Exploring West Side, Downtown Disney
Each store, restaurant, or business on Downtown Disney’s West Side has a unique feel to it, making for a splendid evening’s exploring. Among the do not miss shops are the gigantic Virgin Megastore, selling music, books, and paraphernalia; the Magnetron shop, with magnets and similar kitschy items; the Magic Masters trick shop, which features continuous live magic demonstrations; and the Candy Cauldron where sweets are made on the spot. There’s also the state-of-the-art stadium seating AMC 24 Theatres.
Full-service restaurants here include the popular Cuban and Latin fare of Bongos Cuban Café, the gourmet entrées of the upstairs Wolfgang Puck’s Café, the Southern US cuisine of the House of Blues restaurant, and the American food of movie-memorabilia studded Planet Hollywood.
Quick bites can be obtained from Wetzel’s Pretzels, featuring hot pretzels and cold Häagen-Dazs ice cream, and the lower level of Wolfgang Puck’s Café, which serves brick-oven pizzas and salads.
The West Side has three special attractions that require separate admissions: the
House of Blues concert hall – part of the national chain, which attracts major music acts – the Cirque du Soleil® show La NoubaTM, and the electronic funhouse called DisneyQuest.
In addition to regular shows by national artists – with a side stage for smaller acts – the House of Blues offers a Sunday Gospel Brunch that features live gospel performers showing off their uniquely American religious singing. The Cirque du Soleil show, which is a theatrical production based on a circus, is so popular that it is always sold out.
This fabulous show has 64 performers on stage at the same time, performing a variety of gymnastic feats. Reservations are a must.
DisneyQuest is extremely popular with teens and younger kids and features state-of- the-art video arcades, virtual reality experiences, and other computer-driven and 3-D “interactivities” along with an assortment of traditional arcade games such as Skee-ball. Among the best of the various “zone” offerings are the virtual reality “rides” – you wear a special helmet with glasses – such as Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride, Ride the Comix, and Invasion!, along with the two-man shooter rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold.
MARKETPLACE
An open-air mall with some excellent shops and a good variety of restaurants, the Marketplace makes for a relaxing walk when you’re not pressed for time. Among the highlights, especially for children, is the LEGO Imagination Center, which features photo-op displays of wonderful LEGO constructions, from a spaceship to a dragon in the pond next to the store. Also of interest to kids will be the Once Upon a Toy and Disney’s Days of Christmas stores. Kids and adults alike will be awed by the sheer size of the World of Disney emporium, the largest Disney memorabilia store in the world and the “mother lode” for all Disney souvenirs. Restaurants include the colorful Rainforest Café, Fulton’s Crab House with its superb seafood and riverboat ambience, and Ghirardelli’s Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop with its malt-shop atmosphere.
Quick bites can be found at Cap’n Jack’s floating restaurant and the McDonald’s, Wolfgang Puck Express, and Earl of Sandwich chain eateries.
