Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney - 08/05/13 - by Chad Dewey

      Downtown Disney(originally Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village) is an outdoor shopping, dinning and entertainment complex in the Walt Disney World Resort, it opened in March 22, 1975. Over 20 world class stories, restaurants and entertainment venues can be found across the three different lands; Market Place, Pleasure Islands, and West Side.

Market Place:

 Market Place is a vibrant and more playful section of Downtown Disney. It has over 19 different attractions, restaurant, and shopping areas as well as a gorgeous view of lake Buena Vista and Saratoga Spring Resort and Spa. Market Place will be getting a facelift and some new attractions, shopping areas and restaurants when the Disney Spring expansion and redevelopment is finished.

Pleasure Island:

    Pleasure Island is an adults paradise, this area is full of shopping malls, restaurants and bars. It has an energetic nightlife feel that is also kid friendly. During the Disney Springs expansion and redevelopment Pleasure Island will be transformed into a totally new look. It will be renamed, The Land, and allot of existing shops and restaurants will or are already demolished and new restaurants and shops will be opening. It will have an old Floridian theme and will have a more family friendly environment.

Disney Springs Construction Walls - 08/05/13

West Side:

     West Side has a lively swing to it and it his home to some exciting attraction, restaurants and bars including: Cirque Du Soleil's La Nouba, Disney Quest, House of Blues and much more. This section is one of the more existing sections of Downtown Disney. With Disney Springs it will be receiving some new theming, shops, kiosks, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Disney Springs

     On March 14, 2013 Disney announced they will be launching a multi year redevelopment and expansion that will set the whole area to a set theme and an elaborate backstory. Disney said they wanted to unify the area and make it have a common theme. The area will be themed after the Old Floridian towns that popped up around the early springs of water. It will double the side of the current Downtown Disney and some new lands will be introduced:

1. The Marketplace
2. The Land (Pleasure Island)
3. The Town Center 
4. The West Side

     Construction started in 2014 and will be completed sometime in 2016. Along with the expansion two large parking garages will be opened as well as the expansion of Buena Vista Lane and a causeway connecting both sides of Market Place.