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Disney's West Side in Downtown Disney
West Side restaurants and shops at Downtown Disney in Orlando, FL.

About West Side

Disney's West Side opened in 1997 and is the home to Cirque du Soleil, DisneyQuest and House of Blues. The the largest of the three Downtown Disney areas, West Side has 344,000 square feet of buildings and a 9,500 square foot area for events and entertainment.

West Side Admission: Free
Hours: Depending on the time of year, West Side hours can range between 9:30am and 11:30pm.
Size: 66 acres
Parking: Parking is free. There is a parking lot adjacent to West Side.
Address:
1780 East Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 . The phone number is (407) 828-3800. You can also call 407-WDW-2NITE for Downtown Disney information.

West Side Restaurants in Downtown Disney

Bongos Cuban Cafe - Created by Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio, Bongos serves Cuban cuisine for lunch and dinner. Phone (407) 828-0999.

House of Blues -The 1,500 person House of Blues venue is modeled after the venue on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. The restaurant offers southern cooking, live music, special folk art displays and a lively Sunday Gospel Brunch! Phone (407) 934-2222.

Planet Hollywood - This three-story restaurant with famous movie memorabilia is open for lunch and dinner. Phone (407) 827-7827.

Wetzel's Pretzels - This eatery serves gourmet pretzels, Häagen-Dazs ice cream and more. Phone (407) 828-0256.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe - A high energy, full-service restaurant featuring wood-fired pizzas and an array of classic entrees. The restaurant serves food in an outdoor seating area and the Bar. There is a more upscale dining area upstairs. Reservations are suggested. Phone (407) 938-9653.

West Side Entertainment in Downtown Disney

AMC 24 Theatres - With 24 movie theaters and comfortable stadium seating, this is the largest movie theatre complex in the Southeast. For show times call (407) 298-4488.

Cirque du Soleil - La Nouba is performed Tuesday through Saturday at 6pm and 9pm. For tickets call (407) 939-7600 or visit their website.

DisneyQuest - Call it the video arcade/virtual theme park/entertainment center of the future, this is an indoor interactive theme park combines Disney's magic with cutting-edge new technologies. Climb aboard a river raft and shoot the rapids in a virtual prehistoric world. Buckle into a motion simulator and ride a roller coaster that you design. Fly a magic carpet through an ancient city. Phone (407) 828-4600.

House of Blues - Live music and a Sunday Gospel Brunch! For concert information call (407) 934-2222 or visit their website.

West Side Shops in Downtown Disney

Candy Cauldron - It looks like a fairy tale dungeon, but it is really a candy shop full of sweets. Phone (407) 828 1470.

Celebrity Eyeworks Studio - This is a full-service eyewear boutique that sells designer sunglasses -- some that are exact replicas of glasses worn by celebrities in popular movies. Phone (407) 827 0110.

DisneyQuest Emporium - This store sells hard-to-find DisneyQuest merchandise. Phone (407) 828-4600.

Guitar Gallery - More than 150 custom, collector and rare guitars from all over the world are here. You can also find an assortment of thousands of guitar accessories, including educational materials and guitar-theme clothing. Phone (407) 827-0118.

Hoypoloi - Created by Ron Hoy, This store offers up a gallery of art, glass, ceramics, sculpture and other decorative items. Phone (407) 827-0112.

Magic Masters - Inspired by the library of Harry Houdini, this magic shop has a fireplace, a Victorian chandelier, cherry bookcases stocked with old magic books and lots of memorabilia They offer live magic demonstrations. There is a Teaching Room where you can learn how to use the items you purchased and an Illusion Room where Pepper's Ghost will be demonstrated. Phone (407) 827-5900.

Magnetron - This store has specialty refrigerator magnets. Not sure why, but the shop place sells no Disney magnets in this store. You can find a lot of Warner Brother items, however. Phone (407) 827-0108

Mickey's Groove - lots of Mickey items.

Sosa Family Cigars - Premium cigar store features the art of hand-rolling cigars. An authentic, solid cedar humidor room keeps the cigars fresh for a primo smoking experience. Phone (407) 827-0114.

Starabilias - Restored jukeboxes, vintage Coca-Cola machines, theme key chains, posters, autographed celebrity photos and clothing can be found here. Phone (407) 827-0104.

Virgin Megastore - A huge, state-of-the-art music, video and book store with more than 300 audio and video preview stations. Phone (407) 828-0222.

