A Disney store exterior featuring large posters of animated characters from Pixar and Marvel, with blue awnings and a green trash bin in the foreground.

Permit Reveals Plans for Former ESPN Zone Building at Downtown Disney

Shannen Ace

Disneyland Resort filed a Change Of Use permit to turn the former ESPN Zone building in Downtown Disney District into multiple storefronts.

ESPN Zone Becoming Multiple Stores at Downtown Disney District

A permit document detailing a change of use for a building at 1545 S Disneyland Dr, including floor conversions and installations. Valuation: $3,500,000.

Disney filed the new permit with the City of Anaheim and it was issued on December 24, 2024. It’s for the ESPN Zone address 1545 Disneyland Dr and reads:

Dtd – Building Cc – Change Of Use: Separate First Floor Into Units #100 And 110 With 12,100 Sq Ft Conversion Of A3/S-1 To New M/F-1. Install New Storefront Finishes And 737 Sq Ft Of Attached Canopies. Second Floor To Be Made Unit #200 With Electrical Work.

Essentially, the permit hopes to divide the building into three stores, two on the first floor and one on the second. The work is valued at $3.5 million.

A Disney store exterior featuring large posters of animated characters from Pixar and Marvel, with blue awnings and a green trash bin in the foreground.

ESPN Zone closed in 2018, as did Rainforest Cafe and AMC Theatres, to make way for a new Disneyland Resort hotel. The hotel project was ultimately canceled, and Rainforest Cafe became Star Wars Trading Post and the AMC was demolished for other Downtown Disney District updates. However, the large ESPN Zone building has remained unoccupied except for some limited-time opportunities like a photo-op experience and MagicBand+ shop.

Recent Downtown Disney District updates include the refurbished LEGO Store, new D-Lander Shop, new Avengers Reserve store, and new Havilah & Co. candle kiosk. Coming soon is Disney Wonderful World of Sweets and Parkside Market. The latter will feature the eateries Seoul Sister, Sip & Sonder, and GG’s Chicken Shop.

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