Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.

We will be down for scheduled maintenance Wednesday 11 November @ 6AM UTC for approximately 4 hours. We thank you for your patience.

From Wikitravel

Downtown Disney [1] is part of Walt Disney World in Central Florida.

Downtown Disney is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment paradise, geared primarily towards adults. Most of the entertainment activities are found on Downtown Disney Westside. (The east side, known as Downtown Disney Marketplace, is made up largely of shops and will be covered in the Buy section.)

[edit] Get in

[edit] By car

Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon are on Buena Vista Drive; drive east from Epcot Center Drive or west from Hotel Plaza Boulevard. Parking is free at both locations.

[edit] By Disney transportation

[edit] From Downtown Disney-area resorts

Ferries travel the Sassagoula River from Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs to Downtown Disney. Saratoga Springs and Downtown Disney Hotel Plaza guests can also walk to Downtown Disney. Buses are a third option, and are necessary if you're going to Typhoon Lagoon.

[edit] From other on-property resorts

From other areas of the property, simply go to your resort's bus stop and wait for the Downtown Disney/Typhoon Lagoon bus to arrive. You can choose to get off at Typhoon Lagoon, at Downtown Disney Marketplace, or at Downtown Disney West Side.

[edit] From the other parks

From any of the other parks, you will need to make your way to a resort, then go from that resort to Downtown Disney or Typhoon Lagoon. For Downtown Disney, your best option might be to take a bus to Saratoga Springs and then walk to Downtown Disney.

[edit][add listing] See

• AMC Downtown Disney 24. An all-stadium seating, surround sound, and digital projection movie theatre. Online schedules and ticketing are available at MovieTickets.com.  edit
• Characters in Flight. The only "ride" in Downtown Disney, this tethered hot-air balloon lifts you 400 feet in the air for a breathtaking bird's eye view of Walt Disney World. $16 ages 10 and up, $10 ages 3-9, free for ages 2 and under.  edit
• DisneyQuest. A five-floor interactive virtual theme park for the whole family. Ages 3-9 $34, Ages 10+ $40.  edit
• La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, [2]. Held from Tuesday through Saturday at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., no performances on Sundays or Mondays. You'll have to see it to believe it.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit] Typhoon Lagoon

Website: [3]

This water park's theme is that of a island paradise battered by a tropical storm, complete with a wrecked fishing boat atop a mountain.

• Castaway Creek. A 2,000 foot tubing river that winds through the whole park.  edit
• Crush 'n Gusher Water 'Rollercoaster'. What do you get when you cross a water slide with a roller coaster? This!  edit
• Gangplank Falls. A family ride, in four-passenger tubes.  edit
• Humunga Kowabunga. Three 214 foot long slides send you plummeting straight down, at a terrifying five stories per second!  edit
• Keelhaul Falls. A whitewater rafting experience.  edit
• Ketchakiddee Creek. A children's play area.  edit
• Mayday Falls. Inner tube slide winding down the side of an artificial mountain.  edit
• Shark Reef. A snorkel pool featuring tropical fish, rays, small (non-threatening) sharks, and a mock sunken ship.  edit
• Storm Slides. Three 30 mph slides through dark caverns.  edit
• Surf Pool. One of the world's largest wave pools with some of the largest artificially created waves. Take advantage of the surfing lessons offered here.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

Downtown Disney is the largest shopping area on the property (except perhaps for World Showcase). The highest concentration of shops is in The Marketplace, the eastern part of Downtown Disney. The Marketplace is anchored by the 50,000 square foot World of Disney, a Disney Store on steroids, with a truly stunning array of character and park merchandise, and a store-within-a-store (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, just like the one in Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom). This is the place to go if you can't find a souvenir you like anywhere else. If that doesn't suit your fancy, try out these other shops:

• Arribas Brothers. A well-known name in crystal arts.  edit
• Disney's Days of Christmas. There are 365 days of Christmas at this shop, with a much larger selection than Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe or It's a Wonderful Shop.  edit
• Disney Tails. A shop for pet lovers.  edit
• Lego Imagination Center. Here you can gawk at the Lego sculptures, try your hand at building some of your own, or shop for that one set that you're missing from your collection.  edit
• Mickey's Mart. WDW's only discount store, where everything is sold for $10 and under.  edit
• Once Upon a Toy. WDW's second-largest collection of Disney toys (after World of Disney).  edit
• Pooh Corner. Everything at this store is centered around Pooh and his friends.  edit
• Rainforest Cafe. (see Eat) The restaurant has a gift shop featuring its own logo-ed merchandise.  edit

At Pleasure Island and Downtown Disney West Side, you'll find a Harley-Davidson shop, Planet Hollywood's gift shop, the Virgin Megastore, Magnetron (magnet shop), Magic Master (magic shop), and a host of other specialty retailers.

