In late 2021, the Disneyland Resort announced a large-scale transformation of Downtown Disney, their shopping district that lies between the theme parks and the Disneyland Hotel. The concept promised updated architecture, open-air plazas, more outdoor dining, and a complete redevelopment of the area’s western end.
Five years and several announcements later, the changes to Downtown Disney remain unfinished.
So, what went wrong?
A few years prior to the 2021 plan, Disneyland had announced a fourth luxury hotel that would’ve connected to the west end of Downtown Disney. Hoping to start construction quickly, several businesses were closed, including ESPN Zone, Earl of Sandwich, Rainforest Cafe and the AMC Theatre. Some of the buildings were torn down, including the theater, Earl of Sandwich, and a building that was the home to shops and an additional Starbucks.
Unfortunately, the hotel project fell victim to politics and red-tape from the City of Anaheim. Anticipated tax incentives from the city were no longer forthcoming due to some changes in the project, so in October of 2018, the hotel project was canceled.
There were several years of temporary fixes and bandages, plus a pandemic, before Disney finally announced a “Plan B.”
At the D23 Expo in September 2022, touted a new redevelopment of Downtown Disney, with several new unnamed shopping and dining locations, plus Southern California favorites Din Tai Fung and Porto’s Bakery & Cafe.
Attendees were excited by the free box of Porto’s pastries, but left hungry for details of what was to come.
Changes started slowly with the closure of the popular Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar in 2023, which were replaced by Mexican-themed restaurants Paseo, Centric, and Tiendita in 2024. The same year, we finally saw one the D23 Expo announcements come to fruition with the opening of Din Tai Fung.
The promised Porto’s has not yet opened, but it is finally under construction. Several factors contributed to the delay, including rumored discussions about the location’s operating hours. In the end, the biggest factor in the delay was that the project had expanded to the point where the existing La Brea Bakery building that was to be couldn’t hold all of their hopes and pastries, so a new building needed to be designed and constructed.
Over the last couple of years, we have seen some beautification in the area near Din Tai Fung, including a performance stage. We’ve also seen the opening of a food court-like space and several new shops. Still, no major tenants have moved in.
There is some good news. We just had the grand (re)opening of Earl of Sandwich and the opening of Gordon Ramsay’s The Carnaby. Construction continues on the former Tortilla Jo’s restaurant, which is to become Arthur & Son’s Steak & Bourbon and Pearl’s Roadside BBQ sometime in 2026. There is still no opening date for that location.
The bad news is that the Star Wars Trading Post still occupies the former Rainforest Cafe building. Lululemon has opened a store in a small part of the old ESPN Zone, but the majority of the building is still empty. These both feel like temporary solutions for a problem that Disney still doesn’t know how to solve.
What felt like a big announcement at the D23 Expo, has turned out to be just a knee-jerk response to an underutilized and construction-ridden space, and had no real plans of substance behind it.
Downtown Disney “Plan B” has gone through several revisions along the way, and while Disneyland continues to adjust, it still feels like there is a lack of vision in Downtown Disney, and clearly no long-term plan.
Downtown Disney needs a new focus, but it also needs to just be finished. Disneyland fans deserve better than 5 years of construction walls, temporary solutions, and buildings that are still half-empty.
What businesses or types of businesses would you like to see in Downtown Disney? Should Disney try to lure former businesses like House of Blues or the AMC Theatre back? Is there something from Disney Springs in Walt Disney World that you would like to see out west?
I really don’t know what the ultimate solution is for Downtown Disney, but I hope that Disney figures it out soon.
