Photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort

*Update:  The hotel project has since been canceled.  While many of the businesses have remained shuttered, two business returned:  Earl of Sandwich and Starbucks West.  The information in this blog post does not accurately reflect what is now happening at the Downtown Disney District.

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As of June 30, 2018, the businesses at the west end of the Downtown Disney District (adjacent to the Disneyland Hotel) have all closed their doors as construction will soon begin on a brand new hotel slated to open in 2021. These businesses include:

• ESPN Zone
• Earl of Sandwich
• AMC Theatres
• Starbucks West
• The Rainforest Cafe

The Downtown Disney monorail stop is also slated to be incorporated into the new hotel design, but it is unclear about whether guests staying at the Disneyland Hotel will still be able to gain access to the Parks this way for a limited time or be forced to walk down to the Main Entrance.

Meanwhile, the other side of Downtown Disney is undergoing a renovation as well. Splitsville Luxury Lanes has finally opened its doors in the former location of the House of Blues.

The site of the Build-A-Bear and RideMakerz shops is now making way for the new Black Tap Craft Burgers. The area that used to house Wetzel’s Pretzels and Haagen-Diaz is also behind construction walls, and will welcome Ballast Point Brewery and Salt & Straw Ice Cream, respectively. Naples Ristorante is also under renovation, and they have opened a brand new bar to accommodate guests as their restaurant gets a redesign.

Important Parking Update

If you are planning a trip to the Disneyland Resort in the coming months, note that the parking situation for Downtown Disney will change as well.

The parking lot that was accessible via Disneyland Drive and Magic Way (across from the Mickey & Friends parking structure) will be closed as it will also be absorbed by the hotel project. Guests who want to visit Downtown Disney will be parked in the Simba parking lot instead.

The construction at the Downtown Disney parking lot will also likely affect those Guests who enjoy parking at Mickey & Friends but prefer to walk over to the Parks. In the past, the Downtown Disney self-parking lot on Magic Way served as a great alternative route to get to the Resort without needing to take the tram. If you plan on walking to the Parks, you will use the security checkpoint that separates the Disneyland Hotel from Downtown Disney.

Expect construction to begin very soon and plan your next visit with this key information!