Going Downtown at Walt Disney World

Downtown Disney

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Attraction | "Shopping at Downtown Disney"

Downtown disney Confectionary Photo - Downtown Disney, Orlando, Florida

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Downtown Disney at WDW offers lots of unique shopping opportunites along with free parking.World of Disney: This enormous store is a true Disney interactive experience. It is split into several distinct areas where little girls can revel in the delights of being a princess and swash-buckling pirates can find treasure galore. There is also an enormous selection of clothing for all ages, household items of every type adorned with Mickey ears as well as jewellery, bags, toys and gifts that suit every budget from a small set of pencils to gold-plated watches. The store is very disorientating and you can find yourself wondering around for ages as there always seems to be something else to se...Read More

Downtown Disney at WDW offers lots of unique shopping opportunites along with free parking.

World of Disney: This enormous store is a true Disney interactive experience. It is split into several distinct areas where little girls can revel in the delights of being a princess and swash-buckling pirates can find treasure galore. There is also an enormous selection of clothing for all ages, household items of every type adorned with Mickey ears as well as jewellery, bags, toys and gifts that suit every budget from a small set of pencils to gold-plated watches. The store is very disorientating and you can find yourself wondering around for ages as there always seems to be something else to see. The staff are delightful and there is never a problem with children playing with items or being photographed wearing a selection of Mickey Ears.

LEGO imagination centre: There is no way you can miss this store as a towering red robot made of Lego bricks can be seen from quite a distance. A LEGO Loch Ness Monster can be seen in the lagoon too. All around the outside of the building there are representations of various landmarks made of LEGO. Outside the store there are lots of tables for people to sit and play with the well stocked tubs of LEGO, these are nicely shaded from the Orlando sunshine. The store stocks every set of LEGO that you could imagine.

Team Mickey Athletic Club: Definitely aimed at the American market this store stock a huge array of sports merchandise, especially clothing.

Once Upon A Toy: A childs delight this is a toyshop that not only stocks the standard Disney range of toys but also stocks classic games such as Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit with a Disney makeover. You can make your own, customised Mr Potato Head which you can purchase or you can just play with all the variations in store. Children can be seen waving light sabres or trying on tiaras and there is never any problem with this.

Disney’s Days of Christmas: A wonderful store devoted to all things Christmas. There are magnificent displays of baubles and other decorations. We usually visit in October and there is always a lot of Halloween tinsel etc on sale too. Decorations can be personalised by the decorators in store.

Disney Pin Traders: Pin Trading is a hobby that consists of traders buying small metal pins depicting characters, rides, films or parks and then either collecting or swapping them with others. The range is fascinating and there is also a pin-trading area where collectors can swap between themselves and cast members.

Moving further around Downtown Disney brings you to several more stores that stock specialist merchandise. The Harley-Davidson store is popular both for its gifts and the photo opportunity available on the two bikes that grace the window. Disney’s Candy Cauldron is where you will find handmade sweets and candy apples of all types. You can stand and watch these candy apples being made and decorated in the window, some of them are true works of art. Magnetron is an unusual store that only sells decorative magnets, I didn’t know there were quite so many available and they offer great multibuy offers that cover virtually every magnet they sell so they make interesting gifts at good prices. There are also stores offering premium cigars, magic gifts, sunglasses and artwork.

The range of unusual shops makes a change from the local malls and meakes Downtown Disney worth a visit. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 23, 2010

Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World Resort
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32821
+1 407 828 3056

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Downtown Disney

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Even More Disney Fun"

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Walking around Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World is always entertaining as there are often street entertainers, even sometimes bands playing. However there are also more formal forms of entertainment on offer.Cap’n Jacks Marina: All sorts of different boats are available for rental and lifejackets are provided. The Village Lake is quite large and my husband and son had a great time whizzing around in their small "speedboat" which was not very fast but still provided plenty of fun.Cirque Du Soleil: La Nouba is the presentation in this distinctive building. I have never been here and it is recommended that tickets are bought in advance. I have heard great reports of the ph...Read More

Walking around Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World is always entertaining as there are often street entertainers, even sometimes bands playing. However there are also more formal forms of entertainment on offer.

Cap’n Jacks Marina: All sorts of different boats are available for rental and lifejackets are provided. The Village Lake is quite large and my husband and son had a great time whizzing around in their small "speedboat" which was not very fast but still provided plenty of fun.

