If they were to purchase and expand DCA down there, they'd have to do a better job at covering the backside of Cadillac Range.
What is the water tower used for? If exclusively for Disney use, it can be moved elsewhere if needed or even made a part of any expansion of the area. If exclusively for the hotels, then if Disney does buy them then its usage wouldn't be needed anymore. So that being there doesn't seem to confirm much of anything regarding buying out that corner in my opinion.
I believe that the building in the lower corner was a bowling alley. It became storage for the park’s Christmas decor and a home for black widows (so I was told) and referred to as CalBowl.It's mostly new. If you're young enough to consider something after the first half of the Clinton Administration new.
Using that same aerial photo from 1995 to show what is now the Simba parking lot, we see that it's mostly unused farmland. But there's a few motels along what would become Disneyland Drive (then known as West Street). In the southwest corner there's a structure that is unknown to me, or at least I don't remember. It looks like it might have been a movie theater? But the majority of it is dirt, likely an old citrus orchard that had been cleared by '95 in preparation for development. The Pan Pacific Hotel (now Pixar Place Hotel) is clearly seen in '95, along with its existing parking structure.
But for the most part, the Simba Parking Lot as we know it circa 2001-2024 was non-existent in 1995.
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Thinking back to the 20th century, I mostly remember this corner of the Resort District as the location of the fabulously kitschy, even at the time, location of the several futuristic Best Western theme motels owned by the Stovall family. They were located directly south of what is now the Simba lot on Katella. (TP2000 Brush With Celebrity Greatness: I chatted a few times with the Stovall heiress at parties in the 2000's in Villa Park.)
Now that you’ve shown those wonderful pictures, I remember they did refer to it as Wonder Bowl. I’d misremembered that. What a shame we lost that amazing design!Wow, I had no idea! But I've never been much of a bowler, or a fan of any activity with rented shoes really.
I Googled up the rough address, and sure enough, you are right! It was built in 1958 and through the 1960's it was known as Wonder Bowl. And typical of the times, the design and aesthetic of the place is absolutely fabulous.
The sign says "Open Bowling 24 Hours - Free Instruction Daily - Helen Tebert In Piano Bar - Roast Sirloin Of Beef something? - Coffee Shop & Luncheon"
Here it is a few years later, judging by the '59 Ford and a 1960 DeSoto in the parking lot, and the piano bar has been rechristened as the "Gilded Cage Lounge". I bet most kids today don't know that bowling alleys in the 20th century were often home to the neighborhood's best cocktail lounge, with a smoky dancefloor and big vinyl booths to hide away in. I'd imagine that Gilded Cage Lounge had some good stories to tell by about 1965.
Anaheim sure did turn their backs on the Googie aesthetic, which is a shame. Instead, in the 1990's they went with bland corporate beige stucco for all signage. Yes, for the most part the decades of competing signage had created an eyesore by the 1990's. But in hindsight, they went way too far into making things bland and uniform in my opinion.
Maybe DisneylandForward could address that aging problem? The uniform signage code is looking rather dated and 1990's by today's standards. Time to spruce this aesthetic up and make it look a bit more fun, instead of a boring condo complex circa 1998.
Was he talking about Disneyland itself or the DLR as a whole? As a whole that makes sense with all the parking lots that can be converted. But Disneyland itself I’d be curious what all they’re thinking
Assuming the average guest lives in the Valley, that's about a 2 hour train ride. Driving is only about an hour, even with LA traffic. Personally, and I imagine this is the case for many, I would much rather be in the comfort of my own car, going at my own speed, than stuck on public transportation with strangers who probably don't smell good. That's also not to discount the many guests who come from Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and other parts of California. So, unfortunately for you, the car is not going away any time soon.
I am not from Anaheim (Not even close). I've managed all my visits without parking on property just fine, no hassle from other people. Sounds like a skill issue?
The issue is the reason why it’s a 2 hour train ride and 1 hour car ride is exactly because of the car centric planning. Theres no reason why a train ride couldn’t be faster and more comfortable than driving. But because we prioritize freeways and roads and parking over any other form of transportation, it doesn’t happen.
You only address one part of my criticism. Cars are simply more comfortable. You can go where you wish, when you wish, with no one disrupting you. Cars are the ultimate freedom. I can pack up a suitcase and go to New York right this second, no waiting around, no buying tickets, just hitting the open highway, listening to my favorite music, stopping at random places, seeing the beauty of upstate. Trains are wonderful, but they simply do not offer the flexibility and freedom provided by automobiles. I do not want my right to movement to be reliant on others; I want to be in control of where I go and when I go.
