Downtown Disney

martinrmn

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Joined
Feb 14, 2006
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I have been to Disney for many years and have only been to Downtown once. Can someone tell me what it is like now, we are travelling Dec 1st, there are 3 of us: me, darling wife Donna-Marie and John aged 6 when we fly? We would like to go day and night-time so any tips would be appreciated. :thumbsup2 :banana: :banana:
 
Well, we really like it at DTD :)

There are lots of shops so if you like shopping you will be happy ;) and many dining options. For a quick snack type meal our favourite is the Earl of Sandwich.

There are lots of other diversions which my children love, in particular:

The interactive water fountains (you may want to avoid these in December especially at night though)
The play area (free) at the Lego Imagination Centre and all the huge Lego models
Lots of interactive games at Once Upon A Toy Shop (free) which include things like build a virtual Mr Potato Head and print it off etc
Disney Quest

It tends to be quite quiet in the day time, and busier but more atmospheric at night. It is pretty at night though :)

In December there may be carol singers / Father Xmas opportunities - I'm sure there were when we went in December 2004 :)
 
We spent most nights there. World of Disney is great!

It's a nice place to just walk around, take in the shops and atmosphere, quite relaxing and VERY Disney. Really a lovely place. And for some adult time, there's Pleasure Island too - we couldn't have a trip and miss Adventurer's Club and Comedy Warehouse!!
 
If you have not been for a few years just go and check it out, you will find plenty to do we just got back after 25 nights and spent at least 7 evenings there. Pin trading, eating Ghiridelli Icecream Sundaes. With 6 year old you could spend an evening just with the Lego.
 

Plenty to see and do, and the shops aren't just disney stuff, I love the bathworks shop (maybe "Basin") with all the soaps and candles, Spanish crystal, the margeherita stand, Virgin megastore is huge and you'll find CDs that you maybe can't get at home, Disneyquest is always good for a few hours entertainment, the cinema is there if you want to catch a movie before we get it at home (really nice seating), a magic trick shop where they are always showing some trick to everybody, and the dining is great. My kids love Rainforest Cafe although the wait can be offputting, Earl of sandwich does fantastic bargain counter service, and best of all, Goofy's Candy Company where you can design your own treat. My kids had rice crispie treats (giant mickey head size) and could have them coated in chocoalte, sweets, nuts, all sorts really... Wolfgang Pucks and House of Blues both do great food. In the day there are boats to be hired from the marina, and at night the clubs at pleasure island (especially Adventures Club) offer entertainment that are not just for teenagers/ twenty year olds. You will find plenty to see and do.
Of course the main draw for many is the giant World Of Disney store where you can get anything your heart desires from pet costumes (yes really) to chocoalte covered pretzel mickeys. The pirate room is looking great for little boys and you can fill a treasure chest with pirate booty to take home.

So in short :teeth: you will find loads to see and do, just make sure you have plenty of credit left over on your credit card, you might need it ;)
 
we love dtd too.On evenings when we were shattered after a mad day we would go there and chill out with an ice cream and a mooch around the shops.
 
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We love DTD and often take a couple of days away from the parks and go there to unwind, the cinema is fantastic and we love the shops. Not made it to DisneyQuest yet our DS wasn't big enough before to take him in but we still had lots of fun at the Lego shop and McD's etc and loved WoD :wave:
 
We spent hours in DTD.

Disney Quest is excellent! - But, I recommend you get their early so you can enjoy the video games and various interative things. Creating your own rollercoaster is a must and hilarious!

The Virgin Megastore is just massive! Similar to HMV in London for size.

The Magnet Shop and the Signed Photograph Store on the corner opposite the Pretzel place are musts to look around.

We never went into Planet Hollywood, but twice had meals in Raglan Road (The Irish Pub). - That has to be a must!!! - The staff are very friendly and the food excellent.

The World of Disney Store is the biggest I think overall in the world. So big, you will get lost!

I could go on and on and on....and, yes, 'The Earl of Sandwich' is great!!!

Rainforest Cafe disappointed me mind you, and I shall be reviewing that later on in the appropiate forum.
 
flortlebap said:
We spent most nights there. World of Disney is great!

We do too. A quick look round then a big chocolate latte in Ghirardhelli. :thumbsup2 :thumbsup2
 
It's a great way to spend an evening. I can highly recommend the Cirque Du Soleil, it can work out a bit pricy though if there are a few of you. Be sure to get your free samples from Ghirardhelli's.
 
OK, you want to do both daytime and night-time. What you need to know is that Downtown Disney is split into three distinct areas - Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side.

As you probably know, Pleasure Island is primarily a night-time venue, although I think you'd be crazy to miss Raglan Road, even if you don't make it there during the evening when it really comes alive.

At West Side, House of Blues and Wolfgang Puck's are both credible eateries and the Virgin Megastore has to be experienced at least once. Starabilias is amazing and I defy anyone to leave without wishing they had the financial might to buy at least one of the artifacts.

Marketplace is probably the best bet for a daytime visit. The World of Disney store alone could wipe out a couple of hours, but I also enjoy the diversity of the other stores there, not to mention Cap'n Jack's Margarita bar!
 
Deb I am full of cold at the moment, sitting here sniffing and sneezing, the mere mention of Cap' n Jack's has brought a smile to my face, I am sure a Rum Runner would clear my cold ! Ian and I love it there ...
 
he was fab Deb, and it wasn't so bad getting out of there - about 45 mins walk (good practice for the parks) and then a wait for the taxi, we got back to the hotel about half one I think, which is great when you cosder Knebworth was more like 4.00am ... Brilliant concert and well worth it
 
We could spend all day just walking around World of Disney looking for stuff. We spent most of the day there, although we did find one drawback. Because we weren't staying on site, it takes far too long to get from a major park there (and to get back to one) because the buses go to and from the resort hotels only. There are no buses to the other themes or from the other theme parks. It was about an hour's trip from T&TC.

Can't wait till next year though when we stay on site and can enjoy the delights there without all the travel hassle! Just hop on bus outside the hotel, arrive, go shopping mad (esp in the pin trading shop) and then back on the bus to the hotel - perfect! :banana:
 

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