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Transportation to Downtown Disney

Resort Guests can get to Downtown Disney by taking Disney Transportation:

Disney World Bus: From any of the Disney hotels, take the bus marked Downtown Disney. Check with your resort to see what time the bus to Downtown Disney operates. From Fort Wilderness, the Downtown Disney bus operates from the Outpost Depot. There is no direct bus transportation from any of the theme parks or from the Transportation and Ticket Center.

There are 2 bus stops once you arrive at Downtown Disney; one in Pleasure Island, and the West Side. During the afternoon, do not be surprised if your bus stops at other locations, such as Typhoon Lagoon.

There is no bus Stop for the West Side so be sure to use the Pleasure Island bus stop.

By Boat: If you are staying at Old Key West or Port Orleans you have the option of taking the boat to the Pleasure Island/West Side area. Make sure to check the departure times of the last boat back.

On Foot: The only resort close enough to walk is Saratoga Springs.

By Cab: Valet or Bell Services at any Disney hotel will be glad to call a cab for you. At the Swan and Dolphin, Valet Services has a car that will take you to Downtown Disney for $14+ gratuity.

By Car: Pleasure Island is located on Buena Vista Drive, not far from I-4. From the Magic Kingdom Resorts: Follow World Drive south to Epcot Center Dr. Heading east on Epcot Center drive, follow it to Buena Vista Drive and head east. You'll pass Typhoon Lagoon and the Pleasure Island will be on the left. From the Boardwalk Inn: Exit your resort onto Buena Vista Drive and head east.

Disney Resort driving directions

To reach the Walt Disney World Main Gate:

From Orlando International Airport: take OIA South. Exit (FL 417S - Toll) to Osceola Parkway West (Exit 3) to Walt Disney World Exits.

From Miami/Ft. Lauderdale: take the Florida Turnpike North to Osceola Parkway West (Exit 249) to Walt Disney World Exits.

From the Daytona: take I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits.

From the Tampa: take I-4 East to Walt Disney World Exits.

From Interstate 95, U.S. Highway 1 or southbound on the Florida Turnpike: take I-4 West to Walt Disney World Exits.

From northbound on the Florida Turnpike: take Osceola Parkway which connects with U.S. Highway 192 and Walt Disney World Resort.

From southbound Interstate 75: take the Florida Turnpike South to Interstate 4 West to Walt Disney World Resort Exits.

Disney World Resort is just southwest of Orlando, off Interstate 4, west of the Florida Turnpike. Use our Disney World Google Map to find the exact location.

West Side is located at Downtown Disney, 1780 East Buena Vista Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 . The main phone number is (407) 828-3800. You can also call 407-WDW-2NITE for West Side information.

Disney vacations


The least crowded time to visit is from Labor Day to Thanksgiving and from the week after President's Day (mid-February) to the start of Spring Break (mid-March).

You can definitely make the most of your vacation by staying at one of the Disney World hotels. If you do, you will enjoy special benefits such as Magic Hours, discounts at six Disney World golf courses, and Walt Disney World quality and service.

But if you choose to stay at one of the many hotels near Disney World, you can still visit all of the Disney properties to enjoy the atmosphere, have a meal, or shop. You may be charged for parking, but you can get validated for up to one hour of parking for each $10 you spend while you're there.

Some of the lesser known deluxe priced resorts include Walt Disney's Beach Club, BoardWalk Inn , Contemporary and the Yacht Club hotels.


Disney sells theme park tickets on their website, but you can not print the tickets, meaning you must order early and have the tickets mailed to you.
You can also buy tickets through your local auto club, Disney Store or through a school or work activities office. Many offsite hotels also sell Disney passports at the front desk.

I suggest researching Disney ticket prices in advance, and buy your pass before you get to the park. No sense wasting the first hour waiting in line at the ticket booth.


Points of interest

Magic Kingdom: 6.65 miles / 10.70 km
Epcot: 5.75 miles / 9.25 km
Disney-MGM Studios: 3.60 miles / 5.80 km
Animal Kingdom: 6.55 miles / 10.55 km
Blizzard Beach: 4.70 miles / 7.55 km
Typhoon Lagoon: 2.10 miles / 3.80 km
Universal Studios: 11.80 miles / 19.00 km
Orlando International Airport:
17.10 miles / 27.50 km


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