Downtown Disney

Last updated
Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney (Disneyland Resort) logo.svg
Downtown Disney 2014 Fountain Build a Bear.JPG
Downtown Disney in 2014
Downtown Disney
Location Anaheim, California, U.S.
Coordinates 33°48′33″N117°55′26″W / 33.809052°N 117.924027°W / 33.809052; -117.924027
Opening dateJanuary 12, 2001;23 years ago (January 12, 2001)
Management Disneyland Resort
Owner Disney Experiences
(The Walt Disney Company)
ArchitectElkus Manfredi Architects
Website disneyland.disney.go.com/downtown-disney

Downtown Disney (officially the Downtown Disney District) is a lifestyle center located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It opened on January 12, 2001; [1] a component of the Disneyland Resort expansion project alongside the Disney California Adventure theme park and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Contents

Location and history

Downtown Disney connects the two Disneyland Resort theme parks with its three resort hotels, running from the western side of the property's Esplanade to the Disneyland Hotel. West Street, which bordered Disneyland's western side, was rechristened Disneyland Drive and lowered to accommodate a pedestrian bridge that connects much of Downtown Disney to the Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel. [2] A Disneyland Monorail System station sits adjacent to the pedestrian bridge. [3]

The area has featured several shops and restaurants, ranging from popular retail brands to many Disney-operated shops including a World of Disney store running beneath much of the Grand California Hotel. [4]

Downtown Disney has featured as many as 30 shops, but there have been changes due to announcements in late 2017. [5] In July 2019, parking for Downtown Disney was relocated to south of Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel (known today as Pixar Place Hotel [6] ) at the Simba parking lot. [7] In addition, a pedestrian bridge linking the Pixar Pals and Mickey and Friends parking structures to the shopping district was opened on September 13, 2019. [4] [8]

Canceled Fourth Hotel and subsequent activities

In 2017, plans were announced for a fourth resort hotel at the property. Situated in front of the Disneyland Hotel, the new hotel would displace much of the westernmost portion of Downtown Disney and would have featured 700 rooms. [9] The cost of construction for the hotel would have been offset by up to $267 million in tax rebates over 20 years, allowing the resort to keep a percentage of the transient occupancy tax levied on Anaheim hotels. [10]

In Summer of 2018, several large Downtown Disney tenants closed in preparation for the new hotel's construction - an AMC Theatres cinema, Rainforest Cafe and ESPN Zone restaurants, and smaller tenants including Earl of Sandwich and a Starbucks location. [11]

Weeks after the closures took place, growing tensions between Disney and the City of Anaheim over the subsidy and the hotel's location led to the project being put on hold. [12] Days after the announcement that the project was postponed, Disneyland requested that the tax subsidies be rescinded. The Anaheim City Council voted to rescind the tax subsidies days later. [13]

After weeks of inactivity at the hotel's proposed site, Disney announced in October 2018 that the fourth hotel project had been canceled. [14] In October 2018, Earl of Sandwich and Starbucks reopened. After several years of vacancy, Disney announced that the former Rainforest Café location would become home to the Star Wars Trading Post, a retail location selling Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge merchandise, which opened on February 19, 2021. Today, the former ESPN Zone building remains vacant. [15]

On March 14, 2020, the Disneyland Resort, including Downtown Disney, temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [16] Downtown Disney remained closed until July 9, 2020. The district reopened with enhanced safety measures, including mandatory face masks, reduced capacity and temperature screening upon arrival. These measures were lifted on June 15, 2021, following California's reopening. [17] From November 19, 2020, to March 14, 2021, the resort expanded the district temporarily into Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure. [18] [19]

In November 2021, Disney announced a reimagining of the West Side of Downtown Disney with new shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences. Construction began with the demolishing of AMC Theatres, Starbucks, and Earl of Sandwich beginning in January 2022. On April 27, 2022, Din Tai Fung was announced to be the anchor for the expansion. The announcement also came with a reimagining of UVA Bar and Catal into separate restaurants named Centrico and Paseo, as well as a mid-century modern design for the district's new west end. [20] [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anaheim, California</span> City in the United States

Anaheim is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. The second largest city in Orange County in terms of land area, Anaheim is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two major league sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney California Adventure</span> Theme park in California

