4-Star JW Marriott Hotel now planned for GardenWalk

Jiggsawpuzzle35

Jiggsawpuzzle35

Well-Known Member
Man the original plans for Pointe Anaheim sounded so promising when it was announced in the late 90s. Too bad it turned out the way it is. I really do hope the new owners do turn things around. I also would have loved to see what the Garden Grove Riverwalk complex and the Gothca Glacier sports venue would have done for the area.
 
Old Mouseketeer

Old Mouseketeer

Well-Known Member
This is slightly OT, but I don't remember which thread I posted something that turned out to be false. Diagonally across from GardenWalk to the NE, the new construction is not a parking structure as I had heard. According to building permits it is a new hotel. This is the lot next to the Bergstroms building where they tore down the warehouses. My bad.
 
NobodyElse

NobodyElse

Well-Known Member
I wish I could find some of those "We'll never sell" (or was it "We'll never sell to Disney") quotes Melodyland used to spout.
 
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NobodyElse

NobodyElse

Well-Known Member
Old Mouseketeer said:
This is slightly OT, but I don't remember which thread I posted something that turned out to be false. Diagonally across from GardenWalk to the NE, the new construction is not a parking structure as I had heard. According to building permits it is a new hotel. This is the lot next to the Bergstroms building where they tore down the warehouses. My bad.
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I drove by there yesterday. It's going to be Country(something) Inn and Suites. I'm not sure if they have the entire "L" shaped property (everything except the Bergstroms building), or just the building site that runs parallel to Disney Drive. I imagine they would need the Clementine side for parking.

I guess Disney didn't own any of that plot (or didn't want to use it for themselves).
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
NobodyElse said:
I wish I could find some of those "We'll never sell" (or was it "We'll never sell to Disney") quotes Melodyland used to spout.
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That was when the church took over that facility, and then they got into severe financial trouble and the property was going into foreclosure in the early 1990's. When Disney announced the Westcot plan in '92 both Melodyland and the City of Orange were cranky about it, and Disney threatened to build a massive parking structure around Melodyland if they wouldn't sell their land to either the city or Disney.

From the LA Times archives: http://articles.latimes.com/1992-12-03/local/me-1998_1_anaheim-officials

Almost 25 years later and there still isn't a Disney parking structure anywhere near that property. But there is a dying mall there now.

Melodyland ended up going under financially in the late 1990's. They sold the remaining property they had to the developers that eventually built GardenWalk, the original pastor retired, and some of the last remaining church members from Melodyland now have a church in Tustin.
 
NobodyElse

NobodyElse

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
Almost 25 years later and there still isn't a Disney parking structure anywhere near that property. But there is a dying mall there now.
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Speaking of Disney parking structures, I'd enjoy seeing plans for the Pumba replacement structure. For some reason, I'm really curious about how they intend to handle ingress and egress. It seems that ideally they'd primarily want visitors from the "North" to use Mickey & Friends, and have visitors from the "South" to use the new structure.

When I5 was widened, they took the opportunity to put in the new ramps (and tweak West St.) to try and ease traffic flow to and from the new structure. I wonder if they're considering doing anything similarly drastic to avoid some cross-traffic getting into the new structure?
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
NobodyElse said:
When I5 was widened, they took the opportunity to put in the new ramps (and tweak West St.) to try and ease traffic flow to and from the new structure. I wonder if they're considering doing anything similarly drastic to avoid some cross-traffic getting into the new structure?
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The ramps are all there. The intersection of Disney Way/Anaheim Blvd./I-5 ramps is dramatically over-engineered for the existing light traffic. There are direct offramps from the I-5 carpool lanes, plus multi-lane freeway entry and exit ramps. Disney Way is four lanes wide in both directions leading to the I-5 access.

It's all there already, waiting to be used. Although curb cuts and road adjustments would obviously be made at the structure itself.
 
