The years long process of revitalizing Downtown Disney and Disneyland Resort is well into effect. A number of restaurants have already moved in as well as several shops changing spots. Today we were met with even more news about what’s coming to the entertainment and dining district. In this post, we’ll cover the news of new restaurants and shops coming to Disneyland’s Downtown Disney. To the news!

Several new shopping and dining experiences are being added to the evolving district, let’s break them down one at a time!

Avengers Reserve, an All-New Shop, Landing in Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort

Coming this winter, an all-new shopping destination will open in the district, celebrating the unique fandom and stories of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and all their amazing friends! Avengers Reserve will feature favorite characters and stories through collectibles, apparel, accessories, toys and comics. Curated assortments will make this a must-visit for fans of all ages.

D-Lander Shop to Feature Stylish New Collections

Also coming this winter, the D-Lander Shop will be a fresh, quintessentially Southern California boutique celebrating trend-forward fashions for Disneyland fans, offering a stylish collection of apparel, accessories and jewelry. 

Marceline’s Confectionery to Transform into Disney Wonderful World of Sweets

Marceline’s Confectionery is being reimagined and expanded into the Disney Wonderful World of Sweets, a whimsical candy, sweets and treats shop featuring tasty favorites such as churro toffee, caramel apples, sour balls, lollipops, packaged confections and freshly made Werther’s Original Caramel popcorn! You’ll be able to watch these delectable delights being handmade from an exhibition kitchen viewable from the promenade. This shop will also open this winter, and in the meantime, you may visit the Marceline’s Confectionery cart to pick up yummy goodies!

Super Cute Kawaii Slime Cart Coming This Fall 

Stretch it, fold it, squeeze it, twist it! The cutest slime ever — Kawaii Slime — is coming to a cart this fall in Downtown Disney District. “Kawaii” means cute in Japanese, and this company puts cute in everything they do! 

This mom-owned business brings an imaginative array of slime concoctions and toys in a multitude of different textures, colors, scents and glittery mix-ins for kids and kids at heart to play with over and over again! 

Steakhouse and BBQ Restaurants from Michelin-Starred Chef Joe Isidori

We have more juicy details on two new restaurant concepts – a steakhouse and a barbecue eatery – that are in the works for Downtown Disney District from Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori. 

The full-service steakhouse will have a warm and sophisticated ambiance with a menu highlighting prime cuts of beef, chops, fresh seafood, sandwiches and chopped salads. Bourbon connoisseurs and mixology enthusiasts may enjoy an inventive selection of expertly crafted cocktails. 

The adjacent barbecue spot will take a culinary approach to quick-service, offering traditional BBQ dishes such as pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked wings that incorporate unique spices and house-made sauces. A prominent outdoor bar will feature a wide selection of craft beers and a medley of moonshine cocktails.  

Chef Isidori’s most recent culinary successes include Arthur & Sons, with locations in New York and the Hamptons, and JOTORO Kitchen & Tequila Bar in Tampa, Fla.

As previously mentioned, these two eateries will be located on the footprint of the former Tortilla Jo’s. Stay tuned for more mouthwatering details!

Earl of Sandwich Announces New Restaurant Concept – The Carnaby Tavern

Earl of Sandwich fans, we have news for you! As we previously shared, an all-new Earl of Sandwich is being developed in Downtown Disney District. In addition to a light and airy Earl of Sandwich planned for the ground level, the second floor will be home to an all-new table service concept, The Carnaby Tavern. 

The Carnaby Tavern is being designed as an homage to the swinging ‘60s “British Invasion” pop and rock bands from the U.K. The restaurant will feature a patio with an indoor/outdoor full-service bar. We look forward to sharing more details in the future!

As we look forward to this all-new Earl of Sandwich offering, the Earl’s location on the east side of the district will close in 2025, so construction may begin on Porto’s Bakery.

For now, you can satisfy your cravings at the Earl of Sandwich and Earl of Sandwich Tavern at the east side location or at the new pop-up pod near Star Wars Trading Post on the west end of the district. Both serve all of your favorites including hot sandwiches, wraps, salads and sweets.

Commentary

There’s not much to add here in terms of commentary. More additions are good! An actual time frame for the soon-to-be Porto’s is encouraging, after waiting over 2 years since it was announced. Changing the name of a candy shop seems a little much but we’ll just roll with whatever creative vision they have at this point.

The concept art seems to point at a continuation of the very uniform construction design that’s happening at Downtown Disney. That’s not my favorite style but the improvement of adding shops and dining outweighs the somewhat plain design. It’s not that the new builds are ugly, they are just bland to my eye.

Overall though, Downtown Disney is improving by leaps and bounds. Honestly, this has already been done on the dining side of things and looks to continue to get better. I’m hopeful that these new shops will provide some unique and interesting options, as well. That’s where the district needs to improve the most at this point in time. Hopefully we’re headed in that direction with this latest round of announcements.

Are you excited for the changes to Downtown Disney? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! 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!