Located between the original Disneyland Park and the new California Adventure, Downtown Disney is a 300,000-sf retail, dining and entertainment center set in a garden paradise theme, with a mix of some well-known and some less-known tenants.

"We are very pleased with the quality, diversity and reputation of the operating participants at Downtown Disney," says Cynthia Harriss, president of the Disneyland Resort.

Two tenants, World of Disney and ESPN Zone, are owned by Disney. World of Disney will have a 40,000 sf storefront in the project, while ESPN Zone will have 36,000 sf of space. One major tenant has a developed a long-term relationship with Disney through its facility at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. That tenant, AMC, will operate a 12-screen megaplex in 60,000 sf of space. In addition to its 24-screen megaplex in Orlando, AMC has been selected by Disney to operate a theatre at the Tokyo Disney Resort.

Other tenants include an 18,000-sf House of Blues and a Latin eatery called Y Arriba Y Arriba also in an 18,000 sf space. Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen, a New Orleans-theme restaurant occupies 15,000 sf, and a two-story, Mediterranean-theme restaurant is in an 11,000 sf space. The Rainforest Café, La Brea Bakery, other shops, boutiques and snack locations round out the project.

With the opening of this project, Disney gets a head start on other retail/entertainment projects planned to open within the next few years in nearby locations. Pointe Anaheim, for example, a 650,000-sf center featuring live concert venues, as well as three hotels totaling 1,050 rooms, restaurants and specialty retail establishments is scheduled to open across the street by 2004, according to published reports.

However, that project has been fraught with problems ranging from assembling the land necessary to build to getting the needed financing. As of late last year, GlobeSt reported that the developers of Pointe Anaheim were requesting that the City of Anaheim allow them to proceed with the project in phases instead of building the entire complex at one time.

Another project that has yet to begin construction is the 600,000-sf extreme sports venue known as Gotcha Glacier, which will be built in the parking lot adjacent to Edison International Field of Anaheim. Both Pointe Anaheim and Gotcha Glacier are considered part of a $4.4-billion revitalization effort that includes the $1.4-million Disney expansion project, as well as Arrowhead Pond.

Instant Insights /

Disney Opens New Retail, Entertainment Center Offering Major Tenants a Lot of Space

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