Downtown Disney opened in 1975 and has expanded and renamed the complex many times to become the thriving outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex that it is today, consisting of three areas, the Marketplace, Pleasure Island, and the West Side.  Higlights include Rainforest Cafe (another on-site location at Disney’s Animal Kingdom), AMC Pleasure Island 24, T-Rex Cafe opened in 2008 to offer another themed restaurant to the mix (operated by Landry’s who also owns the similiar in concept Rainforest Cafe) , World of Disney, Planet Hollywood, the House of Blues, Disney Quest, Cirque De Soleil’s  La Nouba, Fulton’s Crab House and the new Characters in Flight observation ballon ride.  All of the Pleasure Island night clubs closed in 2008 as part of a major ongoing refurbishment.  Admission is free and even parking is free, unlike Universal City Walk!

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