Disney California Adventure Park is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The 72-acre (29 ha) park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California, by the use of Disney, Pixar and Marvel properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001, and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after Disneyland Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Resort</span> Entertainment complex in Anaheim, California, United States

The Disneyland Resort, commonly known as Disneyland, is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels, and a shopping, dining, and entertainment district known as Downtown Disney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa</span> Hotel at Disneyland Resort

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is a hotel located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The hotel was constructed as part of a major expansion of the Disneyland Resort in 2001. It was constructed and operated by The Walt Disney Company. The hotel was designed in the American Craftsman style of architecture. It also features a Disney Vacation Club wing that opened on September 23, 2009. The hotel has a private entrance to Disney California Adventure Park. In 2017, Disney remodeled the rooms, along with the lobby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Springs</span> Shopping mall in Florida, U.S.

Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando. First opened in 1975 as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, it has been expanded and rebranded over the years as Walt Disney World Village (1977), Disney Village Marketplace (1989), and Downtown Disney (1997), becoming Disney Springs in 2015. A similar complex is being developed on the opposite side of Walt Disney World called Flamingo Crossings.

ESPN Zone was a theme restaurant and entertainment center chain in the United States that included arcades, TV studios, and radio studios, operated by the Disney Regional Entertainment subsidiary of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts using the Disney-owned ESPN brand. While the ESPN Zone name is no longer used, similar, the ESPN Grill at ESPN Wide World of Sports is located within the Walt Disney World complex in Bay Lake, Florida with counter service and light theming. ESPN Club at Disney's BoardWalk Resort closed in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World of Disney</span> Retail stores operated by Disney

The World of Disney is the flagship chain of specialty retail stores owned and operated by the merchandise division of Disney Experiences, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Currently, there are four locations that sell Disney products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Experiences</span> Theme park and travel division of The Walt Disney Company

Disney Experiences, colloquially known as Disney Parks, is one of the Walt Disney Company's three major business segments and a division of that company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, just outside of Orlando.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Monorail</span> Transit line at the Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Monorail is an attraction and transportation line at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It was the first daily operating monorail over all.

Port Disney was a planned Walt Disney resort spanning 443 acres (179 ha) surrounding Queensway Bay next to the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California, United States. The property was going to feature a marine-themed amusement park, a marina, a cruise ship port, a specialty retail and entertainment area, and hotel accommodations. The land it would occupy housed the RMS Queen Mary and the Hughes H-4 Hercules aircraft, both of which were obtained by Disney in its acquisition of the Wrather company in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland Hotel (California)</span> Hotel at Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Hotel is a resort hotel located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, owned by the Walt Disney Company and operated through their Experiences division. Opened on October 5, 1955, as a motor inn owned and operated by Jack Wrather under an agreement with Walt Disney, the hotel was the first to officially bear the Disney name. Under Wrather's ownership, the hotel underwent several expansions and renovations over the years before being acquired by Disney in 1988. The hotel was downsized to its present capacity in 1999 as part of the Disneyland Resort expansion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platinum Triangle, Anaheim</span> District in California, United States

The Platinum Triangle is a district of Anaheim, California, United States, that is undergoing transformation from a low-density commercial and industrial zone into a more urban environment with high-density housing, commercial office towers, and retail space. The 820 acres (330 ha) area undergoing this large-scale redevelopment includes the city's two major sports venues, the Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneyland</span> Amusement park in Anaheim, California

Disneyland is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, and opened on July 17, 1955.

Downtown Anaheim, also known as Anaheim Colony Historic District, and as Anaheim Historic Center, is a neighborhood that serves as the administrative and historic center of the city of Anaheim, California. It is delimited by East, West, North, and South streets, and the main roads within it are Anaheim Boulevard, and Center Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar</span> Exhibit at Disney California Adventure

Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar opened October 20, 2008 replacing the Seasons of the Vine Theater at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It closed on September 29, 2013, and reopened on April 13, 2018, to provide a preview of Pixar Pier. On March 14, 2020, Disney California Adventure announced that the attraction would permanently close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixar Pal-A-Round</span> Attraction at Disney California Adventure

Pixar Pal-A-Round is a 150-foot-tall (46 m) eccentric wheel at Disney California Adventure, at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction opened to the public on February 8, 2001, at Paradise Pier as the Sun Wheel. Inspired by Wonder Wheel at Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, Coney Island, which also features both sliding and fixed gondolas, Pixar Pal-A-Round has a large pie-eyed Mickey Mouse face at its center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disneytown</span> Shopping mall in Shanghai, China

Disneytown is a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Shanghai Disney Resort in Pudong, Shanghai, China. It is the Shanghai Disney Resort equivalent of the Downtown Disney complex at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California; Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida; Ikspiari at Tokyo Disney Resort, and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris, France.

