Step 1: We are asked which structure is abnormally dilated in a choledochal cyst.
Step 2: By definition it is a congenital cystic widening of the biliary system, which may affect the extrahepatic portion, the intrahepatic portion, or both.
Step 3: Since the dilatation is of the biliary tree as a whole rather than a single named segment, bile duct is the most accurate descriptor.
Step 4: The common bile duct (type I) is the commonest site, but the gall bladder and hepatic duct alone do not capture the condition, so the encompassing answer is preferred.
\[\boxed{\text{Bile duct}}\]