Hi Lisa!
I love exploring Downtown Disney! There is so much to see and do (and eat) there. Downtown Disney is divided into three sections; Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side. It is all connected and there are walkways to get everywhere. You can find a map of the area
HERE.
Marketplace is my favorite area of Downtown Disney. You will find shops with mostly Disney themed merchandise like the World of Disney, The Art of Disney and Disney's Days of Christmas. This side is definitely geared toward the younger guests with restaurants like Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex Cafe. You can also find the LEGO Store here. The little ones will have a blast running through the dancing water fountains.
The Pleasure Island area used to be all clubs with food, drinking and dancing. It has transformed into mostly restaurants, outdoor bars and live entertainment. There are some delicious places to eat here like Paradiso 37 (try the Crazy Corn) and Raglan Road Irish Pub. Pleasure Island is more lively and geared towards adults, but kids are certainly welcome.
The West Side has lots of little shops (non-Disney) and more restaurants. It is also home to an AMC movie theater, Splitsville Luxure Lanes, DisneyQuest and Cirque du Soliel.
You could spend a whole day at Downtown Disney. I do want to add that Downtown Disney is becoming Disney Springs, so there is a lot of construction going on right now. All of the shops and restaurants are still open, but there are constructions walls up in some areas.
Have a magical day!
Leslie