[edit][add listing] Eat

See Eat in the main Walt Disney World article for information on the Disney restaurant pricing system, character dining, dietary restrictions, and advance dining reservations. The telephone numbers below are for extraordinary circumstances only; for reservations and most health or diet issues, call the main Disney Dining number at +1 407 WDW-DINE (939-3463).

Downtown Disney is WDW's largest dining destination, and while it is geared primarily towards adults, most restaurants are family-friendly.

[edit] Marketplace

• Cap'n Jack's. A nautical-themed seafood restaurant on a pier jutting into Buena Vista Lagoon. $$.  edit
• Earl of Sandwich. This is lot more than an ordinary sandwich shop. The line is long but moves steadily. $.  edit
• Fulton's Crab House. A multi-floored seafood restaurant onboard a fake steamboat. Interesting fact: the boat was originally called Empress Lilly, after Lillian Disney, Walt's wife. Lunch: $$ Dinner: $$$.  edit
• Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop and Soda Fountain. Enjoy chocolates, ice cream, and other great desserts at this San Francisco legend. $.  edit
• Portobello Yacht Club. A fine Italian restaurant. Lunch: $$ Dinner: $$$.  edit
• Rainforest Cafe.  edit

[edit] Westside/Pleasure Island

• Bongos Cuban Cafe. The best thing to know about this restauarant is that it was founded by Gloria Estefan. $$.  edit
• House of Blues. $$.  edit
• Planet Hollywood. Look for Forrest Gump's shrimp boat outside this movie-themed eatery. Inside, admire the collection of movie props and costumes. $$.  edit
• Ragland Road. You ought to feel "lucky" to dine at this Irish restaurant complete with a full-service pub. $$.  edit
• Cooke's of Dublin. Adjacent to Raglan Road, known for its fish and chips. $.  edit
• Wolfgang Puck Cafe. The most high-end restaurant in all of Downtown Disney. Lunch: $$ Dinner: $$$.  edit

[edit] Disney's Port Orleans Resort

• Boatwright's Dining Hall. Shared by Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside, this may be the largest restaurant on the property, serving Southern fare such as ribs, chicken, steaks, etc. Great for families or groups of adults, as the large restaurant is big enough to absorb a lot of noise. $$.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

[edit] Downtown Disney Hotel Plaza

The Downtown Disney Hotel Plaza, located adjacent to the Marketplace, is made up of seven franchised or independent hotels. These are fairly generic hotels that lack most, if not all, of the theming and amenities of their Disney-owned counterparts. They are, however, ideal for guests who are on a tight budget or who prefer a more traditional hotel experience. The Best Western, Buena Vista Palace, Doubletree, Hilton, and Regal Sun Resort have car rental kiosks in their lobbies.

• Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort, 2000 Hotel Plaza Blvd, ☎ +1 407 828-2424, [4]. A tall hotel, but other than that, it's your average Best Western.  edit
• Buena Vista Palace, 1900 Buena Vista Dr, ☎ +1 866 397-6516, [5]. The closest of the seven to Downtown Disney.  edit
• Doubletree Guest Suites, 2305 Hotel Plaza Blvd, ☎ +1 407 934-1000, [6]. The only all-suite hotel of the seven, also the closest to the exit; you can just walk from here to the off-property shops and restaurants nearby.  edit
• Hilton Resort, 1751 Hotel Plaza Blvd, ☎ +1 407 827-4000, [7]. The second closest, just across from the Buena Vista Palace.  edit
• Holiday Inn, 1805 Hotel Plaza Blvd, ☎ +1 407 828-8888, [8]. Also tall just like the Best Western, but again, it's your average Holiday Inn.  edit
• Regal Sun Resort, 1850 Hotel Plaza Blvd, ☎ +1 800 624-4109, [9]. Not really a "resort" per se, but decent enough.  edit
• Royal Plaza, 1905 Hotel Plaza Blvd, ☎ +1 407 828-2828, [10]. You don't need a description here; it's similar to all the others.  edit

[edit] Mid-range

• Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter, 2201 Orleans Dr. (off Epcot Center Drive), ☎ 407-934-5000 (fax: 407-934-5353), [11]. Take a walk down Bourbon Street. $150-250.  edit
• Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside, 1251 Riverside Dr. (adjacent to Port Orleans French Quarter), ☎ 407-934-6000, [12]. Experience the gentle feel of the mansions and towns along the lower Mississippi River. $150-250.  edit

[edit] Splurge

• Disney's Old Key West Resort, 1510 North Cove Rd., ☎ 407-827-7700, [13]. The spirit of the Florida Keys. $280-880.  edit
• Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, 1960 Broadway, ☎ 407-827-1100, [14]. checkin: 4PM; checkout: 11AM. A lush country retreat capturing the heyday of Upstate New York. $290-1,700.  edit
  • The Treehouse Villas at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort. Octagonal cabins on stilts in a forest setting, scheduled for opening in Summer 2009. This addition will make Saratoga Springs the largest and most luxurious Disney Resort ever imagined.  edit

[edit] Contact