AMC Theater finally getting a replacement at Downtown Disney

[mickEblu]

Din Tai Fung specializes in xiao long bao aka soup dumplings. It's a whole thing. Personally I am not a huge fan of Din Tai Fung... they take pride in having thin wrappers, but I like mine a bit thicker. There's a lot of other places I can walk into and sit down to get XLB vs. waiting for a table at Din Tai Fung.

I foresee very long waits and pricey prices... I wonder of they'll have a viewing window to the outside to watch the dumpling making.

We enjoy Din Tai Fung but it’s always such a hassle. I went to Dan Modern Chinese last night in Pasadena and it’s just overall a much better experience for more or less the same food quality. It’s much more casual. Showed up at 7pm with no reservations on a Friday night and was eating within minutes. They don’t have as much variety but they have all my favorites from Din Tai Fung including the Pork xlb, string beans in garlic sauce, cucumber salad and fried rice. In addition Dans has some great noodles with short rib and shiitake mushrooms (which was the main reason we went) that I don’t believe Din Tai Fung has. “Popcorn” chicken was really good too. The dumplings are probably the only thing Din Tai Fung has on Dan’s but not so much Better than I feel the need to go there instead and deal with the ridiculous wait.

 

[Parteecia]

We enjoy Din Tai Fung but it’s always such a hassle. I went to Dan Modern Chinese last night in Pasadena and it’s just overall a much better experience for more or less the same food quality. It’s much more casual. Showed up at 7pm with no reservations on a Friday night and was eating within minutes. They don’t have as much variety but they have all my favorites from Din Tai Fung including the Pork xlb, string beans in garlic sauce, cucumber salad and fried rice. In addition Dans has some great noodles with short rib and shiitake mushrooms (which was the main reason we went) that I don’t believe Din Tai Fung has. “Popcorn” chicken was really good too. The dumplings are probably the only thing Din Tai Fung has on Dan’s but not so much Better than I feel the need to go there instead and deal with the ridiculous wait.

Super Juicy in Brea!

 

[DCBaker]

 

[mickEblu]

Wow. Prime location. Wonder what will go there.

 

[DCBaker]

Earl of Sandwich and Earl of Sandwich Tavern will be opening (in the former La Brea Bakery) in February -

"For those of you who crave delicious, handcrafted sandwiches, you will be delighted to learn that the fan-favorite Earl of Sandwich will be returning to the Downtown Disney District this February! Soon you can once again look forward to one of their hot sandwiches on artisan bread, with grab-and-go options at Earl of Sandwich or table service options at Earl of Sandwich Tavern, both of which will be temporarily located at the La Brea Bakery location. La Brea Bakery is exiting the restaurant business, and we thank them for two decades of partnership in the Downtown Disney District. Keep your eyes peeled for Earl of Sandwich opening in the coming weeks!"

Update on Porto's Bakery -

"And that’s not all for the east side of Downtown Disney District – as we previously shared at D23 Expo, Porto’s Bakery will be bringing their famous Cheese Rolls, California-Cuban cuisine and more to the district. Plans are underway to design and construct an all-new Porto’s location near the Esplanade on the footprint of the La Brea Bakery location. We look forward to sharing more about these exciting plans in the future."

Also new concept art for Din Tai Fung -

Downtown Disney District Welcomes Back Earl of Sandwich this February, More District Updates

Fan-favorite Earl of Sandwich is returning to Downtown Disney District at Disneyland this February! Learn more about the return of those delicious, handcrafted sandwiches and check out other updates coming to Downtown Disney District.

disneyparks.disney.go.com

 

[Californian Elitist]

The return of Earl and the future presence of Porto’s are, personally, the only things I’m sincerely looking forward to for the resort. And I guess the harmless MMRR.

 

[mickEblu]

The return of Earl and the future presence of Porto’s are, personally, the only things I’m sincerely looking forward to for the resort. And I guess the harmless MMRR.

All good additions. I’m a little less excited for Din Tai Fung now that a Dan Modern opened up by my house. I also don’t foresee eating at the DTD location very often for multiple reasons.

 

[mickEblu]

OC Register is saying Earls at La Brea’s old location is just temporary and eventually the Porto’s will go there. Isn’t that spot way too small to be a Porto’s?

 

[Disney Analyst]

OC Register is saying Earls at La Brea’s old location is just temporary and eventually the Porto’s will go there. Isn’t that spot way too small to be a Porto’s?

I think they are saying they will tear down La Brea, so it will be a rebuild I think?

 

[mickEblu]

I think they are saying they will tear down La Brea, so it will be a rebuild I think?

But the footprint is what it is right? Unless there is some room between DCA and La Brea to expand?

 

[Disney Analyst]

But the footprint is what it is right? Unless there is some room between DCA and La Brea to expand?

Looks like they could either expand out a bit, or could also go vertical as needed.

But La Brea did expand in 2012 or something according to my search. I know nothing of what the current size is, and what a standard Portos should be?

 

[mickEblu]

View attachment 691030



Looks like they could either expand out a bit, or could also go vertical as needed.

But La Brea did expand in 2012 or something according to my search. I know nothing of what the current size is, and what a standard Portos should be?

True I was going to say they could go vertical. Newer Porto’s are pretty big. The new one near me in Northridge is huge!

The DTD location would definitely be the smallest one I’ve seen. I think they have a much larger kitchen than La Brea too.

 

[TP2000]

La Brea Bakery also closed its flagship store on La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles. Their LA flagship store had been there for 34 years, but was closed suddenly as La Brea Bakery exits the LA restaurant market entirely and focuses on selling bread to supermarket chains instead.

That happened suddenly, didn't it?

https://www.lamag.com/article/la-brea-bakery-shutters-all-its-cafes-in-surprise-blow-to-l-a-foodies/

 

[waltography]

True I was going to say they could go vertical. Newer Porto’s are pretty big. The new one near me in Northridge is huge!

The DTD location would definitely be the smallest one I’ve seen. I think they have a much larger kitchen than La Brea too.

I can potentially see them building just the cafe half of a regular Porto's (so nixing the bakery queue side as well as the cake counter on the cafe side and having the place where you can get the "greatest hits").

 

[Disney Irish]

You know my friend, with this latest set of concept art I'm now even more sure, before was 90-95% sure but now 98-99.9% sure, that this isn't the new security screening area that you think it is:

View attachment 635998

But rather its this stage area in the new concept art:

Heck in the distance of the new stage concept art (upper left of the image) you can even see this area from the original concept art:

View attachment 636000

Now obviously things have changes and been more refined in the new concept art from the original concept art but the overall look is the same.

And yes it appears there will be a redesigned security screening area, but it was just never reflected in the original concept art as that wasn't what they were trying to focus on at the time. As the focus was trying to get across the overall concept, not mundane things like security screening.

Reviving this thread as we haven't had a construction update on this project in awhile.

But watching a Freshbaked video today, I know some don't like them here, but I saw this update and it reminded me of this thread. So I took a screen capture.

Sorry @TP2000 but the guitar pick from the concept art that you insisted was a "security screening" area is in fact a stage like I said in the post I quoted above.

Note the red arrow in the construction area and in the concept art, even has what appears to be the beginnings of the water feature as I noted by the blue arrow.

So this appears to be replacement stage for the existing DTD stage, which was always really a temp structure anyways.

As for any new security screening area, if it does indeed happen, it'll be behind this area where the existing one is as I noted by the green arrow, which was always behind this concept art.

If anyone wants to see the whole video its here, I've queued it up to the DTD section of the video: