While the two theme parks – Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park – are the biggest draws of Disneyland Resort, there’s another destination worth exploring: Downtown Disney. Officially known as Downtown Disney District, this shopping, dining, and entertainment destination stretches from the esplanade between the parks down to the Disneyland Hotel. Walk its length, and you’ll find plenty to browse, taste, and experience.
Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort opened in January 2001 as part of the resort’s expansion in the late 1990s and early 2000s (which included the addition of California Adventure and Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa). In the years since, it’s undergone numerous changes and shifts, most notably with a multi-year reimaging kicking off in 2018.
Today, Downtown Disney at Disneyland is still home to numerous shops and restaurants as well as regular entertainment. As of 2024, much of the west end of the district is undergoing a transformation – but changes are coming across all of Downtown Disney to bring even more dining and entertainment options for guests.
Explore Downtown Disney
- Downtown Disney Dining
- Downtown Disney Shopping
- Downtown Disney Entertainment
- Downtown Disney Parking and Transportation
Downtown Disney Dining
The interior dining area of Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill. Photo by Timothy Moore
If you’re looking for delicious meals outside of Disneyland’s theme parks, Downtown Disney is the logical place to head. Home to a wide array of restaurants, including quick-service, table service, and even experience-led, you’ll find something for every taste and every picky eater.
The cuisine ranges from casual burgers and fries to elevated Mexican cuisine, date-night spots to family-friendly restaurants. While the restaurants of Downtown Disney do operate on Disneyland’s dining reservation system – and, as a result, do take advance dining reservations – and can get crowded during peak times of the year.
However, because there are so many options, it’s always easy to find food at Downtown Disney. As of spring 2024, the district is home to 21 restaurants:
- Ballast Point Brewing Co.
- Beignets Expressed
- Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes
- Blue Ribbon Corn Dog
- Centrico
- Clyde’s Hot Chicken
- CrazyShake Window by Black Tap
- Diggity Dogs
- Earl of Sandwich / Earl of Sandwich Tavern
- Jamba
- Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio
- Kayla’s Cake
- Naples Ristorante e Bar
- Napolini Pizzeria
- Paseo
- Pizza Counter (at Earl of Sandwich)
- Salt & Straw
- Splitsville Luxury Lanes – Dining
- Starbucks
- Tiendita
- Wetzel’s Pretzels
Downtown Disney Shopping
The towering LEGO statues outside of Downtown Disney’s The LEGO Store. Photo by Ashlee Tan
Downtown Disney District offers a wealth of places to shop. Here, you’ll find options more similar to an outdoor mall – while there are dedicated Disney shops, there’s also a mix of clothing, jewelry, toys, candy and sweets, and other retailers. And of course, you’ll find unique options with special theming, like Star Wars Trading Post or larger-than-life LEGO Store!
Whether you’re searching for the perfect Disneyland Resort souvenir or something non-Disney, there are 15 shops you can browse across Downtown Disney:
- California Sole
- Curl Surf
- The Disney Dress Shop
- Disney Home
- Disney’s Pin Traders
- Kaman’s Art Shoppes, Inc. Letter Brush Art
- The LEGO Store
- Lovepop
- Marceline’s Confectionery
- PANDORA Jewelry
- Pelé Soccer
- Sephora
- Sunglass Hut
- Sunglass Icon Open Air
- WonderGround Gallery
- World of Disney
Downtown Disney Entertainment
While most of Downtown Disney is devoted to dining and shopping, there are a few spaces to enjoy some great entertainment. Throughout the year, live musical acts will appear at spots along the district, playing tunes you can enjoy as you wander around or hang out and listen to across the available outdoor seating.
For more dedicated entertainment, you’ll want to head over to the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage. This spacious outdoor lawn and stage are a hub for live music, with appearances by Motown, rock, jazz, and reggae performers regularly. Guests can hang out on the lawn, enjoy the nearby tables with seating, or just take a break under the sun or stars.
Need to keep the kids – or the whole family – busy? Head to Splitsville Luxury Lanes. While this spot does offer table service dining, it’s really an upscale bowling alley that pairs food with fun. Home to 20 bowling lanes, more than 25 big-screen TVs, and live entertainment, it’s one lively place to spend an afternoon or evening.
Downtown Disney Parking and Transportation
A monorail arrives at the Downtown Disney Station. Photo by Danny Shuster
Downtown Disney is free to visit, and there’s no theme park ticket (or reservation) required. However, if you’re planning to drive here, expect to pay for parking.
Parking for the Downtown Disney District can be found at the Simba Lot, which is just past Pixar Place Hotel on Disneyland Drive. You can walk right to Downtown Disney from this lot.
Parking fees at the Simba Lot do vary depending on how long you stay:
- $10 for the first hour of parking
- 3 additional (free) hours of same-day parking with a $20 minimum purchase and validation
- 5 additional (free) hours of same-day parking with validation from any Downtown Disney table-service restaurant
- $14 for each additional hour, charged in 30-minute increments
Don’t want to use the designated Downtown Disney lot? You can park in Disneyland Resort’s other lots – the Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures or Toy Story lot – and take a tram or bus to the resort.Â
Or, if you’re staying at one of the resort hotels, you’ll be just a short walk away. All three Disneyland Resort hotels are within walking distance of Downtown Disney.Â
The Disneyland Monorail at Downtown Disney
If you’re looking for an alternative to walking into the theme parks, you can hop aboard the Disneyland Monorail. Downtown Disney is home to its very own monorail station, where guests can board one of the monorails and ride right into Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park.
The monorail is free to ride, but you will need a theme park ticket – and a park reservation for Disneyland Park – in order to enter the station and board. You also won’t be able to take the monorail into California Adventure or to any resort hotels, as there are only two stops for Disneyland’s monorail system: the Tomorrowland Station and the Downtown Disney Station.
