Downtown Disney, located at the Walt Disney World Resort, is full of dining, entertainment and shopping opportunities. Entertainment at Downtown Disney area takes place throughout the day and into the night with a wide array of acrobatic artistry, art, theater, live music, special events, boat rentals and fountains for children to play in. Admission and parking are complimentary. Downtown Disney is comprised of three sections: West Side, Pleasure Island, and Marketplace. There is no admission charge to any of the Downtown Disney areas.
McDonalds at Downtown Disney will soon be closing. It will be replaced by a Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken fast-food chain. While the DTD McDonalds will be closed by April, other McDonalds locations around Walt Disney World Resort will remain open. Pollo Campero, will open late 2010.
RIDEMAKERZ® will open a new retail entertainment experience on the West Side of Downtown Disney for a limited engagement. This store will integrate full-sized cars and a supercharged interactive experience that lets guests build, customize and trick out their very own radio-controlled vehicles. Kids of all ages will be able to satisfy their need for speed with over 649 million ways to create a mean machine. RIDEMAKERZ will open March 25 through fall 2010.
The Planet Hollywood On Location store in Downtown Disney's West Side, the largest PH store in Disney World, has officially closed. A new D-Street store that will showcase Disney Vinylmation is coming to the vacant space next to the LittleMissMatched Store and may be open as early as April. Walt Disney World guests will still be able to purchase Planet Hollywood merchandise at the store inside the PH restaurant at Downtown Disney, and at another located just outside of the restaurant. There is a third PH store located on Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
AMC Entertainment is currently upgrading auditorium #1 to be the first Enhanced Theater Experience (ETX™) in the United States. The ETX auditorium will include a 20 percent larger, floor-to-ceiling screen, 3D technology, 12 channel audio and digital projection that delivers higher resolution than HD. AMC will debut the ETX auditorium in time for the premier of “Alice in Wonderland” in 3D on March 5.
Get $10 off any food or beverage purchase at Planet Hollywood with a minimum $20 purchase required. Expires 12/31/10. Print Coupons.
Download these coupons good from Landry restaurants through 12/30/10. There are several good for discounts on food and merchandise for Rainforest Cafe. Coupons include:
• Free Kid's Sundae with purchase of a Kid's Meal
• 99¢ Kid's Meal with the purchase of an adult entree
• 15% of any retail purchase
• Free Chef's Appetizer with purchase of an adult entree.
Download and print a Magicard from the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau and then print this coupon for 10% off your food bill at Raglan Road.
Visit the Downtown Disney LEGO Store on Tuesday, March 2 from 5:00pm - until supplied last to participate in a LEGO Mini Model Build event! On the first Tuesday of every month at the Downtown Disney LEGO Store and kids between the ages of 6 and 14 can learn how to build a cool mini model, and take it home – for free! Model build begins at 5:00pm until supplies last. Click here for the next event date.
Cirque du Soleil Notices
Anyone can get a savings of 30% off on La Nouba category 2 tickets for performances through March 27, 2010, when purchasing on the Cirque du Soleil web site through a Travelzoo discount.
Annual Passholders can get a 35% discount on Cirque Category 2 seats through 3/27/10. Valid Passholder ID and advance purchase required. Tickets may be purchased up to 2 weeks prior to the show date. Tickets will be available for pick up at the La Nouba Box Office Will Call window. Tickets may be purchased by calling (407) 939-7604.
Disney Rewards Visa Cardholders can get a 15% discount on Cirque tickets for themselves and up to 4 guests for performances 2/2/10 through 3/27/10. Tickets may be purchased on Disney's Web site or by calling 407-939-7600.
Florida Residents can get a 30% discount on Cirque Category 2 seats for themselves and up to 4 guests for performances through 3/27/10. Proof of Florida residency and advance purchase required. Tickets may be purchased up to 2 weeks prior to the show date and will be available for pick up at the La Nouba Box Office Will Call window. Tickets may be purchased by calling (407) 939-7604.
Military can get a 30% discount on Cirque tickets for themselves and up to 4 quests through 9/30/10. Must present valid Military ID to purchase tickets at La Nouba Box Office in Downtown Disney.