Cirque Du Soleil: La Nouba is the presentation in this distinctive building. I have never been here and it is recommended that tickets are bought in advance. I have heard great reports of the physical acrobatic display but it has never really appealed to me.

DisneyQuest: This is a basically a 5 storey arcade. It is incredibly noisy and dark. Entrance is included in many types of Disney tickets and it proves a popular place, especially on rainy days. As well as normal arcade type machines (free to use) there are a few more unusual things as well. I particularly like the Pirates encounter where you man a boat and shoot at pirate ships using 3D graphics and interaction; it really is a fun family game as you work together. There is also an area where you design your own rollercoaster on computer consoles and then you get to ride it in a simulator, this was amazing when your child insists on putting in as many inversions as you are allowed! This is not my favourite place but my teenagers love it and it does make a change from normal theme park entertainment.

AMC cinema: I believe this cinema has 24 screens but I have never used it so can’t comment on the comfort or the price.

Characters in Flight: This large tethered balloon rises 400ft to give great views across WDW. However it is greatly affected by the weather and most times we were at DTD it was closed which was a shame as I really wanted to try it having missed out on the one at Disneyland Paris.

There is plenty on offer at Downtown Disney and in the evening it is a nice place to walk around and you don't have to spend any money, you can just admire the street entertainers and the lights if you prefer.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 23, 2010

Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World Resort
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32821
+1 407 828 3056

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Downtown Disney

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Downtown Disney Dining"

Ribs at Planet Hollywood! Photo - Planet Hollywood, Orlando, Florida

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Downtown Disney at WDW offers lots of dining opportunities but I think that it is actually quite an expensive place to eat and there are much cheaper places offering a similar quality of food a short drive away. However some people like to eat here as they can use Disney transport if they are staying on site and also several of the restaurants participate in the Disney Dining Plan. Looking at the various menus all of the restaurants offer cheaper dining over the lunchtime period compared to the evening. If you wish to dine from about 6.30 onwards I would strongly recommend that you make reservations as the queues build up very quickly. Many of the restaurants are themed and there are s...Read More

Downtown Disney at WDW offers lots of dining opportunities but I think that it is actually quite an expensive place to eat and there are much cheaper places offering a similar quality of food a short drive away. However some people like to eat here as they can use Disney transport if they are staying on site and also several of the restaurants participate in the Disney Dining Plan. Looking at the various menus all of the restaurants offer cheaper dining over the lunchtime period compared to the evening. If you wish to dine from about 6.30 onwards I would strongly recommend that you make reservations as the queues build up very quickly.

Many of the restaurants are themed and there are several that are well known names.

Planet Hollywood: This globe-shaped restaurant houses three levels of dining and film memorabilia. We have visited a few times but on my last visit I thought the food had gone downhill, it was expensive and tasteless and the service wasn’t very good either. It is quite tatty now and could really do with a bit of a revamp.

T-Rex Cafe: We didn’t venture in here as it was very noisy. Children who love dinosaurs will be thrilled with the massive T-rex on the outside. The menu didn’t look too expensive but some people moan that you can end up in the "ice-room" which is cold and bizarrely coloured. At regular intervals there is a "thunderstorm’s and some young children find this a bit scary as it is very loud.

Rainforest Cafe: Another popular chain this can be easily spotted across Downtown Disney with its vast volcano. Seating outside gives a nice view across the lake but young children would probably prefer being inside with more of the animated animals and sound effects.

Fulton’s Crab House: Located on a steam boat on the lake this is a beautiful looking restaurant but unfortunately I have never set foot inside. My husband hates seafood and since this is the house speciality he wasn’t keen. I think if it hadn’t been quite so expensive he might have venture in but at about $50 each before drinks it was out of our budget for the four of us.

There are several other places including Portobellos, Raglan Road Irish Pub and the Earl of Sandwich.

Downtown Disney is a lovely place to spend a warm evening. It is really buzzing with entertainment and it is always busy. The beautiful lighting creates a delightful image and many families are walking around which gives it a great friendly atmosphere and it is definitely worth a visit but be prepared to pay premium prices if you want to eat whilst there.
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on December 23, 2010

Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World Resort
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32821
+1 407 828 3056

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Planet Hollywood

Best Of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Won't Be Going Again!"

