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New Disneyland Parking Garage and Transportation Hub
- Thread starter RMichael21
- Start date
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Won't happen for many reason, at least until a long time in the future.
Currently Disney is taking away CM parking on busy days to add guest parking in the shared Toy Story/Katella CM lot.
The city needs more parking for its Convention Center across the street due to its expansion plans.
And Disney will need more parking with its increased capacity with Star Wars Land (and also maybe due to DCA expansion).
Plus the need for more parking for the new 4th Disney Hotel near ESPN Zone. (and surprisingly hasn't been mentioned that it might get changed/converted to part of the new Hotel. Disney owns it, and has dropped the franchise as a unit, they just run it since they own the land). The one I love, and that might happen, the Rainforest Café also loses its lease, and then the DtD Monorail station returns to "Hotel" use as part of the 4th Hotel. That decision is years away.
So the current plan, when the new Eastern gateway project is open and operating, Pumbaa will become the main parking for those going northbound on I-5 (think San Diego) and on slow days, Toy Story won't open to guests. This saves Disney in shuttle bus costs, and takes traffic off of Harbor (what the city wants).
Toy Story will open when Pumbaa is full, which is expected to be every weekend and most of the summer and holiday periods.
Disney is currently looking at new options for CM parking, the best known one is converting the new Harbor and Ball CM lot (former RV park) into a structure. Disney has also been looking at property on the east side of I-5 on Anaheim Way as an option.
But it looks like the Simba CM area will be converted to more DtD guest parking with occasional Convention Center use.
Also the parking north of Mickey and Friends used by CM's is in danger of being converted to guest use.
So to summarize, if anything Toy Story will expand guest parking, and that it might not open before opening on very slow days.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Correct, the current plan has the ramp meeting ADA requirement in regards to slope and flat rest areas, and no elevators are part of the plan proposed. Of course, changes could be required.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
While the city won't pay for the truly submerged section for many reasons, including closing down Harbor for the change, there is some talk of a small lowering under the bridge, maybe only the right lanes going southbound, to allow the bridge and ramp to start reducing its slope.
So some lowering, but then you have to look at water flow and sewer issues and who will pay for those changes.
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D
Deleted member 107043
I can see this. The south end of the hotel in the DTD sector could basically function like the DTD side of the Grand Californian, with hotel rooms above and retail spaces below. Cool.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
No plans, in fact Disney is trying to get rid of ticket booths.
They want folks to buy in advance, print at home, use smartphones and barcodes.
Heck, they haven't used all the ticket windows in the Esplanade in a long time. So if anything, expect to see a couple of current ticketing buildings be removed for the new project to help traffic flow.
D
Deleted member 107043
And what about MiceAge's claim that the Monorail is being rerouted to accommodate the pedestrian bridge over Harbor Blvd and the DCA expansion?
"The new route will take the beam parallel to the existing inbound beam, before it makes an S-curve across the Esplanade to meet the current route through the rest of DCA. The Disneyland Monorail is currently scheduled to close on April 17th, 2017 and remain closed through at least October, although those dates could change a bit this far out."
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Ok, I know, I have had a lot of responses, and will get to them, but currently on page 5 of the thread and trying to catch up and respond to the older posts.
So as to what Disney wants, they are looking for the highest "money spent per day, per guest on property", and do understand that unlike WDW that they can't control the Hotel market. But they can try and get the guests staying off property to have a "larger wallet" to spend. And why Disney has worked with companies like Wincome to get new 4-star Hotels to be built.
Disney has no incentive in regards to value Motels near the park. Of course, there will always be some, but more than likely will be located farther away, such as north of Ball on Harbor, and south of the Convention Center.
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flynnibus
Premium Member
Welcome DB!! I hope you stick around.. I miss you on the forums! The DLR section here isn't massive.. but it's not crazy-land and we have real admins!
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Because it would require moving all of the associated utilities plus the expensive complexities of keeping the road above open.All of these issue with monorail and road clearance brings me back to my original thought. Why didn't they think about going under Harbor with a pedestrian tunnel. This can't be more expensive than re-routing monorails and building a long bridge.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Of course, many plans up in the air, and many changes will be made, but TP2000 is pretty much on the money, at least in my educated Humble Opinion (which is worth the same as the free samples you get at COSTCO).
Expect some places to shop and dine near the costuming building at the west end of the bridge ramp, but that a lot of the area is being held for "future park expansion" whatever that means.
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D
Deleted member 107043
Very enlightening!
For those who are unfamiliar there's more here:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/anaheim-722304-city-disney.html
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
OK, getting close to catching up in the conversation.
Why not an underpass, costs and who would have to pay for it, and issues.
Remember that when the Disneyland Drive bridge for Downtown Disney was built, the entire Disney Drive portion was closed for years (was known as West Street) to allow the road changes to be made, including all the infrastructure that had to be moved, and then the needed things addressing water drainage on the roadway (Yes, it does sometimes rain here in SoCal).
So it is the wallet controlling this issue. The current plan has Disney paying for it directly (unlike the Disneyland Drive project) and that Disney can control costs better than using city contracts for labor, supplies, etc.
