Dining options expand as new food hall opens at Downtown Disney in Anaheim
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Just a few days into the the new year, the Downtown Disney District in Anaheim opened its first new eating establishment of 2025. Parkside Market, a two-story food hall with four dining destinations under one roof, is one of a few food options anticipated to open at the District in the near future.
The new space soft opened Jan. 4 on the west end of the District, opposite the lawn and Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage, across from Din Tai Fung. A grand-opening celebration was hosted on Wednesday, with vice president of hotel operations and Downtown Disney Jason Smith and Andy Lansing, chief executive officer of Levy Restaurants, for officially welcoming the new concepts. Geri Wolen, chef Lee Wolen of GG’s Chicken Shop, Seoul Sister’s chef Kelly Kim and Sip & Sonder founders Amanda-Jane Thomas and Shanita Nicholas were all on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that included an appearance by Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
“It is no small feat to bring a new offering like this to life. It truly takes countless individuals collaborating and putting forth their best effort to make it happen,” said Smith. “We are truly thrilled to welcome you to our Disney family.”
Lansing, whose restaurant group brought the concepts at Parkside Market together, also took the opportunity to acknowledge those who have been affected by the L.A. wildfires and highlight how Levy Restaurants will help.
“Our hearts go out to everyone who have been impacted by this,” said Lansing. “All of us at Levy, with our partners here, will continue to do all we can, and we are going to start by donating our first month of profits to the L.A. Regional Food Bank to help support the efforts there.”
Plans for Parkside Market were announced in 2023, and the District spent the last two years in different phases of construction in the area formerly occupied by the AMC Movie Theater and the original Earl of Sandwich location. (The fast casual Earl of Sandwich and sit-down service Earl of Sandwich Tavern have temporarily relocated to the former La Brea Bakery space.)
On the first floor with a service window at the entrance, thirsty guests will find Sip & Sonder. The Inglewood-based coffee brand serves classic drip coffee, espresso and creative coffee beverages like “the onyx,” a vanilla charcoal latte and “the monarch” a butterfly pea flower coconut vanilla slushy.
Inside, GG’s Chicken Shop serves up fried chicken, waffle fries and chicken-topped salads while Seoul Sister serves Korean-inspired rice bowls with protein options like beef and egg, chicken, pork belly and tofu.
Growing up as child in Texas, Kim said she felt like her Korean American food was taboo, and she expressed her excitement at being able to share her Bibimbap-inspired dishes with a California twist at Downtown Disney.
“Now we live in a place where anyone can come and have Korean food; it’s a dream come true,” said Kim.
Kim said she has worked hard to make her food approachable but still distinctly Korean.
“I want people to taste it and go, it was designed by a Korean person, a Korean American person,” said Kim. “I also want them to taste it and want to come back.”
On the second story, bar and lounge Vista Parkside Market serves beer, wine and cocktails and allows guests to order food from any of the restaurants downstairs. Bar seating, indoor tables and two outdoor spaces with patio seating are available where diners have a birds-eye view of Downtown Disney below. Avian-themed cocktails fill out the menu, like the Birdwatcher, made with ice tea, lemonade and Buffalo Trace bourbon, and the Flamboyance a pink frose cocktail served in a Flamingo glass.
The space is full of mid-century modern details like Sputnik chandeliers and white breeze blocks that match the nearby Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and the family-friendly lawn visible from Vista’s outdoor patio.
Nearby, the Disney Wonderful World of Sweets is set to open to the public on Jan. 24, taking over the space formerly known as Marceline’s Confectionery. The reimagined sweet shop will offer new confectionery treats, most notably Werther’s Original Caramel popcorn made fresh in the shop, filling the space with the scent of caramel. There will also be caramel apples, churro toffee, a large selection of lollipops, chocolate, gummies and baked goods. Sweets also introduces a collection of new food characters to the park, like Poppi the popcorn bucket and four new cake pops named Jimmi, Fluffi, Bonni and Lolli.
Construction for Cuban pastry giant Porto’s Bakery is scheduled to begin at Downtown Disney this year, and Tortilla Joe’s closed in 2024 to make way for two new restaurant concepts from chef Joe Isidori. Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon will be a classic steakhouse while Pearl’s Roadside BBQ will be a quick-service concept serving pulled pork, beef brisket and smoked heritage turkey from the acclaimed New York City chef.
Opening dates for these highly anticipated dining options have not yet been announced.