Effective October 6, 2009 prices for adult tickets category 1, 2, 3 and Front & Center tickets increased. La Nouba prices including tax are below:
Front and Center: $127.80 Adults; $103.31 Children (ages 3-9)
Category 1: $111.83 Adults; $90.53 Children (ages 3-9)
Category 2: $90.53 Adults; $73.49 Children (ages 3-9)
Category 3: $73.49 Adults; $59.64 Children (ages 3-9)
Category 4 (available only at box office): $56.45 Adults; $45.80 Children (ages 3-9)
Performance times are Tuesday through Saturday, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The theater is dark Sundays and Mondays. There will be no performances of La Nouba on the following 2010 dates:
AMC Pleasure Island 24 Theatres Complex
This theater complex features stadium seating and state-of-the-art surround sound. Both regular and Imax movies are shown here. If you're going, Buy Your Movie Tickets Online Now and Skip the Lines! Use zip code 32830 to see movie schedules and find tickets for this theater.
Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba (Watch a Clip; Order Tickets)
La Nouba is a mesmerizing and extraordinary avant-garde circus spectacle performed at an exceptional theater built especially for Cirque du Soleil. This must-see show features opulent sets, brilliant choreography, theatrical lighting and provocative music, along with a mix of mesmerizing high wire and flying trapezes, stunning acro-gymnastic performances and other dynamic displays of coordination and strength. Cirque du Soleil shows take place Tuesday through Saturday, 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
DisneyQuest - A 5-story, indoor, interactive theme park. Tickets cost $36.21 for children (ages 3-9) and $42.60 for adults. Hours of operation are:
Sunday - Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday - Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Characters of Flight (Photos)
Guests can now get a birds-eye view of Downtown Disney at 400 ft. The 72-foot-diameter tethered balloon can lift up to 30 Guests at a time on a six-minute “flight” and launches from Downtown Disney West Side seven days a week, weather permitting. Balloon rides costs $16 for adults and $10 for children (ages 3-9). Scheduled hours of operation are:
Sunday - Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Disney's Candy Cauldron: Sweet Treats Featuring a Show Kitchen
DisneyQuest Emporium: Disney Merchandise
D Street: Disney inspired art created by local and underground artists, plus cutting edge apparel, pop culture novelties, vinyl figures & collectibles
House of Blues Company Store: Original Folk Art, Eclectic Music, Funky threads, Hard-to-Find Books
Hoypolo: Glass, Carved Wood and Ceramic Art
LittleMissMatched: Everything is missmatched (in a coordinated sort of way), socks, gloves, PJs, bedding, accessories and more
Mickey's Groove: Disney Character Merchandise
Magic Masters: Secrets of This Top-Secret Craft and Mesmerizing Magic Demonstrations
Magnatron Magnetz: Kitschy to Classy and Uniquely Collectible Magnets
Sosa Family Cigars: The Finest in Fresh, Hand-Rolled Cigars
Pop Gallery: Original Artwork
Sunglass Icon: The Hottest and Trendiest Styles
West Side Shopping Hours: 10:30 am - 11:00 pm (Sunday - Thursday) West Side Shopping Hours: 10:30 am - 12:00 am (Friday and Saturday) West Side Dining & Entertainment Hours: 11:00 am - 2:00 am (Daily)
(Note: Hours vary by venue)
PLEASURE ISLAND
Pleasure Island clubs closed their doors on September 27, 2008 to make way for a re-imagined Downtown Disney.
Entertainment:
Downtown Disney has introduced Celebrate Tonight! This high-energy street party focuses on what Guests are celebrating. DJs engage Guests to join in with stilt walkers and party crew for group dances and sing-alongs to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings, or whatever Guests want to celebrate – all while spinning the latest and greatest party hits. Located in the West End Plaza of Pleasure Island, Celebrate Tonight! runs from 5 -11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 6 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.
Paradiso 37 - A high-energy restaurant and bar featuring delectable North-, South- and Central-American cuisine and nightly entertainment. The lakeside eatery's menu features offerings representing 37 countries of the Americas, plus an international wine bar, 37 varieties of tequila and 10 signature frozen margaritas!
Shopping
Curl by Sammy Duvall - High End Surf Shop
Fuego by Sosa Cigars - Enjoy Tobacco Products in an Intimate Lounge Setting
Orlando Harley-Davidson - Logo Shirts, Gifts and Collectibles
Pleasure Island Shopping Hours: 10:30 am - 11:00 pm (Sunday - Thursday) Pleasure Island Shopping Hours: 10:30 am - 12:00 am (Friday & Saturday) Pleasure Island Dining : 11:00 am - 2:00 am (Daily)
(Note: Hours vary by venue.)
