How Disney Got Me to Stop Hating Downtown Disney The Magic! The Memories! The Glassblowing!!! I know the title sounds a bit harsh. I mean "Downtown Disney" in some form has existed at Walt Disney World since the beginning and the "Lake Buena Vista Shopping Plaza" holds a special place in the history and developlent of the resort. I have fond memories of Disney Village, both shopping and dining and even childhood photos of me hiding under a table due to being deathly afraid of Minnie, Pluto and Goofy at the Riverboat character breakfast. Somewhere along the way, however, linear expansions along the lakefront of Pleasure Island, AMC, and Planet Holllywood in the 80s and then the massive West Side addition in the 90s stretched "Downtown Disney" into what felt like an almost endless trek with very little payoff to the brave souls who made it all the way through. If you successfully made it from Rainforest Cafe at one end all the way to Hous...