Quote:

Planet Hollywood is probably the most easily recognisable restaurants in Downtown Disney. The enormous blue globe with classic red neon signage can be seen as you drive along the road opposite the leisure area. It is located in the west side of Downtown Disney, reasonably close to Cirque de Soleil.The restaurant opens from 11am for lunch and then stays open all the way through until 1am the next morning for Dinner. Reservations can easily be made online at the Disney dining website or by calling direct if there is a large group.We visited at about 7.00 in the evening and we had made a reservation so we were able to bypass the queue that had formed on the steps after speaking...Read More

Planet Hollywood is probably the most easily recognisable restaurants in Downtown Disney. The enormous blue globe with classic red neon signage can be seen as you drive along the road opposite the leisure area. It is located in the west side of Downtown Disney, reasonably close to Cirque de Soleil.

The restaurant opens from 11am for lunch and then stays open all the way through until 1am the next morning for Dinner. Reservations can easily be made online at the Disney dining website or by calling direct if there is a large group.

We visited at about 7.00 in the evening and we had made a reservation so we were able to bypass the queue that had formed on the steps after speaking to the girl on the podium at the bottom. As we reached the top we had a family photograph taken in front of a Hollywood hills backdrop. This was a little irritating as we knew we would not want to buy the photograph and we had to queue to have it done before we were allowed in the restaurant.

We have visited a few times in the past but every time I am surprised by how noisy and how dark it is as you enter. We were passed to another server but it was quite difficult to tell what was going on and she suddenly disappeared without telling us to follow, we eventually found her on the staircase.

The restaurant is covered with memorabilia from the movies that you are encouraged to have a look at, however some of it is difficult to see as there are tables and diners in the way. To be honest very little seems to have changed and I do think they could update the stuff a bit.
We were eventually shown to our table and given a menu. Our server seemed rushed and distracted and disappeared for about a minute before coming back and asking for our order. She seemed rather disgruntled when we asked for a little longer.

The prices seemed a bit expensive so we decided just to have a main course (entree) and then see if we wanted desserts later. My husband and daughter had the BBQ ribs whilst my son and I selected the chicken fajitas.

Whilst waiting for our food we had more chance to take in the surroundings. I think that the place is definitely starting to look a bit tatty and could do with a whole facelift inside. There is a big screen which could be used to show classic film clips but instead just shows music videos which are really loud and make it difficult to talk to each other as well as the server.
Our food arrived quite quickly, it was put on the table and the server immediately left without checking everything was ok, I then had to go and find her as we had received no tortillas with the fajitas, quite an obvious problem really. They eventually appeared but there was no apology. The fajitas were nice but there was not very much chicken and it was not spicy enough for me and the salsa was also not very hot. My husband and daughter were not at all impressed with their ribs, the sauce was ok but the ribs were extremely fatty and they felt that they didn’t actually get much meat even though the ribs were large; the fries that came with them were very nice though. The meals were very large and by the time we had finished we didn’t actually feel in need of any dessert although there was quite a good selection to choose from.

Overall I don’t think we will be returning to Planet Hollywood for a while. The place looks a bit grubby and tatty and for $120 for four main courses and soft drinks with tip we felt that we didn’t get value for money as the food wasn’t that impressive either. The service was rushed and not at all personal and I don’t like being disturbed whilst I am eating to be harassed to buy photographs that I didn’t even want taking in the first place and certainly won’t be buying.!
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Member Rating 1 out of 5 on January 12, 2011

Planet Hollywood
1506 East Buena Vista Drive, Downtown Disney
Orlando, Florida 32830
(407) 827-7827

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Cap'n Jack's Marina

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Attraction | "Water Fun"

Cap'n jacks Marina Photo - Downtown Disney, Orlando, Florida

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Downtown Disney offers something a little bit different by the way of Cap’n Jacks Marina. Here you are able to rent a variety of boats to enjoy exploring the enormous lake between Downtown Disney and some of the rest of the resort. You can take boats out for single people right up to larger vessels for 10 people. You can take them out for half an hour or a full hour.The marina opens from 10am until 7.00pm but tends to be busiest in the late afternoon and evening.You need to be over 18 to rent a boat but obviously adults can take children out with them. You need to have either resort ID for WDW or a driving license or passport.Prices start at about $25....Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 12, 2011

Cap'n Jack's Marina
Downtown Disney Marketplace
Orlando, Florida

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