'Disney Springs' - Downtown Disney expansion officially announced

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maxairmike

Well-Known Member
That's the funny thing, the RCID also helps keep Disney shareholders happy because it takes most of the infrastructure costs off of the Disney Co, even though they're really paying for it anyway. I'm always amazed at what Disney got away with for the RCID when I think about stuff like this. Disney pays taxes to the District, and they get to keep the city-planning costs off their books, all while off-setting those costs with bonds and other public funds and grants through the District.
 
the.dreamfinder

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
I am interested in learning what the garages will look like from the DTD shops and across the lake at SSR. Universal's garages are unsightly but at least they are far removed from the theme parks, not really noticeable. I wonder what a 3-or-4 story parking behemoth is going to looking like while strolling through DTD. I'm sure Disney is taking it into consideration but inquiring minds want to know!
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I've been wondering about that as well. Do we know how many stories these parking structures will be?
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
JeffH said:
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.
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I think you are overestimating the size of the garages. From the model it looks like there will still be spots out further and there has been some art work that showed parking on the other side of the road near the new confirmed off ramps for overflow. Much more that a 15% increase.

Appreciate all the effort you have put into this.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
I am interested in learning what the garages will look like from the DTD shops and across the lake at SSR. Universal's garages are unsightly but at least they are far removed from the theme parks, not really noticeable. I wonder what a 3-or-4 story parking behemoth is going to looking like while strolling through DTD. I'm sure Disney is taking it into consideration but inquiring minds want to know!
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From the model it appears to my eye that they will not be visible at all as the spaces on the former PI are very narrow or covered and many of the buildings are multi-story.

West Side has massive structures that will easily hide them from view. The Marketplace is getting new buildings such as the expanded Disney store that will mostly hide the garages. As I have said, it looks like a lot of thought has gone into the design including carefully crafting sightlines.

They may be most noticeable from across the lake but there will be so much going on visually in the foreground I'd guess no one will notice.

Nothing to worry about.
 
Genie of the Lamp

Genie of the Lamp

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
From the model it appears to my eye that they will not be visible at all as the spaces on the former PI are very narrow or covered and many of the buildings are multi-story.

West End has massive structures that will easily hide them from view. The Marketplace is getting new buildings such as the expanded Disney store that will mostly hide the garages. As I have said, it looks like a lot of thought has gone into the design including carefully crafting sightlines.

They may be most noticeable from across the lake but there will be so much going on visually in the foreground I'd guess no one will notice.

Nothing to worry about.
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Yeah the last thing I would want to see while staying at SSR would be to see those BAPG's. But like you said, most of the new buildings will be multi-story so they should be able to cover the majority of the parking garage building spaces. And one more thing, not to be nitpicking your arguement as I'm sure you just made a typo, but the one area in DTD now DS it isn't called West End, it's called West Side (way I remember it is West Side Story and don't ask why). But yeah, the new retail and restaurants will be the eye candy, not the parking garages.;)
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
Genie of the Lamp said:
Yeah the last thing I would want to see while staying at SSR would be to see those BAPG's. But like you said, most of the new buildings will be multi-story so they should be able to cover the majority of the parking garage building spaces. And one more thing, not to be nitpicking your arguement as I'm sure you just made a typo, but the one area in DTD now DS it isn't called West End, it's called West Side (way I remember it is West Side Story and don't ask why). But yeah, the new retail and restaurants will be the eye candy, not the parking garages.;)
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Fixed.

The parking garages can also have some bling added on the sides facing DS. I think Imagineering has probably already designed this in. I am very optimistic about it.
 
ParentsOf4

ParentsOf4

Well-Known Member
jt04 said:
They may be most noticeable from across the lake but there will be so much going on visually in the foreground I'd guess no one will notice.
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I wonder what they will look like from (for example) in front of the Lego Store. Again, I'm sure sightlines are being taken into consideration but it will be interesting to see how Disney blends in the garage so it doesn't overwhelm the views between the existing West Side buildings or when futher back at, for example, Fulton's.

I gotta believe it will be much more noticeable from SSR. I'm sure Disney will do their best.
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
ParentsOf4 said:
I wonder what they will look like from (for example) in front of the Lego Store. Again, I'm sure sightlines are being taken into consideration but it will be interesting to see how Disney blends in the garage so it doesn't overwhelm the views between the existing West Side buildings or when futher back at, for example, Fulton's.

I gotta believe it will be much more noticeable from SSR. I'm sure Disney will do their best.
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I agree the area around Fultons, the Empress Lily and Lego will be most noticeable. But like Point Orlando, once in the complex I doubt you will give it a second thought and I am sure WDI will do a better job aesthetically. They are not trying to recreate a Disney theme park. They are building a lifestyle center designed by the mouse. Even now you see parking lots and cars and busses it just is not that distracting.
 
M

Mouse Detective

Well-Known Member
maxairmike said:
I don't think the ramp extension (that's what it is, an extension of the 536/Epcot ramp, not a new ramp) will be "announced" by Disney at all, or if it is it will be late in the game. It will be a RCID project with Disney "contributing," so the best things to look for would be whatever kind of documents and procedures that Orange County goes through for other I-4 construction projects.
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I-4 is a state road (SR 400) and of course SR 536 is a state road. So if they're going to build a new exit ramp, it will be in conjunction with Florida DOT, not Orange County.
 
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maxairmike

Well-Known Member
Ah yes, got my jurisdictions messed up, but it also wouldn't be a new ramp. I would be curious how they would handle the zoning for any extension and its maintenance, since its "termination" wouldn't happen until well into the current RCID boundaries (if you look on Google Maps, you can see the change in pavement color on 536 immediately after the ramp "terminates," which is the RCID boundary for the road's maintenance, and may also be the real RCID boundary there, I'd have to look at a different map for that).
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
JeffH said:
Doing a spot count of the existing parking for comparison and reference, I have counted the following so far (east to west):
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Thank you for doing the survey that I wanted to do.. but could not motivate myself enough to actual do :) Thanks for sharing your counts!
 
flynnibus

flynnibus

Premium Member
ParentsOf4 said:
I wonder what they will look like from (for example) in front of the Lego Store. Again, I'm sure sightlines are being taken into consideration but it will be interesting to see how Disney blends in the garage so it doesn't overwhelm the views between the existing West Side buildings or when futher back at, for example, Fulton's.

I gotta believe it will be much more noticeable from SSR. I'm sure Disney will do their best.
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I don't think it will be a huge deal.. for areas inside DTD.. the tall buildings close to you will block out any view of the garages set further back. I imagine from SSR you would see them above the rooflines.. but besides seeing straight lines vs a mash-up of roofs.. I doubt it will look all that different. Heck, Disney could even paint various shading and structures on them to help mask them.. or attach fake fascades to break up what would otherwise be a long straight line. In short.. I think there are reasonable solutions if it were a problem.
 

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