There’s something new at Disneyland all the time. In just the first few months of this year, we’ve already had a lot of changes with the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction, the return of the Magic Happens parade (which barely had a chance to start pre-pandemic) and the newly remodeled Mickey’s ToonTown. But fans always have an eye toward the future, and at Disneyland Resort, that doesn’t just mean new theme park rides. It also includes Downtown Disney.
Disneyland Resort’s shopping and dining district connects the resort hotels to the theme parks and offers guests even more to do in the form of delicious places to eat, as well as places to go shopping for not only Disney merch, but just about anything you might want. But just like the theme parks, Downtown Disney is in need of a refresh. A large area has been under construction for some time, and other parts are getting refreshed along with it. Here’s everything we know about the major changes and updates coming to Downtown Disney.
Catal And Uva Bar are Being Replaced By Paseo And Centrico
If you’ve spent any time at all in Downtown Disney, then you’re certainly familiar with Catal. The restaurant and its outdoor bar area, Uva Bar, have been at Downtown Disney for as long as Downtown Disney has existed. However, both locations are set to be replaced, and it’s been announced that they will be closing on April 14.
In their place will come a pair of Mexican eateries. Paseo will be a more upscale location taking over Catal, while the Uva Bar outdoor space will become home to Centrico, a more casual option for vacationers not looking to go all out. As with Catal and Uva, the two spots will be connected, as they will be run by Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytán, indicating that even the more casual option will still have high-quality food and drinks.
Porto's Bakery
Whether you’re up early at Downtown Disney looking for a breakfast pastry or up late looking for something sweet, Porto's, one of Southern California’s most popular bakeries, is going to be opening a brand new location at Downtown Disney. It will be a welcome new addition because Downtown Disney just lost its other bakery.
La Brea Bakery had been a longstanding Downtown Disney location located right where the district hits the theme park esplanade. La Brea closed at the beginning of the year and the building is currently housing the Earl of Sandwich, a Disneyland favorite that has now opened three separate times. This one is only meant to be temporary, however, as Porto's Bakery is set to take over the space eventually, though an exact date is unknown.
Lawn Pavilion
Back in 2018, there was going to be a fourth Disneyland Hotel built in part of the existing district, which resulted in a lot of Downtown Disney locations being shut down. While the hotel ended up not happening, much of the cleared-out area was never repopulated, leaving an empty AMC movie theater taking up space. Disneyland ended up taking over the Rainforest Cafe space itself for a Star Wars gift shop.
Now that area is under construction and while we’re expecting a lot of new restaurants and shops once it is completed, we know that one thing we’re getting is something Downtown Disney, and really all of Disneyland Resort, desperately needs open space. A stage area where bands can perform is going to be built (a permanent one as opposed to the temporary structure that exists now), and around it will be a grassy area where people can hang out, have a drink, enjoy music or just be together. It sounds like a lot of fun.
Din Tai Fung
Most of the new locations going in as part of the pavilion construction are still a mystery, but one location that is known will be Din Tai Fung. The popular family-style Chinese restaurant is best known for what are apparently quite exquisite dumplings. I'm looking forward to finding out.
It should be an excellent addition to Downtown Disney. There is no other Chinese restaurant in the district, and a family-style restaurant should be popular considering how many large families are visiting Disneyland Resort on any given day. It can be difficult to find an easy place for a big group to eat together.
Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio
Not everything that will be new at Downtown Disney will be things guests haven’t seen before. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen has been a popular spot at Downtown Disney for years and will continue to be so, but it’s also in the middle of a significant renovation that will update the facade of the restaurant to better match the new additions going in around it.
When completed, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen will become the Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio. The new restaurant will see a significant update to the menu to go along with a new look, but for fans of the famous beignets, Beignets Expressed will offer an expanded menu with the same fast service.
More To Come
We know that there’s a lot more going on behind the construction walls at Downtown Disney. Permits have been filed for a new commercial building that will have space for at least five shops, but we can only guess what those might be. We wouldn’t expect tenants will be committing to becoming part of Downtown Disney until construction is a bit further along, but one has to assume there will be a lot of interest in the new space.
And even once this new construction is done, it won’t be the end for Downtown Disney. Disneyland Resort has previously revealed plans for a project called DIsneylandForward, which would include a massive expansion of both theme parks and unite them with the hotels as well as Downtown Disney in a massive resort complex. Plans have not been submitted yet, but if they are improved, we can expect we’ll see even more coming to Downtown Disney in the future.
