Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney (officially the Downtown Disney District) is an outdoor shopping 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.

For the Walt Disney World shopping complex previously known as Downtown Disney, see Disney Springs.
Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney logo
Downtown Disney in 2014
LocationAnaheim, California, U.S.
Coordinates33.809052°N 117.924027°W / 33.809052; -117.924027
Opening dateJanuary 12, 2001 (January 12, 2001)
ManagementDisneyland Resort
OwnerDisney Parks, Experiences and Products
(The Walt Disney Company)
ArchitectElkus Manfredi Architects
Websitedisneyland.disney.go.com/downtown-disney
Disneyland Resort
Theme parks
Hotels
Other attractions

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 Disney's Paradise Pier 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 the Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel (Simba parking lot).[6] 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][7]

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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10]

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.[11] 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.[12]

After weeks of inactivity at the hotel's proposed site, Disney announced in October 2018 that the fourth hotel project had been canceled.[13] 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. As of February 2021, the former AMC Theatre and ESPN Zone remain vacant.[14]

On March 14, 2020, the Disneyland Resort, including Downtown Disney, temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] 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.[16] From November 19, 2020, to March 14, 2021, the resort expanded the district temporarily into Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure.[17][18]

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.[19][20][21]

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. 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. "Explore Disneyland Resort: Downtown Disney District". Disneyland. Retrieved 2019-07-29.
  7. MacDonald, Brady (2019-09-11). "Disneyland to open new pedestrian bridge between Downtown Disney and parking garages". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  8. "New Hotel Coming to the Disneyland Resort in 2021". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  9. "Disney Pulls Plug on Proposed Luxury Hotel in Anaheim, Citing Loss of Tax Break". KTLA. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  10. "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.
  11. 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.
  12. "Anaheim Ends $267 Million in Disney Theme Park Subsidies". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  13. "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.
  14. MacDonald, Brady (2021-02-01). "Disneyland sets opening date for Star Wars Trading Post in Downtown Disney". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
  15. Macdonald, Brady. "Disneyland postpones July 17 park reopening until further notice". Orange County Register. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  16. Macdonald, Brady. "Disneyland installs COVID-19 temperature tents for Downtown Disney reopening". Orange County Register. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  17. "Downtown Disney district extension onto Buena Vista Street opens, but no rides yet". ABC7 Los Angeles. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  18. "A Touch of Disney: New, Limited-Capacity Ticketed Experience Coming to Disney California Adventure Park Beginning March 18". Disneyland Resort. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  19. "Disney to Reimagine West Side of Downtown Disney, Demolish AMC Theater". BlogMickey.com. November 20, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  20. "Din Tai Fung Coming to Downtown Disney, Reimagining Announced for UVA Bar and Catal". BlogMickey.com. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  21. Painter, Alysia Gray. "Take a Look at Downtown Disney District's Big Changes". NBC Los Angeles. NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
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