Downtown Disney is the lone source for magic at the Disneyland Resort in early 2021. Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, and the Disneyland Resort hotel properties have all been shuttered since March 2020 due to the pandemic. Hearing the Disney music in the esplanade, shopping at your favorite downtown shops, grabbing a bite to eat at your favorite downtown eateries, and seeing the sites in the Buena Vista Street extension of Downtown Disney will help tide you over until the parks reopen. In this article we will provide you with all the important details for planning a successful trip to Downtown Disney.

Important Information

• Disneyland Resort parking is currently only available at the Simba Lot near the Paradise Pier hotel on Disneyland Drive. Ever since the Buena Vista Street extension of Downtown Disney opened in November parking has cost $10. Legacy Annual Passholders are still required to pay the fee – in the words of Geenie “no more freebies!” You can also park off property at the Anaheim Garden Walk (first hour is free; $3 per hour after the first hour) or the Anaheim Hotel (Click here for a special $10 offer from MiceChat). Typically, the lines to enter Downtown Disney are shorter on the Harbor Boulevard side than on the Simba parking lot side of entry.
• Guests age 2 and up are required to comply with the health screenings and face covering requirements. Upon entering Downtown Disney you will be required to have a temperature check (Your temperature must be below 100.4, and they also make sure your face covering is appropriate – if it isn’t appropriate you won’t be allowed to enter).
• Current hours are 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily (subject to change – often Friday through Sunday will stay open until 9 p.m.)
• The Disneyland App is essential for having the best, up to date information
• If you have a dining reservation show a cast member on duty your dining reservation confirmation. They will then allow you to *skip* the line to enter Downtown Disney if there is a queue to enter. You can also show a Cast Member at Simba lot if parking is paused, and they’ll allow you to enter.

Dining

Buena Vista Street Dining

There are multiple places to grab a bite to eat as part of the Buena Vista Street extension of Downtown Disney:

• Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining
• Award Wieners
• Smokejumpers Grill
• Trolley Treats
• Food Carts

Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining

Click here to access the current menu for Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining. This will be the most difficult experience to have if you visit Buena Vista Street. Reservations are highly recommended if you want to eat here! Unable to secure a reservation for your preferred date? We recommend coming here first when you enter Buena Vista Street to see if they are taking walk-ups.

When a virtual queue is used guests give their phone number to a Cast Member in front of the restaurant. You will receive a confirmation text message verifying you are in the queue. They will then send a follow-up text message when you can return to the restaurant. The restaurant opens at 11:30 a.m. daily. If you have a dining reservation you can skip the line for entrance into the Buena Vista Street extension. This applies when they have implemented a virtual queue for entrance into Buena Vista Street.

Award Wieners

Click here to access the menu for the updated menu at Award Wieners. This experience is completely free of a time crunch! Guests can wait in a queue to the left of the Award Wieners restaurant front (when facing it like in this picture), or they can place a mobile order and skip the line. If you know what you want to order, we highly recommend utilizing the mobile ordering feature in the Disneyland App. If you are outside of Buena Vista Street DO NOT place a mobile order expecting a quicker entrance into Buena Vista Street. What will happen is that your food will come out and sit there (and presumably be discarded). Only place a mobile order once you are inside Buena Vista Street and are ready to get the order.

Smokejumpers Grill

Click here to access the current menu for Smokejumpers Grill. Similar to Award Wieners this is a stress free dining experience. Guests can wait in a queue to the left and then inside the restaurant to order in person, or they can place a mobile order and skip the line. If you know what you want to order, we highly recommend utilizing the mobile ordering feature in the Disneyland App.

Food Cart Options

There are various carts sprinkled throughout the Buena Vista Street experience. You can get a churro from Willie’s Churros, freshly popped popcorn from the Popcorn near Carthay Circle cart, and other miscellaneous food items (turkey legs, hot dogs, Mickey ice cream bars, licorice, pre-packaged popcorn, cold drinks, and more).

Important Reminders, Facts, and Details

• Entrance to Buena Vista Street is free (no park ticket or annual pass needed for entry)
• You can stay in Buena Vista Street as long as you want (up and until closing time for that day)
• There is a virtual queue that is put in place once capacity has been reached in Buena Vista Street for those who wish to enter. They haven’t had to use the virtual queue to enter for a while, but that will most likely change with the stay-at-home restrictions lifted.
• Orange County is currently in the Purple Tier, so capacity is limited to 25% and there is no indoor dining (as of 2/5/2021). Outdoor dining is allowed, however. Guests must be stationary and properly physically distanced in order to remove their mask to consume their foods and drinks.

Downtown Disney District Dining

Dining locations at the Downtown Disney District are operating in a way that incorporates enhanced health and safety measures. This includes physical distancing, the use of appropriate face coverings by employees, guests, increased cleaning procedures and limited-contact guest services. Additionally, at this time, following state and county guidelines, no indoor seating will be permitted; all seating is outdoor patio only.

• To promote physical distancing and touchless transactions, a number of changes have been made to dining locations, including:
  • Increased outdoor patio-style seating
  • Parties seated at tables 6 feet apart
  • Digital or single-use menus available at many locations

Current Open Locations (As of 2/5/2021)

1. Ballast Point Brewing Company
2. Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes
3. California Churro
4. Earl of Sandwich
5. Jamba
6. Kayla’s Cakes
7. Marceline’s Confectionery
8. Naples Ristorante e Bar
9. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen (Express Also Open)
10. Salt & Straw
11. Tortilla Jo’s
12. Uva Bar & Cafe
13. Wetzel’s Pretzels
14. Starbucks

Shopping

Buena Vista Street (DCA)

There are multiple places to shop as part of the Buena Vista Street extension of Downtown Disney:

• Elias & Co. – Clothing and accessories (typically higher end items)
• Los Feliz Five & Dime – Basic gifts and souvenirs that you can also typically find at World of Disney
• Julius Katz & Sons – Gifts, photo frames, and other collectibles (mugs, tumblers, ornaments, etc…)
• Kingswell Camera Shop – Typically selling Legacy Annual Passholder items (pins, shirts, tumblers, etc…)
• Off the Page – Step inside this gallery to see some of your favorite animated scenes leap off the animator’s desk and into your home.
• Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop – Find sought-after collections at Stage 17 and the Hollywood Backlot.

Downtown Disney District

The traditional Downtown Disney District has over a dozen shops for you to peruse. All stores below are linked to their websites (click for more info).

• California Sole
• Curl Surf
• Disney Home
• Disney’s Pin Traders
• Disneyland Resort Shopping Reservation
• The LEGO Store
• Pandora Jewelry
• Sephora
• Sugarboo & Co.
• Sunglass Icon
• Star Wars Trading Post
• The Disney Dress Shop
• The WonderGround Gallery
• World of Disney – The premiere shopping location in Downtown Disney

In Conclusion

The Downtown Disney District is constantly changing due to the current health circumstances. To have the best up to date information follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and here on this website. We also recommend following the official Disneyland account, the Disney Parks News account, and the Disneyland Legacy Annual Passholders account on Twitter. Downloading the official Disneyland App will help your day go more smoothly. We recommend creating an account and linking a payment form with your account before your visit. This will allow you to enjoy the benefits of mobile ordering your food. Thank you for reading.