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DHS Parking lot remodel and expansion
- Thread starter roj2323
- Start date
So, that building was for bathrooms all along.
Now, I wonder why DHS would need such a large restroom facilities way outside the park? Hmmm...?
rescue_ranger
Active Member
Actual view of where the lines for SW:GE will start
WDWtraveler
Well-Known Member
Photo update as of Sunday, December 16, 2018. The new restrooms are now open next to the Skyliner station, between the Hollywood Studios bus terminals and entrance plaza. While the building is quite large, the restroom interior is not that big. There must be some mechanical and storage spaces within the building. There is lots of open space for crowds to gather between the bus terminals and Skyliner station. The pathway to the Epcot resorts is to the right in this photo.
Here is the view from the new section of the Epcot pathway looking back towards the new restroom and the Skyliner station in the right background. The construction fence on the left if for the new bus terminals. Right behind the photographer the original pathway connects with this new section. Of note, one portion of the new bus terminal extends almost to the edge of the original pathway, so much so that part of the bus terminal scaffolding is sitting on the original pathway. The pathway was expanded with new concrete in a small area to make up for the lost area.
The line of new blue bollards along the new pedestrian pathway alongside the Skyliner station with the great looking palm trees. The new asphalt and concrete is flush, no step up or down. The pathway leads to the Hollywood Studios bus terminals and the new restroom area.
Here is the view from the new section of the Epcot pathway looking back towards the new restroom and the Skyliner station in the right background. The construction fence on the left if for the new bus terminals. Right behind the photographer the original pathway connects with this new section. Of note, one portion of the new bus terminal extends almost to the edge of the original pathway, so much so that part of the bus terminal scaffolding is sitting on the original pathway. The pathway was expanded with new concrete in a small area to make up for the lost area.
The line of new blue bollards along the new pedestrian pathway alongside the Skyliner station with the great looking palm trees. The new asphalt and concrete is flush, no step up or down. The pathway leads to the Hollywood Studios bus terminals and the new restroom area.
The area with the glass block windows is probably a new bus office and driver break room.
You're not expounding on the full Catch-22...
If there are huge lines with six hours to get into the park, then Disney has failed to provide a good customer experience and to account for the crowds.
If there aren't huge lines, then Disney has failed to provide an experience that guests want.
FerretAfros
Well-Known Member
If I didn't know better, I would say that these bollards and flush curb have all the trappings of a tram drop-off location. Judging by aerials, it's about the same length as a tram, and is positioned with just enough space that the existing information building could be located along the edge of the turn-around.
As a design practice, flush curbs are typically avoided in areas with high pedestrian volumes, as they increase the potential for vehicle/pedestrian conflicts; it would be better for all parties if pedestrians were channelized into crosswalks. Suspiciously absent is a detectable warning surface, to indicate the presence of the motorway to low-vision pedestrians, who would otherwise rely on the curb to distinguish the edge; that would be less of a concern if this became a supervised loading area with a motorway that is only used by trams with trained drivers (though still wouldn't meet strict interpretations of ADA). Additionally, this many bollards would be a considerable expense, which makes me think this is just the start of something else.
That said, this aerial seems to show the beginnings of the curb for a turn-around at the center of the photo, within the current construction area, so maybe this area is nothing after all. Disney's transportation infrastructure has all sorts of "interesting" design choices, so this could just be another odd one
Mike730
Well-Known Member
Great analysis. Ride Share drop-off maybe?
We actually have blueprints for the parking lot, thanks to the gondola project.
Here's the old layout...
And here's the new...
The bus zone is blanked out in the above image. But, you can see where the new tram loop is going to be....
So, in the image below, yellow is medical parking (no curbs), red is the tram loop, and I don't have a clue what purple will be. That's a big space for something... maybe new security check?
Timothy_Q
Well-Known Member
Purple seems to be the area for the second tram loop that extends further and is almost parallel to Hollywood Blvd.
Or am I seeing this wrong?
jt04
Well-Known Member
Purple is for crowds entering and exiting the park.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
I know that this overhead photo is a little hard to figure out the real distance away any of this stuff is, but, unless they have some wild plan for that purple area it seems to me that the tram stop is much further away then it used to be, and so is the Bus stop for that matter. And it seems like a massive area to just have a promenade location. You could hold multiple soccer (futball) games in that much space. It's a little confusing because one of the blueprint plans show two Tram loops. Why? It just gets curiouser and curiouser. I guess we will find out when it is all done. Is one for trams and the other for drop offs like Minnie Vans?
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Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
Possible I guess, but, notice that the second one only shows up on the second blueprint. Like I said, we will know when it is completed and there will be a massive increase in capacity needs once the Once Upon a Time in a Galaxy, Far, Far Away, opens.
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peter11435
Well-Known Member
There is no second team loop. The one that appears parallels to Hollywood blvd is the the old loop. The darker one is the new.
Timothy_Q
Well-Known Member
Ah I see, thanks!
Purple is obviously where the uncovered queue and switchbacks will start to get into SW:GE. 
Mike730
Well-Known Member
The limit of new the parking lot is basically where the old bus stops were. This purple space is not that large. All they are gaining is the space occupied by the previous tram loop.
MAYBE big enough for one small weirdly shape soccer field, certainly not multiple. My best guess is they'll have a little more space for pre-opening crowds but I can't see much else happening besides plants and concrete.
MAYBE big enough for one small weirdly shape soccer field, certainly not multiple. My best guess is they'll have a little more space for pre-opening crowds but I can't see much else happening besides plants and concrete.
mergatroid
Well-Known Member
Medical parking (yellow) looks pretty much where it used to be judging by the small blue building in the purple area. This is if the blue building is the same one that was originally there?
Yes, the small blue building is still standing from of old.