<i>Paint the Night</i> Parade at Disney theme parks

Paint the Night Parade was a nighttime parade at Hong Kong Disneyland on Lantau Island, Hong Kong and at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.

Anaheim GardenWalk is an outdoor entertainment and shopping center located a block east of the Disneyland Resort in the Anaheim Resort District of Anaheim, California. The center opened on June 14, 2008, during the Great Recession, and has struggled with a low occupancy rate of 55% in 2011. Most of its fashion retailers, including Tommy Bahama, Ann Taylor LOFT, and Hollister Co., have closed prior to 2014. Its most recent casualty was the UltraLuxe Cinemas which closed on August 17, 2015. However, the center has been doing better recently under new ownership and management, but its focus is now more of a center for entertainment rather than a place for shopping. The center features House of Blues Anaheim, Bowlmor, UFCFit, Heat Ultra Lounge, and a multitude of restaurants and shops.

References

  1. ↑ Ebnet, Matthew (January 13, 2001). "Despite Rain, Crowds Flock to the Opening of Downtown Disney". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  2. ↑ RECKARD, E. SCOTT (2000-07-16). "Anaheim Losing Out on Disney Growth". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Disneyland Monorail". Disneyland. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  4. 1 2 Fisher, Marla Jo (July 19, 2018). "Empty buildings await transformation at Downtown Disney in Anaheim". Orange County Register . Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  5. ↑ "More Changes Coming to Downtown Disney in 2018". 4 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Burrus, Emily (January 29, 2024). "Disney's NEW Pixar Hotel Officially Opens Tomorrow!". allears.net. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Explore Disneyland Resort: Downtown Disney District". Disneyland. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  8. ↑ MacDonald, Brady (2019-09-11). "Disneyland to open new pedestrian bridge between Downtown Disney and parking garages". Orange County Register . Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  9. ↑ "New Hotel Coming to the Disneyland Resort in 2021". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  10. ↑ "Disney Pulls Plug on Proposed Luxury Hotel in Anaheim, Citing Loss of Tax Break". KTLA. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  11. ↑ "Here's what's closing at Downtown Disney to make way for a new hotel". Orange County Register. 2018-03-27. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  12. ↑ Martin, Hugo (16 August 2018). "Disney promised a luxury hotel and Anaheim offered $267 million in tax breaks — but a growing feud has plans on hold - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  13. ↑ "Anaheim Ends $267 Million in Disney Theme Park Subsidies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  14. ↑ "Disneyland Cancels Luxury Hotel Plans After Tax Incentives Removed Despite Being Exempt From Anaheim's $15 Min. Wage". NBC Southern California. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  15. ↑ MacDonald, Brady (2021-02-01). "Disneyland sets opening date for Star Wars Trading Post in Downtown Disney". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  16. ↑ Macdonald, Brady. "Disneyland postpones July 17 park reopening until further notice". Orange County Register. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  17. ↑ Macdonald, Brady. "Disneyland installs COVID-19 temperature tents for Downtown Disney reopening". Orange County Register. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  18. ↑ "Downtown Disney district extension onto Buena Vista Street opens, but no rides yet". ABC7 Los Angeles. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  19. ↑ "A Touch of Disney: New, Limited-Capacity Ticketed Experience Coming to Disney California Adventure Park Beginning March 18". Disneyland Resort. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "Disney to Reimagine West Side of Downtown Disney, Demolish AMC Theater". BlogMickey.com. November 20, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Din Tai Fung Coming to Downtown Disney, Reimagining Announced for UVA Bar and Catal". BlogMickey.com. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  22. ↑ Painter, Alysia Gray. "Take a Look at Downtown Disney District's Big Changes". NBC Los Angeles. NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.