Downtown Disney is a Great Place to Unwind

“Downtown Disney’s a great place to unwind after long days at the parks. You’re still surrounded by Disney magic and can do lots of shopping!”

It’s hard to think that you might want a break from the parks, but after a long day, especially in the off season when the parks close early, you might still be itching to be somewhere other than your resort.  That’s the perfect time to go walk around Downtown Disney! There’s bus and boat service to this location and while it is basically a huge outdoor shopping area, it is a huge outdoor shopping area with lots of Disney touches! Reminders of the characters are everywhere and you can pick up all your souvenirs here in one fell swoop and never have to carry bags around with you at the parks!  It’s more than likely that anything you’ve seen in a park (except for some specific ride merchandise) is in one of the stores that they offer here.  There’s a wide range of clothing stores so that you can get your Disney fix to wear back home and of course, lots of toy stores.  

There are even a lot of restaurants on the Disney Dining Plan here (though you should double check which ones apply) that, at least on the outside, look a lot more “adult” while still being playful.  Then for the kids there’s a Rainforest Cafe and their latest one: T-Rex which I have not eaten at yet bit it looks fun.  And you absolutely have to stop at the Candy Shop or the Ice Cream place for that extra dose of sugar to keep you up and shopping about!

The entertainment is what really draw people to this area, though.  Cirque is here along with a movie theater, Disney Quest, and the new hot air balloon ride.  While Pleasure Island is no longer open (and I do miss the Adventurer’s Club!) there are quite a few restaurants with bars open late that are a draw for locals as well as vacationeers.

Like everything at Disney, the Downtown Area is really well designed–there are fountains in the paths at certain points which are always entertaining for children, and the window displays at almost all the stores are set up with the Disney characters you know and love, so even just walking around to enjoy the setting is enough.  We always try to get down here at least once to do our shopping and watch the sunset over the water.  It’s nice, relaxing, and–so long as you don’t spend any money!–something free to do.