Thanks
@Darkbeer1! The videos were excellent.
The security and logistical arguments are too compelling to ignore. I just can't see this getting shot down. It would be an enormous victory for those businesses if they could hold this up, but it makes too much sense.
Disney holds the cards of better security, a less congested and dangerous harbor, a more comfortable esplanade, a more smooth security process, and the big carrot of further expansion space being freed up.
They have... The status quo.
And I think many of us knew that when it was first announced. The Politicians will look like they are listening to the non-Disney businesses, but at the end of the day, what the Anaheim PD, city staff including Traffic,and keeping Disney happy will win-out.
Thanks
@Darkbeer1!
Their demands are unreasonable. A sky bridge must be built. Any talk of tunnels would be radically more expensive and disruptive to Harbor. It's not like Harbor was a thing of beauty before. Security actually is enhanced when there's more time to formulate a response to emergencies and monitor potential suspects. There isn't a way to provide better pedestrian access without their cooperation. It would require Disney buying one of them out to cater to their needs.
What they're really saying is they want to keep everything the same. That's fine. I would be doing the same thing if I were in their shoes. But to try to make this anything other than a defense of the status quo would be wrong.
Their perfect world would be the 7 thousand new parking spaces being built out, and then having all 14 thousand or so of those guests crossing the crosswalk next to their business.
That just can't work.
I love the one commission who was asking about the tunnel (probably given a talking point by a non-Disney person).
Let's see, the street has a lot of water and sewer pipes servicing the park, but also the Hotels/Motels on Harbor, add some wiring, including electrical,cable and phone, and youend up with a mass of stuff that would had to be moved/relocated. Add to that the need to close down Harbor Blvd to do the tunneling, that is totally impracticable. Lok at how long it took to do the one when the built DCA on Disneyland Drvive for the west side of DtD. Then you would have to add new waste water piping and system to prevent the low end of the tulle getting flooded out when it rains. And how long with the grade have to be to meet current construction codes in regards to grade and trucks, plus minimal height requirements, and air flow issues (trapped emissions).
So we get a bridge which has to be a certain height for vehicular traffic, and a certain width (65 feet wide was mentioned) to allow proper pedestrian flow that meets current codes, including the Fire Marshal and emergency egress rules (how much time would it take to evacuate the area, so no way to narrow the bridge just because the Hotel Owners don't like the size....
And as to how many new people... lets say an average of a family of 3 arriving to park. (Some will be less, but then how many vans does Disney get that are full of kids)..
But right now, both sides have a 16 lanes to go through, the new gates will have about 40 on each side. Now, for the Eastern Gateway, you have about 7,000 new parking spaces, and at an average of about 3 people per car, that is about 20,000 more guests a day, then you add the new Hotels being built, the two where the old Bergstrom Furniture Store was, a new 12 Story Cambria Hotel where the Flakey Jake’s used to be, the JW Marriott at the Anaheim GardenWalk, and the upgrade of the Anaheim Plaza Hotel to a 4 star. The Quality Inn is going to be replaced by a 6 story Hotel, plus the new Hotels at Katella and Harbor.
It was announced last night that Disney plans to add a security check at the Toy Story Lot, and that is why the plans show a special area for Toy Story Buses to disembark, since it will be inside the security bubble,
So with so many new guests using the new Eastern Gateway, you need the additional Security Check Stations to keep the waits minimal,and the wide paths to allow decent traffic flow.
Even with a manned exit, you have people all the time that try to go the wrong way, airport security zones have the issue all the time, and they keep adding ways to make sure nobody does it besides a human TSA agent at the exit. (Barriers, one way escalators, etc.).
Add to that Star Wars Land, and the allowed daily attendance (fire marshal) numbers will be higher since the park will be larger. Add to that the rumored DCA extension into the former (current) Transportation Hub and its increased capacity, and it is clear that the resort needs more security check stations, and wide pathways to allow proper pedestrian flow. Heck, Disney is looking at making the current Main Street Backstage pathways better designed for more use by guests.
So I think that Disney gave the bone to the non-Disney Hotels, and I wouldn't be surprised that Disney planned to do it,but didn't mention it in the original plans,to be able to show "good faith" to the non-Disney businesses.
Change will happen, and there will be winners and losers......
