The Downtown Disney District reimagining is still underway, and a steel structure has risen above construction walls at the site of what was previously Catal Restaurant and Uva Bar. The latter dining locations closed in April.
Paseo and Centrico
The construction walls advertise Paseo and Centrico from Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytan, which will take over this space. A quote from Chef Gayton on the walls reads:
There’s a México that very few in other parts of the world know. It is my purpose to share it with them through my food.
Signage was removed from the rounded marquee on the building.
The new structure is a large circle.
As seen in concept art, it will be an outdoor seating area.
The nearby Sprinkles bakery was also closed and gutted.
Din Tai Fung
Closer to the Disneyland Hotel, we spotted a different steel frame over the construction walls.
Next to the Monorail track is a concrete building and we know from our June construction update that some of the ground just behind the walls has been paved.
The new steel frame resembles a Chinese-style hip roof. This will likely be Chinese restaurant Din Tai Fung, which was announced last year.
A second rounded roof is nextdoor.
A closer look suggests this is one of the shady areas depicted in the Downtown Disney District reimagining concept art (below).
Downtown Disney District Reimaging
The Downtown Disney District reimagining is inspired by the mid-century space age look, which was popular in California during the 1950s and 60s, when Disneyland Resort first opened.
This project has been ongoing for the last few years; however, Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock announced this year an 18-month completion timeframe, which roughly sees the District embracing its fresh face by the end of 2024.
The Downtown Disney District Monorail station was also recently refurbished.
Other new outlets coming to Downtown Disney District include the beloved Porto’s Bakery and a new permanent home for Earl of Sandwich. Currently, the sandwich shop sits in the former home of La Brea Bakery, which will be the site of Porto’s in the near future.
All of this work on the resort’s entertainment, shopping, and dining hub is merely one minuscule portion of larger plans connected to the DisneylandForward initiative — a multi-year public planning effort that seeks to map out the next thirty years of vision with the City of Anaheim and Orange County.
DisneylandForward primarily aims to obtain more flexibility for land the resort received approval to develop in the 1990s, ideally adding a mix of theme parks, hotels, retail, dining, and entertainment on the eastern and western edges of the resort. Currently, Disneyland has used less than half of the millions of square feet already approved for development, according to the Orange County Register. All plans stay within the existing 500-acre property in Anaheim with no physical expansion or additional acreage.
Are you excited about the Downtown Disney District reimagining? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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