Sell me on DTD

[iheartdisney]

I've only been a few times (the last time was about 10 years ago) but I've never found DTD a place worth spending any amount of time. But soooooo many people rave about it. I just read a post in another thread about being able to design your own light saber (my husband and sons are big Star Wars fans) and thought, ok, maybe we SHOULD schedule some time at DTD this trip.

So...convince me as to why we should visit DTD this year! Ready, set, go!

[SBETigg]

I'm with you, and therefore no help. Downtown Disney is fun if you want to shop and have the time to kill, but I would much rather spend time at the parks and going to Downtown Disney tends to pop my happy Disney bubble, takes me out of magic mood.

We'll do it only when there's plenty of time, or in the case of our next vacation, we're coming in a day early and staying at the Downtown Disney Hilton before we even have our park passes. So we're not taking time away from our planned Disney time, it's time we wouldn't be in parks anyway and before we actually check in, so it won't feel like time out. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. But we do love Raglan Road.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I'm with you too, we're not big DTD fans. We usually spend a couple of hours, do some shopping, but that is about it. We like the Christmas store, and usually get some personalized ornaments, for us and as gifts.

This year, we're heading over for dinner, to try the T-Rex restaurant, but it isn't a place we spend a lot of time.

[TheVBs]

We like going, but just for a few hours, unless we're having a meal there, then it's longer. Our big thing about going there is that the girls love to get the new Potato Head and My Little Pony accessories. Okay, it may be DH and I who like the Potato Head stuff. But, we definitely don't devote a lot of time to it.

[dtootsie42]

We go to DTD to have lunch at Fultons...we usually spend a few hours looking through the shops, especially the christmas store. We usually do this on our arrival day, once we leave we don't go back unless we know there is something we wanted to buy and could not find it at a store in the park.

[Keasmom]

DTD- Well, my first visit there was Jun 2007 when I took my daughter to WDW. We got there late in the evening and my daughter wanted to "go somewhere". She is a 8.5 year old commando when it comes to the parks. So off to DTD, it was amazing. The Lego sculptures and store, the Ghiaredelli (I spelled that wrong) shop, the amazing World of Disney store and, the environment-like a very safe downtown used to be. We ended almost everyday there and it was our last stop on the way out of the parks.

We enjoyed window shopping, we order an art piece from the Art of Disney, we had hot cocoa and hot fudge sundeas from Ghiaredelli, and we had a blast just strolling around watching people and looking at all the cool stuff. And we felt totally safe. The bus transport made it very accessible and large number of restaurants made it a great alternate dining choice.

Hope that helps.

[elmjimmlm]

We don't really have a choice because we go on our last day to go shop for toys...We hold them off until then and let them pick out their own things...That saves us from buying something every time they get off of a ride...
We also have to get something from Earl of Sandwich...

[AmandaChan]

Well, we don't LOVE LOVE LOVE DTD (and I've never really met anyone that's been obsessed with it or anything) but it IS a nice nighttime break from the parks. I really miss 8 Trax and that was probably one of our favorite parts of the area. We make it a point to go out to dinner at one of the restaurants, stop by World of Disney and maybe get some ice cream. That's about it for us. Just a fun side thing to do.

[stitchaholic]

we love it,the whole atmospere,the shops,WPE (favorite CS in all disney),it is a nice break from the parcs,and don't forget goofy's candy shop and the hand dipped goodies!

[garthbarth1]

DH and I went for the first time last year and probably will not go back this trip. We spent an hour or so there. Lego shop was cool! We are not big shoppers -I usually get a sweatshirt and maybe an ornamnent- to remember our trip and thats all. We heard all these wonderful things about Goofys Candy Company so we wanted to check it out. Well, it WOULD have been wonderful to have a hand-dipped treat of my choice, but there was a line a MILE long and ONE PERSON making the treats. Waited about 5 minutes, the line barley moved, and that was the end of that. I feel like our time was spent better at the parks. Either way, enjoy your trip!

[tjstrike]

There's a few good stores and a few good places to eat but not worth spending much time there.

[iheartdisney]

So, our feelings about DTD seem pretty common. But if we DID have time to kill where could we find the place where you can design your own light saber? (Or will there be something like that at DHS? - we'll be there during Star Wars weekends)

It sounds like the Lego store and designing light sabers are going to be the only things we'll really want to do there.

Thanks!

[MistressGracey999]

The design-your-own-lightsaber is at Once Upon A Toy in the DTD Marketplace. They actually have alot of Star Wars stuff there! WAY COOL!

We like DTD alot. We go to Virgin Megastore to look at the video game related merchandise. Lego store to make our own Lego men. Basin is so neat with it's hand cut soaps. We find it it be a nice "down day" to go strolling through DTD. I look forward to the expansion, and to trying the T-Rex restaurant!

[kathiep]

We usually go but don't spend more than a few hours. We do a little shopping and usually have something small to eat. For the last few years, we've been arriving at our resort in the afternoon and our park tickets start the next day. So we enjoy the pool and usually stroll around DTD just to get in the mood. It can also be a nice break from the hectic pace of the parks.

[tinksmom02]

We like DTD and always schedule time to visit at least once a trip. For us, Earl of Sandwich is a must. I'm a shopper by nature, so it's a wonderful place for me LOL DH swears by the at the margarita stand, and DD loves the lego store.

For our upcoming trip, I'm planning a morning/early afternoon visit to DTD on the day we're going to MNSSHP. Get our shopping done, lunch at T-Rex, dessert at Ghirardelli...plus it's usually less crowded during the daytime.

[dmosher]

To be honest now that all of the clubs are gone, aside from Lego, World of Disney Stores (and of course House of Blues) there isn't much to do or like down there. Sure there is DisneyQuest (which seems to have shrunk a bit in games over the years) and lots of shopping, but most (if not all) of these items can be found in the parks anyway, so... I am sorry to say that we may stop down there for meal or a quick shop until our flight goes out but otherwise we will probably skip most of DTD.

D

[PrettyMinnie]

DTD is great if you're in the mood to shop. Take your time and look around. There a some neat shops that are close together so you don't have to jump around from park to park to find what you are looking for. There are a few good places to eat as well. I would say DTD sn't worth giving up and entire day for, but if you have some time to kill or want to make a stop there before you head off, it's great.

[Seasonscraps]

DTD has a few good places to eat like House of Blues, Portabellos, Earl of Sandwich, Raglan Road. A couple of these places have live entertainment in the evening which is nice since that is far and few between in Disney.

Overall it's nothing to write home about but it's something not park related to do for a few hours.

[Marilyn Michetti]

I like DD, and would like it a whole lot more if we were disco type people or drank - lots of clubs. I do like to shop in some of the specialty stores at the one of a kind, autographed, music memoriabilia places, get a Gherhidelli fix, and go into World of Disney.

Truth be known, we're too (cough), old to be anywhere for long, shopping or park hopping. Our feeble bodies want to be in bed by 9:00.

[RBrooksC]

Usually on our first night to Disney we go to DTD since we never go to the parks the first day. DTD is nothing more than your typical shopping area with Disney Flair. My wife and I do enjoy going down there and looking through the stores even though we hardly ever purchase anything except a sundae from ghirardelli.

I guess for us, since it has been the thing we have done the first night we are there each time we have been to Disney, it does hold special meaning for us. We do try to find one more time to go down there depending on the length of our trip in case we want to purchase something we cannot find elsewhere.

I have a feeling the next time we go with a five year old and a 2.5 year old it will be more difficult to make DTD as enjoyable as it was without children or with a 1.5 year old.