An educated guess, at least three times as much. For example, public records show a recent pedestrian bridge on the Las Vegas strip costs about $5 million for one ($20 million for the entire corner). And Nevada has lower costs, especially in the permitting and regulations of building it.
As I stated, the Monorail might get a track change, but trust me, Disney is looking at ALL the possibilities and the overall costs, plus the need to keep the city happy and traffic moving on Harbor (very limited road closures). Only time will tell.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Holy Churros! @Darkbeer1 just dropped in out of thin air and gave us a thousand things to ponder and mull over! I feel like it's 1998 all over again! Darkbeer, I must say you are a name I have long admired and enjoyed your information for years on websites that no longer exist.
I am literally going out the door to meet family for dinner and will have to wait to read all this stuff, saving it all for a nightcap in the den late tonight. But great to see you are alive and well and I can't wait to dig into this info later!
I am literally going out the door to meet family for dinner and will have to wait to read all this stuff, saving it all for a nightcap in the den late tonight. But great to see you are alive and well and I can't wait to dig into this info later!
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
The man...the myth...the legend.....
The 'Beer' is here..!
The 'Beer' is here..!
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
And what about MiceAge's claim that the Monorail is being rerouted to accommodate the pedestrian bridge over Harbor Blvd and the DCA expansion?
"The new route will take the beam parallel to the existing inbound beam, before it makes an S-curve across the Esplanade to meet the current route through the rest of DCA. The Disneyland Monorail is currently scheduled to close on April 17th, 2017 and remain closed through at least October, although those dates could change a bit this far out."
Ok, I guess this is time for Darkbeer's History update, and let's start with TP2000's comment about 2010.
Yes, I got married early 2010 (even made the OC Register front page and a OC Register video), and that did cause a change in focus.
Also, around the same time, MiceAge, which started when Al Lutz's left Mouse Planet and I joined him a bit later was undergoing changes with ownership and control. So I decided to stop contributing due to those changes, and other issues. I still have contact with them, see them at special park events and have no personal issues with any of them. But I also left other well known Disney/Theme Park sites after working for them, in the Media business it is very common.
Also, with Marriage comes changes, and after almost 50 years being alive (Yikes, I am 56 now, oh well), this was my first (and still) only one, and happy to say going very well. My free time was lessened, and things like needing to buy a new House took priority and jobs that paid more than just a second hobby income. (aka Tax accounting, and government liaison work).
But Theme Parks are still a passion and I have never left, and still have a lot of contacts. Some of my work went to magazines (Aren't those in-flight magazines great reading with awesome pictures
, and a deal I made with a couple of Media production companies to help produce shows for places like the Travel Channel, mostly behind the scenes, but occasionally in front of the camera. I also had to sign some non-disclosure statements which limited to what I could post/write about, as much of the work was covering new projects. So I ended up from quoting "off the record" people to becoming one.I did get the nice new house, needed to stay in the Orange County area due to my Wife's job with the County of Orange, and ended up with a house that ironically in the "crow's path" between Disneyland and Knott's. ( It was the house that matched our needs after looking at many different locations in North Orange County).
So this story hit home, had a lot of knowledge from multiple sides (insiders at Disney, non-Disney Hotels and restaurants, and city employees and similar things), same as the STR issue (my house is right across the street from one of the biggest ones). Also one of my main non-disclosure agreements ended when the large project opened earlier this year up the road.
That said, what MiceAge is currently reporting, I have no direct knowledge, but I have seen the plan that was mentioned, but as I have stated earlier, Disney has not given it the green light, and is waiting for the process with the city to work itself out in regards to phase 1 of the Eastern Gateway project and has serious concerns in regards to budgets. Yes, there are plans to spend the needed $1.5 Billion (including the extension of 45 years of no admission tax).
Like all the well known Disney rumor websites, that is what we (myself included) do. Get the inside info and report it, with the understanding that we try and get second sources and understand that things change in the future. I actually have some great concept art signed from projects that were changed after being made. So take it as what it is, a peek into the possible future. Same as the moving walkways on the Eastern Gateway project.
Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Well, when the story broke about the Eastern Gateway, the DISboards came up in a Google search as popular, and I had an account I used on a rare location, I started there, and of course, got the expected reaction from a very few people to shut up and go away (though most have been very happy with the info provided), and what caught Baloo, the MiceChat poster attention.
I decided to add my comments here after reading the thread and seeing the comments where for the most part level headed, of course with some disappointment, as some folks don't like changes.
I am excited for the upcoming changes with Star Wars Land (or whatever they might change the name to), and the DCA changes (though part of me will miss the Tower of Terror theme), but still, to make those changes, you have to make other changes, including increased parking since the Fire Marshall will increase capacity due to more area available for guest access. But I also understand the disappointment of their "Favorite Motel" having to change access points. But I also am glad that the traffic flow will be improved for the vast majority, which isn't just Disney park guests, but also everyone else that has to access that part of town.
So you might see me around for awhile.
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Darkbeer1
Well-Known Member
Just to add, Disney bought the Carousel from Wincome, and kept them as the Management team after becoming the "landlord". Amazing "small world", eh?