Because I spent the morning with contractors in my house ripping apart my guest bathroom, I went for a walk late this afternoon for some peace and quiet. Something told me to go check out Disneyland, and I'm glad I did. I knew the place was shut down, and I knew the neighboring businesses were mostly closed. But nothing prepared me for the apocalyptic ghost town that I found in the streets directly surrounding Disneyland. 
I snapped some amateur photos with my iPhone and a shaky hand, so don't expect glamour shots, but I think pictures tell the story here perfectly.
As you'll see in the photos in the several posts below, the normally busy streets of Harbor Blvd., Disney Way, Katella Avenue, and various side streets were nearly abandoned of all cars and pedestrians. And the humans I encountered on my walk were easily divided up into only three categories:
1. Security guards, both Disneyland Security CM's and generic security guards at closed motels and restaurants.
2. Homeless People. Several bus stops had been entirely taken over by up to a dozen homeless folks, who seemed to be having a rather grand time talking and laughing and sharing bottles of mystery beverages.
3. TP2000. In my 45 minute walk, the only other humans I saw were bored security guards and the homeless folks. Seriously.
I started at an empty GardenWalk at about 4pm and noticed a few restaurants like PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory were trying bravely to offer "take out" to absolutely no one. All the hotels are closed, all the business is shuttered, so who is left in this neighborhood to order take out?
GardenWalk was blocked off just past the big restaurants facing Katella. All stores and restaurants further inside the mall are closed and not offering take out.
Across the street the old employee parking now turned into visitor parking was empty and blocked off.
After 12 years of delays from developers and a healthy dose of bungling by Anaheim City Hall, GardenWalk finally got its first hotel, a swanky JW Marriott. It was supposed to open this month, but it didn't make it. That lone silver car in the porte cochere belonged to a bored security guard sitting in the car guarding the empty hotel, which was a concept that would repeat itself at other hotels and restaurants around the area.
Walking north from the JW Marriott alongside GardenWalk, I forget the name of this side street, but as you can see it was empty. Very, very quiet! The only sound you could hear were birds chirping.
At the intersection of Disney Way, an OC Bus (that you'll notice had no passengers) was waiting at the light and the smaller corporate hotels built there a few years ago were all closed and empty.
More photos to come from this afternoon's bizarre walk through the Anaheim Resort District, because the closer you get to Disneyland the worse it gets!
I snapped some amateur photos with my iPhone and a shaky hand, so don't expect glamour shots, but I think pictures tell the story here perfectly.
As you'll see in the photos in the several posts below, the normally busy streets of Harbor Blvd., Disney Way, Katella Avenue, and various side streets were nearly abandoned of all cars and pedestrians. And the humans I encountered on my walk were easily divided up into only three categories:
1. Security guards, both Disneyland Security CM's and generic security guards at closed motels and restaurants.
2. Homeless People. Several bus stops had been entirely taken over by up to a dozen homeless folks, who seemed to be having a rather grand time talking and laughing and sharing bottles of mystery beverages.
3. TP2000. In my 45 minute walk, the only other humans I saw were bored security guards and the homeless folks. Seriously.
I started at an empty GardenWalk at about 4pm and noticed a few restaurants like PF Changs and Cheesecake Factory were trying bravely to offer "take out" to absolutely no one. All the hotels are closed, all the business is shuttered, so who is left in this neighborhood to order take out?
GardenWalk was blocked off just past the big restaurants facing Katella. All stores and restaurants further inside the mall are closed and not offering take out.
Across the street the old employee parking now turned into visitor parking was empty and blocked off.
After 12 years of delays from developers and a healthy dose of bungling by Anaheim City Hall, GardenWalk finally got its first hotel, a swanky JW Marriott. It was supposed to open this month, but it didn't make it. That lone silver car in the porte cochere belonged to a bored security guard sitting in the car guarding the empty hotel, which was a concept that would repeat itself at other hotels and restaurants around the area.
Walking north from the JW Marriott alongside GardenWalk, I forget the name of this side street, but as you can see it was empty. Very, very quiet! The only sound you could hear were birds chirping.
At the intersection of Disney Way, an OC Bus (that you'll notice had no passengers) was waiting at the light and the smaller corporate hotels built there a few years ago were all closed and empty.
More photos to come from this afternoon's bizarre walk through the Anaheim Resort District, because the closer you get to Disneyland the worse it gets!
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