Disney World’s SECRET Shopping and Dining Complex

Did you know that Disney has a SECRET shopping and dining area?

Flamingo Crossings Concept Art ©Disney

No, we’re not talking about Disney Springs (that’s not exactly a secret for most anymore 😂 ) and we’re not talking about the resort hotels (though those can be a treasure trove of hidden stores and restaurants that many guests overlook). What we’re talking about is a place called Flamingo Crossings. It’s a spot you may have NEVER heard of, and today we’re going to change that.

What Is Flamingo Crossings?

Flamingo Crossings is a shopping and dining area that has been (and is being) master-planned by Disney. It’s a 200,000-square-foot shopping center near the theme parks that is available for guests, staff, and community members to use.

Early Flamingo Crossings Concept Art ©Disney

Basically, if you’re looking for a piece of “normal” civilization just outside the Disney bubble, this is a spot you may want to check out.

Where Is it?

In terms of location, you’ll find Flamingo Crossings just a few minutes outside of Walt Disney World.

When we ran the directions from Flamingo Crossings to various Disney World spots in the morning during a weekday, these were the estimated drive times:

  • Flamingo Crossings to Magic Kingdom: 12 min
  • Flamingo Crossings to EPCOT: 12 min
  • Flamingo Crossings to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 13 min
  • Flamingo Crossings to Animal Kingdom: 14 min
©Google Maps

As you can see in the image above from Google Maps, the shopping/dining district is just to the west of the resort.

What Is Located at Flamingo Crossings?

So just what can you do while in Flamingo Crossings and why might you want to go? Well, as we mentioned above, it’s sort of your taste of the “regular world” without being too far from Disney.

©Google Maps

It has a bunch of spots that’ll carry essential items you might need for your trip — making it a convenient place to go before or during your trip when you realize you’ve forgotten bandaids, a grocery item, etc. It also has various restaurants that could offer you some different (and cheaper) dining options than what is within Disney World. Plus, it has a variety of hotels you could stay at, in case you’re looking for options outside of the Disney World resorts.

Flamingo Crossings

Here’s a look at the map for this shopping area, which has a list of the restaurants, stores/services, and hotels for Flamingo Crossings.

Some of the Spots on the Map

One thing to keep in mind is that the shopping and dining district is still being developed. That means that while some spots are already open, others are not yet available.

©Flamingo Crossings Village

Disney does expect to wrap up the project in 2023, so we’ll keep an eye out for updates.

Restaurants

  • Firehouse Subs
Grab Your Sub
  • Flamingo’s Bar & Grille
  • Domino’s Pizza
  • Five Guys
  • Hash House A Go Go (coming soon)
  • Persimmon Hollow Brewing Co.
  • Gyu-Kaku Japanese Bbq (coming soon)
  • Ben & Jerry’s
  • Starbucks
Starbucks
  • PDQ Winter Garden
PDQ
  • Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi Flamingo Crossings (coming soon)
  • Pieology at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS Town Center
Pieology
Coming Soon!
  • Ellie Lou’s Brews & BBQ (coming soon)
  • Wendy’s (shows as “temporarily closed” on Google Maps but was previously announced for this area, likely coming soon)
  • Dunkin’ Donuts (previously announced)
  • Nick Filet (previously announced)
  • Ovation Bistro & Bar (previously announced)
  • Pita Mediterranean Street Food (previously announced)
  • Simply Capri (previously announced)

Stores/Services

  • Walgreens
Walgreens
  • Five Below
Five Below
  • Luxor Nail & Spa
  • The UPS Store
  • Target
Get Everything You Need!
  • CVS Pharmacy
  • FedEx OnSite
  • There are also a few ATMs in this area (including, specifically LibertyX Bitcoin ATM and Coinhub Bitcoin ATM Teller)
  • AdventHealth Emergency Room facility (previously announced)
Concept art for the new ER coming to Flamingo Crossings © AdventHealth
  • Encore Nails (previously announced)
  • 7-Eleven (previously announced)

Hotels

  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott Orlando at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS® Town Center/Western Entrance
  • SpringHill Suites by Marriott Orlando at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS® Town Center/Western Entrance
The Hotels Are Close to Each Other
Look for the Hotel Signs
There Are a Few Hotels So Look Closely!
  • Residence Inn by Marriott Orlando at FLAMINGO CROSSINGS® Town Center
Residence Inn

More

Flamingo Crossings is also home to a newer apartment complex — called Flamingo Crossings Village — that serves as the newest housing complex for those within the Disney College Program.

Flamingo Crossings Village

So don’t be too surprised if you happen to see a LOT of Disney College Program participants all around this shopping and dining area.

How to Get to Flamingo Crossings

Whether you want to grab a quick pizza or need some last-minute things from Target, you can see why a trip to Flamingo Crossings could be really convenient. So how do you get there? Well, while this area is being master-planned by Disney, Disney-operated transportation is NOT offered between Disney World’s hotels/parks and Flamingo Crossings.

So if you’re looking to get here, you’ll have to get there on your own. If you’ll be driving to Disney World with your own car or will be renting a car in Orlando, then you can certainly use your vehicle to quickly and easily get there.

PDQ at Flamingo Crossings

If you won’t have a car while in Disney, however, you can still get to Flamingo Crossings by using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft. You will need to pay for that rideshare service, so you’ll need to factor in that added cost when budgeting for your trip.

Some Things to Know

Before heading to Flamingo Crossings, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, if you’re thinking of booking a hotel there, know that you can book any of the Flamingo Crossings hotels directly through the Disney website or by calling the Disney Reservation Center. You’ll find them under the “Disney World Gateway Hotels” category, which you can then filter to just see those at Flamingo Crossings.

When it comes to these hotels, note that while they are NOT Disney-owned-and-operated hotels (and are not technically on Disney property), guests at these resorts may receive select Disney guest benefits. You can inquire with the hotels directly to get full details. You can also book directly with these hotels or look for deals through third parties (if you’d prefer not to book with Disney).

Some of the Hotels

In terms of pricing, we looked at a stay at the Fairfield Inn for February 10th-February 14th for 2 adults and a guest room with 2 queen beds was $177/average per night for members (prepay non-refundable). During that same time, the cheapest Disney World hotel room was $316/average per night at Port Orleans Resort French Quarter.

So staying at Flamingo Crossings could save you some cash, but you’ll want to look at the distance from the parks and each hotel’s perks to see what’s worth it for you.

©Homewood Suites

Again, as we noted above, keep in mind that parts of Flamingo Crossings are open, but others are still being built. So it’ll continue to be a bit of a work in progress for a while. But work is expected to be done in 2023.

What do you think? Would you stay at, eat at, or shop at Flamingo Crossings? Have you visited during past trips? Tell us in the comments. 

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Have you ever been to Flamingo Crossings? Tell us in the comments.

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2 Replies to “Disney World’s SECRET Shopping and Dining Complex”

  1. Thanks for this info.
    Yes, I have stayed 3 times in the past year. I love it. As you stated, close to the parks, and yet outside the craziness. It is so nice and quiet. The drive is also easy. I am afraid once they are done with construction and more people start to learn about Flamingo Crossings, that it will be nutty as the Disney Springs area. But for now, its a peaceful hidden gem. Thanks for the detailed info.