Captain Jack's Marina
This dock located adjacent to Village Lake, is the place to rent watercraft of all types. Sea Rayers for one or two persons can be rented by the half hour or hour, as well as Canopy Boats for up to 8 people and Pontoon Boats for up to 10 people. Specialty cruises and Bass Fishing Excursions are also available from this location. You must be 18 or over and present a valid driver's license to drive or rent boats. Advance reservations can be made by calling 407-WDW-PLAY.
Classic Carousel
This beautiful carousel was handcrafted in Italy and features, 2 carriages, 19 horses and a spinning tea cup. The carousel plays music and is illuminated at night. Guest must either be 42 inches to ride alone or be accompanied by an adult.
Marketplace Waterside Stage
The place for live entertainment, this dock side stage is home for Disney's Magical Music Days. Look for a dance party with DJ Friday & Saturday from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Disney's Pin Traders: Buy or swap pins with other guest and cast members
Disney's Wonderful World of Memories: Photo albums, Stunning Stationery and Scrapbook Materials; also look for the new Create Your Own Ears Hat Boutique.
Goofy's Candy Co.: With a Party Room for celebrating birthdays and an interactive show kitchen
Hand Art Memories: Guests can have their handprint transformed by an artist into a hand-painted personalized art.
Image Capture: Have your picture taken against Disney backgrounds from Lion King, Beauty & the Beast, Disney princesses and more
Lefty's: This merchandise stand sells tools and appliances for left-handed people.
LEGO Imagination Center: Features an outdoor Play Zone with giant Lego creations, along with every imaginable Lego toy. This is a great place for photo opportunities.
Mickey's Mart: Everything is ten dollars and under including tee-shirts and surprise grab bags.
Mickey's Pantry: Everything for your culinary aspirations
Once Upon a Toy: Fill a box with Mr. Potato Head body and parts for one price or build your own Lightsaber; every Disney themed toy imaginable
Pooh's Corner: A friendly forest setting with Winnie the Pooh merchandise; look for a special area called Disney Tails where you will find everything to pamper your pet from personalized items to leashes, treats, collars and bowls. Note: Rumor is that Disney Tails may be being phased out.
Rainforest Cafe Shop: Unique Toys, Souvenir Gifts and Clothing
Tren-D: A clothing and novel accessories store described as "Minnie Gets Funky", geared to women in the 18-to-35 range. You'll find embroidered handbags, jeweled sunglasses or chandeliers, and hip furnishings.
T-Rex Prehistoric Family Adventure: Pan for treasures or shop for prehistoric gifts in this Dino-Store.
Team Mickey Athletic Club: Disney Themed Sportswear for Every Sport; NASCAR and authentic ESPN sporting goods; you can even get a custom made bat personalized with your name.
World of Disney Store: The Largest Disney Character Merchandise Store Anywhere! Divided into Disney-themed merchandise rooms, each tells stories based on classic Disney films
Adventures Room - Discover a secret hideout where you can fill your own treasure chest or pirate skull with booty, or create your own pirate hat. Come face-to-face with the amazing Audio-Animatronic pirate Rusty Blade and his talking parrot, Pollyanna, and play the latest in Disney interactive video games.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique - A magical salon owned by the Fairy Godmother and operated by Fairy Godmothers-in-training where young princesses can purchase such options as hair up-do, nail polish, make-up, and a total package including Disney princess costume and photos
Bird Room - Women's apparel and accessories
Carnival Room - Children's bath and body line, sleepwear, dolls, snowglobes
Enchanted Dining Room - Items for the kitchen, candy, gourmet foods
Exotic Animal Room - Men's clothing, boxers, ties and accesories
Great Hall - Disney souvenirs, character tee-shirts and sweat shirts
Magic Room - Adult sleepwear, slippers and bath and body items
Princess Room - Create, try on and play dress up, surrounded by magnificent murals of Disney princesses, princes and their castles! Build your own wand and fill your own jewelry box, or purchase your own make-up kit.
Snow White Room - Infant & toddler wear and accessories, bedding and plush toys
Rotunda - Logo merchandise from the 4 Disney theme parks
Villains Room - Jewelry, watches, trading pins, clocks, collectibles and more
Assorted Kiosks - featuring balloons, hair wraps, pick-a-pearl, create-your-own keepsakes, caricature artist, personalized Christmas ornaments and more
Marketplace Shopping Hours: 9:30 am - 11 pm (Sunday - Thursday) Marketplace Shopping Hours: 9:30 am - 11:30 pm (Friday and Saturday) Marketplace Dining & Entertainment Hours: 8:00am - 1:00 am (Daily)
(Note: Hours vary by venue.)
