Visually how bad is Downtown Disney right now?

[texasroni75]

Just there 2 weeks ago. Marketplace is fine. Everywhere else - horrible. The walls are ugly, the smaller pathways congested, and the bathrooms (if you can find them - all but two restrooms on the map were blocked off by the walls - and of course you don't know that until you've walked to where they should be and see only walls) were disgusting. I'm talking VERY bad, not just untidy. I personally will not be visiting DTD on future trips until the majority of the changes are complete.

 

[DaisyNY]

Hoping to visit Dec. 16th in the am and have lunch...it was so pretty there our last Dec 2012 visit...in fact we snagged our Christmas photo of our kids in front of a beautiful batch of poinsettias. We are going to MVMCP that day and would like to relax and shop before then! Should we scratch those plans?

 

[Patabel]

Can you take kiddos to Raglan Road? I'd like to treat my mom to a dinner there the night we're hanging out and it's a maybe on my list... but we'll have my 9 year old dd too.

We were there with our then 6 yo twin grandsons a couple of years ago. They LOVED it. As aacvacation described, the main dining room is definitely kid friendly, and the boys had fun dancing along with the entertainment...they even at one point had the kids go up on stage to join them. They enjoyed the food, as well. Your Mom will have a good time, and you will be more than comfortable having your 9 yo there, too!

 

[Networth]

IMO on a scale of 1-10, 1 being a barren construction zone and 10 being a new complete Skyscraper. A four.

One of those cases were it will be great when it's done but right now the only thing semi appealing is the far west side and the Marketplace.

 

[practicallyperfect77]

Dumb ?, but my nephews are Lego maniacs. Is the dragon still in the lake? If not, we might just swim and order some pizza on our arrival night. But I know they would love the Lego stuff and of course I will love the Christmas store. Figured we'd eat at Trex b/c boys love dinosaurs too. They've never been so nothing to compare to but honestly all this talk has me a little scared. I want to say the bus ride from DTD to Pop was 15 mins or so when I was there in Dec. Is it an hour now?

 

[BJSforVols]

This thread has me re-thinking our T-Rex reservation. We really want to experience T-Rex (never been to it) and planned to drive to DTD for a Sunday evening dinner at T-Rex. I'm not all that knowledgeable about the areas of DTD, so I do not know if T-Rex is in the marketplace or not. Will we be able to enjoy T-Rex, or should we consider canceling the T-Rex reservation and finding something away from DTD?

 

[chelseabun76]

Children are more than welcome but it is themed as an Irish pub and therefore is mostly a bar, so it all depends on what you are comfortable with. Starting at 8pm they alternate between Irish dancers and a band all night long. From what I saw, everyone with children requested seating (do it beforehand) in the main dining area, near the stages (one in the center, one at the back) so that they could see the shows and weren't too close to the bar areas. It's a very interactive environment so it's fun for everyone.

That sounds fun, I think my dd would enjoy it!!!

 

[chelseabun76]

We were there with our then 6 yo twin grandsons a couple of years ago. They LOVED it. As aacvacation described, the main dining room is definitely kid friendly, and the boys had fun dancing along with the entertainment...they even at one point had the kids go up on stage to join them. They enjoyed the food, as well. Your Mom will have a good time, and you will be more than comfortable having your 9 yo there, too!

Definately going to book there!!

 

[DakotaRose]

Our friends, first-timers, went there in August to have a relaxing lunch after the water park. They loved it! Several food choices, Disney Quest, interesting shopping and treats, it kept them busy for several hours.

 

[phtktz3]

Walls.... lots...

We went around 11 am and the walls were there but it wasn't crowded and sometimes it felt like we were walking for a while and not seeing anything lol.

However, we went a few days after that at night and it was mobbed!
There was so much congestion anytime you got near construction walls.
We left shortly after arriving.


That was in May, and I know some walls have come down and some have gone up so I cant say how bad it is now.

I was just there in September and I think the best plan for DTD anytime whether it is during construction or not is to try and go during the daytime and not in the evenings. While there in September we did go one time in the evening and it was PACKED!!
As for the buses there seem to be more of them coming so the wait isn't as long.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Under normal circumstances, I love going to DTD. But right now I think the best thing to do is to not go to DTD. Nearly all the merch there is either available at the parks or hotels, and there are some very nice original restaurants at the hotels.

OK, re: Lego store. There is nothing really interesting at the Lego store that you can't find better at Legoland. And this is coming from a Lego lover! We go to DTD Lego because of the cheap Lego (APs get discount). But if you want a quality Lego time, hit up your local lego store or LegoLand.

Alternate delicious dining options for downtime at Disney:
Food court at POR: Lunch is yummy! Dirty Gumbo, Po'boys and bienes are great. They take Tables in Wonderland too! Reasonable $$
Red River Brewery: You can get a flight of beer brewed by them, and I'll put their cheddar cheese soup up against Canada's any day. Plus it's got a beautiful view of Cresent Lake. Reasonable too.
Beaches and Cream: Two words. Kitchen sink.

Activity options during DTD cray-cray time:
AKL - You don't have to stay there to enjoy the animals, drumming, cookie decorating, and other neat activities there.
Boardwalk and Beach/Yacht Club: bike rentals
Contemporary/Polynesian/Grand Floridian: zippy boat rentals.

Grand Floridian also has an upper-scale version of Basin, if you need your Basin fix.

Anyway, those are some options if you want parking, a view and no headaches.

 

[Minniekins]

We are going to WDW on Thanksgiving day, and then head to DTD on Fri for lunch at Earl of Sandwich! Gotta have the holiday turkey sandwich, it is awesome! We'll probably also check out World of Disney and the Xmas shop after for a short time, then head to MK.

So, the marketplace, where the buses arrive and leave from is pretty close to those places, right? I was thinking of possibly leaving there going by way of the walkway bridge to SSR, then taking the bus from there. But, I have no idea where this is or how far it is from the side of DTD we'll be on. There's also a walkway to OKW, right? Not sure where either of them are. So, would either of these be any better, easier, faster, to get to a bus to get to MK? Or is that a dumb idea and would it be just as fast to go back to the buses at the marketplace and catch one there to go to a resort to then get to MK? I don't recall DTD buses going to MK, unless I missed it.

Which way would probably be easiest/fastest to end up at MK without the travel being a nightmare? Normally, we just use that bus stop(though wasn't sure of the name), but with all the construction around there and complaints of the buses from DTD and things being a confusing mess, wondering if we should change things up this visit. Thanks for any respones!

 

[Disney_Princess83]

After reading this I am considering cancelling my Raglan Road ADR for our trip in 2 weeks. Is it worth the trip or should I try to get an ADR at one of the resorts instead?

oops just saw the above response so maybe I should keep it??? SO confused!!!

I wouldn't cancel Raglan Rd. It's such a great place for a meal. The food is so good and the atmosphere and music is wonderful. Take a bus to and from your resort so you don't need to worry about parking.