

But how does the new Springs stack up to Universal CityWalk? While Disney was undergoing its transformation from Downtown to Springs, we certainly had been visiting CityWalk more often, particularly for the restaurants.

Some of our CityWalk favorites include: Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville (you can't go wrong with beer and burgers), Antojito's (good Mexican and a great Mariachi show on certain nights), and Vivo Italian Kitchen (surprisingly affordable yet excellent Italian eatery), and the NBC Sports Grill (sit at one of the combo food/foosball table, it's awesome!)

So for awhile, CityWalk held the edge, but now I would say Disney Springs takes the top foodie honors especially with the recent opening of STK Orlando and more great restaurants on the way. Although I am very eager to check out the fabulous-looking creations at CityWalk's Toothsome Chocolate Emporium when it opens later this year.

As for the shopping at CityWalk, I think Disney Springs now holds the edge there too. Universal just doesn't have that many great retailers at City Walk, and even their own Studio Store is fairly lackluster especially compared to the World of Disney.

I think Disney has really created something special with the new Disney Springs. The theming is up to Disney top-notch standards, there are a surprising amount of new locations here in which to shop and visit and dine in addition to the old favorites, and they're not even done.

When the parks are packed, Disney Springs just makes a great getaway. Park yourself in one of the rocking chairs on the Welcome Center porch overlooking the crystal blue springs, grab a snack of your choice in hand, tuck your shopping bags at your feet and enjoy!

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