Guest Services
Guest Services at Downtown Disney area is located in Disney Marketplace. Services include guidebooks for guests with disabilities, distribution of handheld captioning devices, wheelchair, ECV & stroller rentals. Hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday - Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
ECV, Wheelchair & Stroller Rentals
ECVs, wheelchairs and strollers are available for rent at the Guest Relations building in Downtown Disney Marketplace. The ECV rental fee of $45.00 per day. The wheelchair rental fee is $10.00 per day. The fee to rent a stroller is $15 per day for a single-passenger stroller (double strollers are not available). All Downtown Disney rentals include a $100 refundable credit card deposit is required per unit rented at the Downtown Disney area. The rented unit must be returned to the original rental location to receive a credit card deposit refund.
Automated Teller Machines (ATM) & Credit Cards
An ATM presented by Chase can be found:
• Near the House of Blues restaurant
• Near the Wetzel's Pretzels restaurant
• Inside the World of Disney Store
• Near the Once Upon a Toy shop
Visa, American Express, Diners Club Card, Discover, JCB International, AND MasterCard are accepted at Downtown Disney stores. Guests with charging privledges can also use their "Key to the World" room key. Traveler's checks and cash are also accepted.
Merchandise Shipment
For guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel, purchases made at Downtown Disney shops can be delivered to the Guest's room prior to checkout. Purchases made at Downtown Disney shops can also be shipped home via UPS or FedEx.
Bus Transportation, Driving & Parking
Transportation to and from the Downtown Disney area is complimentary and offered as one of the benefits to Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel. There are two bus stops at Downtown Disney, one at Marketplace and the other at Pleasure Island. Bus service is no longer offered to the West Side. The last bus of the evening departs from the Pleasure Island bus stop until 2:00 a.m. and from the Marketplace at 12:00 a.m.
For Park Guests choosing to drive to Downtown Disney, complimentary self-parking is also available. Valet parking is also available for $10. To see a map with directions to Downtown Disney, click here.
Downtown Disney Ferryboat Schedule
Downtown Disney Water Taxi Service - 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Dock-to-dock service for Marketplace, Pleasure Island, and West Side. Runs every 15 minutes until 4:30 p.m. and every 10 minutes thereafter until closing. Look for Red flags and signs.
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Departs Market Place Dock every every 20 minutes until 4:30 p.m. and every 10 minutes thereafter until closing. Look for Yellow flags and signs.
Disney's Old Key West Resort - 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Departs Pleasure Island Dock every 20 minutes throughout the day and evening. Look for Green flags and signs.
Saratoga Springs Resort & Treehouse Villas - 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Departs Pleasure Island Dock every 20 minutes throughout the day and evening. Look for Blue flags and signs.
Other Useful Information
• Proper dress is required at Downtown Disney area. Shirt and shoes must be worn at all times.
• With the exception of service dogs for Guests with disabilities, pets are not permitted in the Downtown Disney area.
• Baby changing stations are located in the restrooms.
For additional Downtown Disney information, call 407-WDW-2NITE.
TheMouseForLess Tips
My family LOVES Downtown Disney. My kids are older now (11 and 14)
and would just as soon go to DTD than to any of the parks!
The one thing we do on every trip is to eat at Rainforest Cafe. Yes,
it's crowded and a bit over-priced on the food, but we ate there on
our first trip and we have on every trip since. We drive to Disney,
so we usually get there a day or so before we have to check in at
Disney...Rainforest Cafe is our way of "welcoming" ourselves to our
vacation! (One hint...check here for souviners...you can usually find
some pretty good bargains. They offer a lot of sales).
If you are on Disney's Dining Plan, be sure to check out Wolfgang Puck
Express. Great food, but a bit pricy....becomes a really good deal on
the dining plan, as it is a counter service credit!
As for the best time to go...when the parks are open, during the week,
there seems to be less crowds. In the evenings the stores can be
wall-to-wall people. During the day, it isn't nearly as crowded. We
always go during the day for our shopping, but we like to spend at
least one evening as well, just for the general atmosphere. Grab a
snack at Goofy's and sit outside and people watch. I can't think of
many other places I would rather be!
