Opening in Disneyland Resort’s Downtown Disney District is a Southern Californian favorite, Porto’s Bakery & Café! The bakery is known for its sweet pastries and treats, savory Cuban food, and incredible desserts.

D23 also offered a first look at what Din Tai Fung will look like at the Downtown Disney District. This family-run restaurant will bring flavorful Chinese cuisine to the area where guests can enjoy dishes served family style in a creative space.

At the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort, more than a dozen shopping and dining locations will be opening in the future. 

Progress is continuing on the reimagining of the Paradise Pier Hotel to Pixar Place Hotel. Pixar Place Hotel will be a place where you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped into a Pixar art gallery featuring new interpretations of favorite Pixar pals.

Commentary

There’s not a ton to comment on here but it’s all good news, unless you want to pick a fight with how Disney is naming things. Naturally, I will do that but concede that it doesn’t really matter in this case so I’ll relegate that annoyance to the final paragraph. Before that we’ll talk about pastries!

During the presentation, Josh D’Amaro said a southern California favorite was coming to Downtown Disney. A hush fell over the crowd as I assume everyone’s thoughts turned to a juicy Double-Double and a shake from In-n-Out. It wasn’t that, unfortunately, but Porto’s is an excellent addition to the area. Going by current offerings and not future, Porto’s is easily better than any other food in Downtown Disney. There are several locations throughout southern California (including one close to Knott’s) and we stock up on pastries often!

The same sentiment could go to the previously announced Din Tai Fung, which we saw some new concept art for. The restaurant has a completely different aesthetic than the current Downtown Disney and I am here for it! I really enjoy the nods to an Asian yet modern architecture and am looking forward to it coming to life.

As for the hotel, the splash pad is a welcome addition. It will give that pool area some character and set it apart from a run-of-the-mill hotel, which desperately needs to happen. What was talked about during the presentation gave me Art of Animation vibes and I wouldn’t be surprised if the lobbies and common areas shared some similarities in the long run.

Okay, you made it this far. Pixar Place Hotel is not the best name. I mean, on the plus side there’s no weird punctuation or capitalization in the title and that’s great news. But why is the word ‘place’ in there? Why not Pixar Pier to match the theme park? I love an alliteration so maybe this will grow on me!

Are you excited for the reimagining of Downtown Disney and Pixar Place Hotel? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a trip to Disneyland ? Check out our planning guide to get you started! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!