'Disney Springs' - Downtown Disney expansion officially announced

[Tip Top Club]

Sorry, This:

Why would they? These won't be nearly as large as Universal's Parking Garages, and they will be literally within feet of the entrances.

Was in response to this:

I wonder if they will be installing the moving walkways like Universal did from their parking garage.

Count me in the YAY parking garage club. I know how terrible it is to park at Downtown Disney. And I know the Transportation Nightmares as well.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

Woopsie! Well I'll just shuddap now. LOL!

 

[bethymouse]

Wow! Good idea, but 85 mill! Ouch! I wish they'd put that $ into DHS or AK.

 

[DocMcHulk]

Wow! Good idea, but 85 mill! Ouch! I wish they'd put that $ into DHS or AK.

parking garages are not cheap. $85m divided by 6000 is about $14,166.67 per space. I've read it can cost up to $20,000 per space on average. Traditional parking costs around $4000 per space.

 

[Disnee4Me]

At 2 people per car, that's a possible additional 12,000 people in DTD all at once ... that part I am not happy about!!

 

[DocMcHulk]

At 2 people per car, that's a possible additional 12,000 people in DTD all at once ... that part I am not happy about!!

I thin kyour math is off. They are adding about 1700 spaces. So, it really only an additional 3400.

 

[Timekeeper]

Garages to facilitate parking at a popular theme park area? What a wonderful idea! I'm just surprised that nobody else has...

 

[Disnee4Me]

I thin kyour math is off. They are adding about 1700 spaces. So, it really only an additional 3400.

You know I was never good at math!! I was looking at the total parking spaces (6000) and thinking that was the ADDITION. Sorry!!

 

[Tim_4]

Wow! Good idea, but 85 mill! Ouch! I wish they'd put that $ into DHS or AK.

$85M wouldn't build a durn thing you'd actually care about at DHS or DAK.

At 2 people per car, that's a possible additional 12,000 people in DTD all at once ... that part I am not happy about!!

You're assuming the garages will be 100% full. They won't be. Also, DTD will be enormous compared to its current state and should "eat" the crowds. My guess is that Disney Springs will actually FEEL less crowded than the current Downtown Disney, except for maybe the AMC area on a big Avengers-caliber opening weekend.

 

[JeffH]

One will be a four-story structure with about 4,000 spaces,
...and another will be three stories and have about 2,000 spaces.
I assume that one will be built in front of the World of Disney.
I assume that the other will be built in front of the AMC Theaters.
I assume that since the plans call for the DD expansion to utilize the parking area next to T-Rex for new shops, that they will be smart enough to build the parking garage in front of the AMC Theaters first (and ASAP), so that it can provide parking for the east-side when they eliminate ALL the parking over there to built that parking garage, the new bus depot, and the new shops.
While they are building the parking garage in front of the AMC Theaters, the existing parking (west-most spaces and the back-west-side parking) should adequately support the parking needs of the west-side (although the handicapped attending the theaters would be somewhat inconvenienced).
Then while the east-side undergoes construction, it would be nice if they provided some transportation between the new garage and the east-side (or create a covered corridor between the parking garage and the T-Rex entrance to the east-side).

 

[Nmoody1]

Anyone thinking we may see charging introduced for DTD parking?

 

[Tim_4]

Anyone thinking we may see charging introduced for DTD parking?

Continued free parking has been confirmed. It doesn't make business sense anyways. Charging for parking will do nothing but discourage people from coming into a place full of shopping and dining. A lot of locals avoid CityWalk for just that reason.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Anyone thinking we may see charging introduced for DTD parking?

There was a statement that said it wasn't going to.

 

[JeffH]

In the end, considering increased attendance, the east-side will still be tight since I assume it will lose all ~2600 spaces and be replaced by one of the 3000 space parking garages. So even a 15% increase in attendance will fill that entire parking garage
Maybe they will build the west parking garage closer to the east parking garage, in the Planet Hollywood parking lot extending over into the AMC parking lot? That would provide the maximum parking for both sides, and half of the west parking lot would then serve the 'western' east-side of the providing adequate parking for those patrons.
The are also building a new exit ramp off of I-4 that will direct cars right into one of the parking garages, so that will eliminate a LOT of the parking hassles.

 

[Rob562]

With any luck, they'll install an empty-parking spot locator system like the garage at BWI airport has. Above each space is an occupancy sensor and red/green lights. When a car parks in the spot the sensor sees it and changes the light from green to red. As you drive down the aisle, you can easily pick out the green lights.

The sensors also feed into an overall system that displays how many spots are available on each level as you enter the garage, and a sign at the end of each row showing how many spots are open in that row.

-Rob

 

[draybook]

Anyone thinking we may see charging introduced for DTD parking?

Nope.

 

[Master Yoda]

In the end, considering increased attendance, the east-side will still be tight since I assume it will lose all ~2600 spaces and be replaced by one of the 3000 space parking garages. So even a 15% increase in attendance will fill that entire parking garage
Maybe they will build the west parking garage closer to the east parking garage, in the Planet Hollywood parking lot extending over into the AMC parking lot? That would provide the maximum parking for both sides, and half of the west parking lot would then serve the 'western' east-side of the providing adequate parking for those patrons.
The are also building a new exit ramp off of I-4 that will direct cars right into one of the parking garages, so that will eliminate a LOT of the parking hassles.

Do you have conformation of this? I know it was long rumored, but it seemed to be missing from the current plans.

 

[JeffH]

Considering that this project (Disney Springs) will double the number of dining, shopping and entertainment venues from 75 to more that 150, they will need all the parking they can squeeze in there.
Details on the parking garages are confusing, the Orlando Sentinel refers to them as 'twin garages', yet later reports that the "'three- and four-story garages...", I guess they are fraternal twins
The article later clarifies stating "the Downtown Disney garages are still in the design stage, Reedy Creek's Warren said that one will be a four-story structure with about 4,000 spaces, and another will be three stories and have about 2,000 spaces."
So I hope the 4,000 space parking garage will be serving the east-side.

Reedy Creek has tentatively budgeted about $250 million total for all the infrastructure upgrades — including widening Buena Vista Drive — that will be made as part of Downtown Disney's expansion.

 

[Timekeeper]

...or they could just build a monorail to DTD

 

[Goofyernmost]

Woopsie! Well I'll just shuddap now. LOL!

Why shaddap?...if everyone that posts on these boards ever worried about whether or not what they said was or had anything to do with the topic, it would only take about 10 minutes to read a weeks worth of posts.