NobodyElse

NobodyElse

Well-Known Member
I'm sure it'll be fine, and they'll incorporate several long lanes adjacent to or under the structure for the toll booth backup (like in MIckey & Friends). I just thought with the property (especially where the two existing office space buildings are) being so close to the freeway, it would be cool to have a ramp heading directly into the new structure. Perhaps something banking off over the empty triangle lot (East of the 5) then straight into the structure via the "Alro" right of way. This ramp would probably go right into level 3 or something. That would eliminate a few (3-5?) traffic crossings/turns for people heading up the 5 (non-carpool lane).

It's merely Jetsons-esque thoughts on my part. No big deal. I should probably be more concerned about how they plan on dealing with getting people over Harbor in a pleasing way.
 
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Old Mouseketeer

Old Mouseketeer

Well-Known Member
NobodyElse said:
I'm sure it'll be fine, and they'll incorporate several long lanes adjacent to or under the structure for the toll booth backup (like in MIckey & Friends). I just thought with the property (especially where the two existing office space buildings are) being so close to the freeway, it would be cool to have a ramp heading directly into the new structure. Perhaps something banking off over the empty triangle lot (East of the 5) then straight into the structure via the "Arlo" right of way. This ramp would probably go right into level 3 or something. That would eliminate a few (3-5?) traffic crossings/turns for people heading up the 5 (non-carpool lane).

It's merely Jetsons-esque thoughts on my part. No big deal. I should probably be more concerned about how they plan on dealing with getting people over Harbor in a pleasing way.
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I don't think that's crazy--I have done the identical speculation. Clearly the current North-bound HOV and general traffic off-ramps are overengineered for current use (but convenient if you know how and when to use them). But that empty triangle East of I-5 and (more importantly) North of the high-tension power lines is a tempting possibility. I suspect it comes down to a combination of economics and politics with Anaheim and California (and maybe a little US DOT).

I agree--the devil is in the details with respect to getting people from the new structure over Harbor.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Old Mouseketeer said:
Clearly the current North-bound HOV and general traffic off-ramps are overengineered for current use (but convenient if you know how and when to use them)
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Shh! That's my secret route to get to Disneyland. I live in Villa Park and once I get out of my neighborhood Taft/Ball Road is a straight shot from my house to Mickey & Friends. But it takes easily 25 minutes when Ball Road gets all backed up. Instead I cut down to Katella to take the vastly over-engineered and 8 lanes wide Katella from the Stadium to the vastly over-engineered Disney Way access and shave 10 minutes off that drive.

The Disney Way/Katella route is also an easy escape from the Resort area. I remember on one of the 24 Hour Parties when Harbor and Ball Road had gridlocked, I inched down to Disney Way and it was wide open empty and I was home 20 minutes later.

It almost always looks like this, just very empty...
disney_way_streetscape2.jpg


My other secret escape route is Gene Autry Way going east away from Disneyland, which can be used anytime the Angels aren't playing at the Stadium and almost always looks like the world has ended and you are the last motorist on earth. Seriously.
EB-from-Haster.jpg


These two east-west routes on the east side of the Resort District were designed and engineered for decades of traffic into the future. But today they remain lightly traveled and nearly abandoned. The Pumbaa structure will change that.

But these roads seem to be designed for the 10,000 space Pumbaa structure Disney proposed in 1996, not the 5,000 space structure they say they'll build for 2018.
 
Old Mouseketeer

Old Mouseketeer

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
But these roads seem to be designed for the 10,000 space Pumbaa structure Disney proposed in 1996, not the 5,000 space structure they say they'll build for 2018.
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But I thought the 5,000-space structure was just phase one. It's only supposed to include Pumbaa and the USCIS building. My rebel spies tell me that Disney is occupying the 1585 Manchester building (the dental company), and that will be phase two.
 
Phroobar

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
Just a little update about the non-disney hotel going up. As you can see the crane for this hotel can be clearly seen behind Carsland. It's like a giant dinosaur behind the mountains. I wonder if the hotel will be visible behind the mountains and what Disney will do about it.

IMG_20160729_195549_zpsm85bqsa6.jpg
 

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