What Downtown Disney Is Like Around the World

Think you know Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney? Think again. It’s now known as Disney Springs, a stunning waterfront district with new dining, shopping, and entertainment that can’t be missed.

This area, formerly known as Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island, is separate from the majority of Disney resort hotels except for one: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

With culinary greats helming restaurants like Morimoto Asia and Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin', you could eat dinner at this “downtown" Disney district for a week and never taste the same thing twice.

Though the former Downtown Disney had plenty of stores, shopping at Disney Springs now rivals most Florida malls. Be sure to load up on unique (and inexpensive!) Disney t-shirts at Uniqlo.

And, if you don’t want to return to your Disney resort just yet, take in a show at La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil.

With its location and offerings, Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort truly ties everything together at the California parks.

Downtown Disney offers a breadth of food options, like oversized pizzas at Naples Ristorante and fine dining at Catal, just steps from the theme parks.

Disney resort regulars often take advantage of beautiful California weather to enjoy drinks al fresco at Uva Bar and Tortilla Jo’s.

Sport your love for Disney on the daily? Hit Downtown Disney’s themed boutiques, like D-Street, Wonderground Gallery and Disney Vault 28 to show your love throughout your closet and your home.

Two Downtown Disney hotels even offer direct access to all the shopping and dining: Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and the Disneyland Hotel.

Disneyland Paris’ downtown district is called Disney Village, which is quite fitting. Here, guests can take in a meal with Mickey, a movie, and plenty of music, with festivals and celebrations year-round.

It’s no "Ratatouille"—guests can find that inside the park—but they can enjoy German delicacies at King Ludwig’s Castle and American fare at Annette’s Diner, and share meals with their favorite characters at Café Mickey.

Hungry for more? "Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show with Mickey and Friends" is a rousing dinner theater spectacle that can only be seen at Disneyland Paris.

Shop ‘til you drop at this downtown Disney-themed district, which offers the latest contemporary looks in Disney Fashion, must-have artwork at the Disney Gallery and classic Mickey Mouse souvenirs at World of Toys.

At Shanghai Disney Resort, guests can find one of the largest and most diverse downtown Disney districts: Disneytown.

Taste a world of flavors at the restaurants outside Shanghai Disneyland, which serve Japanese ramen noodles, Shanghainese dim sum and Singaporean chili crab as well as Thai, Korean, and Malaysian fare.

There are plenty of Western brands at Shanghai Disney Resort’s Disneytown, but local boutiques like SHEL’TTER and i.t. simply can’t be missed.

You’ll easily find edible souvenirs at Spoonful of Sugar—if you don’t eat them first.

This Disney resort is also home to the first-ever Mandarin language performance of "The Lion King," a spectacular mash-up of Broadway’s best designs and Chinese culture.

Everything about Tokyo Disneyland Resort’s Downtown Disney is different. Here, it’s called Ikspiari and is a full-on Japanese mall with dining, shops, salons, and more.

Merchants at this downtown Disney locale offer all kinds of must-have Japanese food, including soba noodles, tonkatsu pork cutlet, and fresh sushi, so come hungry.

There’s plenty of shopping, but this Disney downtown area boasts a pharmacy and grocery store as well as salons and shops offering eyelash extensions, massages, and hair styling services.