The Disneyland Resort has filed its detailed plans for the Eastern Gateway Project, which will transform the eastern entrance to the resort over the next two years. The centerpiece will be a seven-story, 6,800-space parking garage that will be directly accessible to northbound traffic on Interstate 5, in much the same way that southbound traffic can easily drive into Mickey and Friends.
In addition to the new garage, Disneyland will relocate its transportation hub for shuttle pickup and drop-offs across Harbor Boulevard to a site just north of the new garage. Disneyland's eastern security check will be relocated to that point as well, meaning that visitors will get their bag checked and go through whatever metal detectors Disney might be using then before walking across the pedestrian pathway that will take the place of the soon-to-be-demolished Carousel Inn and Suites and the to-be-constructed pedestrian bridge over Harbor.
Here's your new walk to @Disneyland... the transportation hub and parking lot is about .5 miles to the park entrance pic.twitter.com/WVAE3vMAnf
— OC Disney (@ocdisney) August 11, 2016
If you're thinking "what about people staying in the hotels on Harbor?", give yourself a gold star. From the plans Disney has filed with the City of Anaheim, it appears that the current, street-level entrance to the Disneyland Resort will be going away. Pedestrian traffic from the east side of the resort instead will enter from a pathway on Disney Way. Then they will walk north, past the west side of the parking garage to the new security check.
That would mean a huge increase in walking — or a longer shuttle ride — for people staying on Harbor. It also would make the restaurants on that street far less convenient for Disneyland visitors. The difference won't be as much for people staying south of Katella, especially for ones on the east side of that street. But the changes appear to mean the end of certain Harbor Blvd. hotels being within closer walking distance to Disneyland's front gate that Disney's own Disneyland and Paradise Pier hotels.
But if you live in south Orange or San Diego counties, as do hundreds of thousands of Disneyland visitors and passholders, the new garage will mean easier access to the resort, more parking spaces and less hassle dealing with Anaheim streets, either in your car or on your feet. And for those reasons, the majority of Disneyland fans likely will see the new resort gateway as an improvement.
After all, with the new Star Wars land at Disneyland and a Marvel land coming to Disney California Adventure, Disneyland likely will be seeing an attendance surge in the next few years... and all of those extra visitors will need places to park, given the severe lack of public transportation options serving Orange County.
Speaking of that Marvel land, the relocation of the transportation hub frees up quite a bit of space north of the current Hollywood Land in DCA. That gives Disney's Imagineers a lot more space to work with as they develop this project. The Eastern Gateway Project is scheduled to be complete n 2018.
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I remember the Anaheim businesses supported the original resort plan, until they realized that the Mickey and Friends parking structure would sweep cars in and out, bypassing local streets and businesses.
I hope that this parking structure doesn't have the same problem as Mickey and Friends, it was micro managed by Michael Eisner, who designed the parking spaces so that people walking to the trams had to go against incoming traffic, so all the spaces had to be re-striped.
A major miss about this new plan is not having a moving walkway from the parking structure to Disneyland. Think about those people who have to walk from the far corner of the parking structure all the way to Disneyland. I hope they come to their senses and allot money for a moving walkway.
With backside access, it's actually safer for the resort--no crossing the street, further removed security, etc.
It also makes me think that the west side security perimeter will move to the parking area as well, enveloping both Downtown Disney, Mickey & Friends, and likely the Disney hotels, especially as the new hotel will be in the DtD parking lot.
I'm not at all concerned with hotels and fast food chains along Harbor Blvd. They could sue, but on what grounds? How in attempting to improve their infrastructure is Disney conspiring to harm the hotel operators? They exist because of Disneyland in the first place. Sure it will make it less convenient for those staying at their hotel but I'm not sure they will be able to prove in advance that it will be deleterious to their business.
Since Downtown Disney is open to the general public I don't think a security check is all that feasible at the Mickey & Friends Parking Structure.
I would love it if Disney replaced the Monorail with an elevated People mover (like those at many airports) that linked the two parking structures with the Entry Plaza and West Downtown Disney. That would provide the resort with functioning transportation system and it would also free up a huge amount of the land within the park (s) for future expansion. The monorail doesn't really do much for the resort (especially since it no longer connects directly to the Disneyland Hotel) and because of its location within the park it doesn't really provide much kinetic energy to Tomorrowland either. At least not it the way the PeopleMover and elevated Rocket Jets did. All it really does is for Disneyland is to take up a lot space and break the theming for Fantasyland.
If they can get a couple of those at a big discount and buy out the others, wouldn't they have a lot more potential land available to work with?
Is it possible that Disney could intentionally be hurting surrounding businesses so as to buy them out and essentially expand their footprint? They don't exactly have the acreage that they have in Orlando, so they need to be creative.
This makes me wonder why Disney doesn't pull it's security checkpoint closer to the street and allow anyone on Harbor to use the same security checkpoints at the Carousel Hotel location. The diagram shows a long corridor that I assume is closed off and is inclined to avoid running an elevator. Why it doesn't have a Harbor entrance running parallel toward the security checkpoint seems like a missed opportunity.
Now, it needs a separate security detail at the Esplanade for the businesses on Harbor and anyone else walking around the neighborhood. I originally assumed the sidewalk on west side of Harbor is cut-off and people are directed toward Disney Way when coming from Katella. People are now relieved from walking a round about way that may add an extra 0.5 mile commute.
Don't tell anyone...
Universal Hollywood's new parking structure requires A LONG WALK and patrons/AP holders walk it without complaining. Even senior citizens don't complain.
About the only thing you hear... small children asking, "Are we there?"
The same will be true at Disneyland.
Regarding local businesses...
ahh... their not so local. Several have SOLD OUT to hotel holding companies and will be demolished/replaced by chain hotels. The days of locally owned restaurants is also long gone. Corporate restraurants are now in control.
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Even though the transportation hub is moving, Disney is retaining it's own shuttle AND employee drop off locations. The hotels along Harbor must create rear entrances so guests can access the security and bridge checkpoints. I wonder if Disney will work with these hotels to create rear entrances or it will be blocked off. Guests will walk longer if they want to visit McDonald's and other restaurants located in the hotels.
It's just too bad there's no moving walkways or trams, which makes me wonder why can't Disney discard the trams and just have a west Disneyland entrance.
I heard the monorail will be re-routed. This will definitely create space for California Adventure.