It started with the closing of Pleasure Island last year; then, T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop, Explore and Discover opened, creating a whole new standard for Disney dining. With all these changes, visitors might be wondering what’s going on at Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World Resort’s beloved shopping, dining and entertainment hub. Well, this famous Disney attraction that’s a popular favorite among tourists is getting a little bit of a makeover, with new restaurants and all-new attraction set to draw crowds later this year.

Since Downtown Disney has always been a free place for visitors to walk, shop, and spend a leisurely afternoon, guests will be surprised to learn that in the spring, Downtown Disney will get its very own iconic attraction in the form of a giant tethered balloon. Not much is known about this aerial ride that, for now, is simply known as Aerophile. But the word from Disney is that it will take guests 300 feet into the air from the waterfront. With a volume of 210,000 cubic feet of lighter-than-air gas, the 72-foot-diameter balloon will lift up to 30 guests at a time on a six-minute trip by day or night, giving them an unparalleled, 360-degree view of up to 10 miles.

Adding to the fun will be a new Downtown Disney restaurant, a high-energy eatery and bar from E-Brands Restaurant Group. There’s no official word on the name yet, but we can expect to see an international wine bar, a tequila bar with more than 50 kinds of tequila, and 10 signature frozen margaritas. This new dining spot will also be located on the waterfront and will be open daily until late into the evening with nightly entertainment.

The new additions will certainly fill help to fill a bit of a hole at Downtown Disney, which has developed ever since Pleasure Island closed back in late September, after close to 20 years in operation. Reportedly, Disney was responding to guest feedback asking for more family-friendly experiences. Pleasure Island featured nightclubs like the Adventurer’s Club, Comedy Warehouse 8 Traxx, Motion, Mannequins, and BET Sound Stage.

While Disney reinvents Pleasure Island with a new slew of dining, shopping, and other unique features, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant, Fuego by Sosa Cigars, Curl by Sammy Duval, and Orlando Harley-Davidson will still be open to visitors.

So far, Downtown Disney’s newest additions include Disney’s new Design-A-Tee store presented by Hanes, which we recently reported on, and T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure. T-Rex combines dining with entertainment, allowing kids to learn and play in an interactive prehistoric environment built around water, fire, ice. Both places are part of a recent trend in Disney stores, restaurants, and attractions to provide interactive entertainment, where the guest can be an integral part of the fun.

We’ll keep you posted on all the latest developments at one of Walt Disney World’s most beloved spots, Downtown Disney. And in the meantime, don’t forget to check out all the fun at other Disney theme parks like Magic Kingdom and Epcot – you can find discount Disney tickets right here at OrlandoFunTickets.com.