Disney's California Adventure
Downtown Disney

Where Paradise Pier was a blatant grab for the attention of teens, Downtown Disney is aimed squarely at adults - well, near-adults, anyway. Its a complex of 18 restaurants, night clubs, and upscale shops designed to round out the offerings of the newly named "Disneyland Resort." And whatever your feelings are toward what the Eisner years have done to our beloved Disneyland, you cannot help but admire the results of the efforts the Company has put into expanding the Disneyland experience from what is usually a day trip for families with children into (forgive the cliche') a vacation destination. Die-hard Disneyland fanatics will cluck over the further commercialization of Walt's playland for kids, but there's no denying the simple fact that Downtown Disney has a lot to offer grown-ups who enjoy Disneyland but have found it has limited appeal. No rides here - its all about shopping, dining, and drinking. Let's start with the clubs and restaurants...

Sports bar lovers will think they'd died and gone to Heaven here. Every seat at the bar and every table has an excellent view of at least one television - all of which are tuned, as you'd expect, to a sporting event or one of the Disney-owned ESPN cable channels with a couple of shows broadcast live from inside the complex. Although it was too chilly when we were there, the outdoor tables looked like a great place to kick back and savor a cold beer on a balmy southern California evening after a rough day in the parks. Inside you'll find the Studio Grill featuring American cuisine and where the program "Up Close" is broadcast, the Screening Room - featuring a 16-foot screen and a dozen 36-inch monitors with tiered seating, and the Sports Arena arcade and entertainment center.

The Rainforest Cafe is perfect for families with kids. It combines the audio animatronics of Disneyland with an approachable menu. Every 20-30 minutes, a thunderstorm wakes the slumbering beasts nestled amid the lush vegetation and Banyan trees surrounding you. Don't expect the same level of sophistication in these figures as you would in the newest Disney attractions because you won't see it. Private rooms upstairs and the bar downstairs are available for meetings, and there's a souvenir shop for the trinket lovers. Menu selections include themed seafood, traditional American and California cuisine selections. The food generally receives high praise from those we've spoken to, but our sole experience with the one in Walt Disney World was memorable only for its disappointment.

Here you have a tribute to California's Latino community in an excellent nightclub featuring live entertainment and a cuisine that's definitely as spicy as the dancers.

This was our favorite place to eat in all of Downtown Disney for two reasons. First, of course, was the food. We sampled pizzas and hors d'ourves and were simply overcome with joy. Pizza is a passion with us and this was the best pizza we've had in over 10 years. The second reason we enjoyed ourselves so much here was that the staff was simply charming. As the song says, no request was too extreme. You can bet that we will visit here every time we visit Disneyland.

Ralph Brennan's is a bit of New Orleans in the middle of Disneyland. You'll find three separate venues here - New Orleans favorites to go in the Creole Cafe, casual dining with live jazz in Flambeaux's, and casual-fine dining in The Carnival Club. We didn't get a chance to try this, but the music coming out the front door as we passed by made us sorry we couldn't go inside. We're both Dixieland fans (ever hear of the Firehouse Five Dixieland jazz band whose members were all Disney animators?) and can't wait to try this place. Next visit for sure!