Our favorite stores are World of Disney for general souvenir shopping,
Goofy's Candy Company (spend your snack credits here...great stuff
for the trip home), and my absolute favorite is Disney's Days of
Christmas....I could spend hours here! The Lego Store is one that has
kind of moved from our favorite list...again, with my kids being older
we don't spend quite as much time here, but when they were younger we
put our time in for sure! ~ Stephanie R.
Ohh we love spending some time in DTD - if we have MYW ticket plusses usually combined
with a trip to Disney Quest.
Places to Eat: the Earl of Sandwich is a favourite. The choice is great and
they are pretty filling. We love to grab a table - inside or out depends on
the heat - and take the weight off for a while. Its easy to chill out here
and build up the strength for more shopping. And of course you can grab an
ice cream at Ghiradelis for dessert - yummy.
Shopping: Christmas shoppe is a must. But you have to have a contingency plan for DH
and kids :O) I can spend hours in here just looking and trying to decide
which is really hard so I have to be able to send off DH to elsewhere because
he is not quite as thrilled as I am. So I send him to the Pin Traders store.
World of Disney is great for just about everything but its huge and you will
lose your other half so have a plan on where and what time to meet - unless
of course you both have cells. Make sure you have your camera its a good
place to take photos in all those huge hats that they sell. Mr Potato Head
stand is also in here and seems to have different items to other stores.
You can buy the box but if there is just one or two peices you need they do
sell them to you separately.
LEGO statues - of course you have to take those pictures. And if you have
kids and they need a break there is a play area were they can lose
themselves for a while.
Weather: You know that between the two sides - market place and west side there is
not much shelter sooo if it looks like rain make sure you take those poncho's with you in the bag. ~ Wendy H.
We love Downtown Disney, and no trip to the World is complete without a stop
there! There is something for everyone, and if you have a day with no park
tickets, we have no trouble spending the better part of a day here.
If we go down without annual passes, and have a party to go to, knowing we can
get into MK at 4 PM, we get up and dressed at a leisurely pace and head to DTD
right around 9 or 9:30, as things are opening up. This is our favorite time to
go, because you can get a parking space! You'll find that in the evening or
over the weekend, parking here can be as challenging as pulling your kidney
through your nose ;-)
The kids LOVE the Lego playground - even the 7 year old, who I thought was
getting too old for Legos. She loves to build and race cars, walk around the
different Lego stations to see what the pieces are, and she could easily spend
an hour or more here, without exaggeration. The little one - 3 years old -
plays on the playground itself, doing the slide, hiding in the house, etc.
When they have completely exhausted their mother, we head over to The World of
Disney store. Far and away the best store anywhere on the planet, you can spend
a LONG time brow beating your husband (oops! Did I post that outloud??) into
making more room in the car for the ride home so you can buy more Mickey stuff.
Seriously, there is something here for everyone, and even the littlest among you
will enjoy just gazing upwards at the fabulously themed store.
My favorite shop in DTD is the Christmas shop, and while Jim usually takes the
girls to check out pins or ride the carousel, I spend more time than I should
admiring each and every ornament. We have a tradition of picking up one stuffed
animal to add to our collection on our annual holiday trek to the World, and I
make sure I check out each and every item here to make sure I find just the
perfect plush character. Oh, who am I kidding - I know that the Radko ornaments
are not stuffed, but I have to handle them all anyway - you can't not look at
everything here!
One of the best bargains on Disney property is the Earl of Sandwich in DTD, and
we almost always head here for lunch. Two people can easily split a sandwich
here, and my daughter loves the Earl's Lemonade - a blend of Earl Grey tea and
lemonade. Thank goodness for the fridge and microwave at the DVC properties,
because I always come back with leftovers from lunch here.
We make one final stop at Basin on every trip. I often grab one of the premade
gift baskets to keep in my closet at home for last minute hostess gifts or
teacher gifts, and we always buy the chamomile soap for our youngest daughter,
who has sensitive skin. If it's a warm day and we have free time, the girls
make a few passes through the fountain to get soaking wet!
If we're coming here for an evening of browsing, we love Raglan Road for dinner
- especially the live entertainment; and there's nothing like a little dessert
at Ghiradelli :)
The one not so hidden gem - our kids will stand for 30 minutes waiting to be
spit on by Stitch outside of the World of Disney shop - they love it, and it's
so much fun to watch!
