New Disneyland Parking Garage and Transportation Hub

[Brenthodge]

Maybe they can allow the hotels with their east end adjacent to the pedestrian path build a gateway to the path? But then again, maybe not. It might be in their long term interest to make it harder for their guests to get to the entrance without a shuttle. Then the attractiveness of the hotels along Harbor won't seem ideal. No longer is it a short walk to the resort entrance. Costs of adding a shuttle will affect the room rates, etc. No more cheap room and easy access. I can see Disney playing a little hard ball in order to open up the possibility of buying up more hotels along that stretch of Harbor.

This was my first thought. It's almost like they are trying to make it both safer AND harder. By doing this they can say "Disney hotels on Property really ARE more convenient (Not really, but it can be made to look that way)

 

[ChiGuy4Now]

Is it just me or is it not very clear how guests using the Toy Story lot shuttle will get to the park entrance? The sidewalks in the site plan just END where they have blurred out the potential backlot expansion and there is a small set of gates or doors along Harbor south of the pedestrian bridge, indicating that area as gated or limited access.

Where will they go through security now? At the Toy Story lot? Will they be forced to walk through the pedestrian portal as well after crossing Harbor?

I know the plan is to eventually use the Toy Story lot for expansion, so maybe they're not overly concerned about that access in the grand scheme. They may already have something announced for that lot once this new parking expansion is up and running.

 

[Travel Junkie]

Is it just me or is it not very clear how guests using the Toy Story lot shuttle will get to the park entrance? The sidewalks in the site plan just END where they have blurred out the potential backlot expansion and there is a small set of gates or doors along Harbor south of the pedestrian bridge, indicating that area as gated or limited access.

Where will they go through security now? At the Toy Story lot? Will they be forced to walk through the pedestrian portal as well after crossing Harbor?

I know the plan is to eventually use the Toy Story lot for expansion, so maybe they're not overly concerned about that access in the grand scheme. They may already have something announced for that lot once this new parking expansion is up and running.

They will have to be dropped off at the transportation hub, go through the security gate, and cross Harbor.

I wouldn't be surprised if they used Toy Story for Cast Members and only use it as an overflow parking lot for guests on busy days.

 

[FerretAfros]

I'm not convinced that the Harbor Blvd crosswalk is going away. There's no access directly from Harbor Blvd to the pedestrian bridge, which makes me think that the existing crossing will remain for people coming from the hotels.

There is still a wide walkway entrance with a gate near the existing crosswalk (circled in red, below). I suspect that this will be the main pedestrian entrance. Additionally the "Disney Shuttle Drop-Off" will presumably be the Toy Story buses, which will also need security screening (access circled in blue)

With projects like this, it's not unusual to break things down into smaller individual project to specialize, or to not show a certain discipline on a plan for clarity. I don't see any meaningful road work on Harbor Blvd (other than removing the existing passenger drop-off entrances), so if any work is to be done, it would be under a separate project

Similarly, the work done in the existing bus drop-off area is a separate project that isn't being shown here. I suspect some of that space may get annexed by DCA, but there will also be a security facility there, along with a path connecting the Toy Story drop-off (and Harbor pedestrian crossing?) to the Esplanade

At Disney Way there are lines that appear to be a crosswalk at fist glance (circled in yellow), but they extend onto the sidewalk on the west side of the street and turn downward; I suspect this is actually the easement for the Edison power lines. I bet the existing crosswalk here will remain (similar to the crosswalk near the existing bus plaza), but the lines shown on the plan are for something else

As an aside, I hope that they also move the security on the west side to put all of DTD and the M&F tram inside the clean zone, to allow free-flow through the Esplanade again

As an engineer who regularly designs transit facilities that are quite similar to this (though more utilitarian), I'm totally geeking out right now! And if anybody wants a good laugh, go check out Martha Schwartz's description of the original design intent (click on the Details button on the left to find it); it's a perfect example of all the things that went wrong in the DCA1.0 era:
http://www.marthaschwartz.com/disneyland-east-esplanade-anaheim-ca-usa/#

 

[rle4lunch]

Hey everyone! So, I couldn't find a thread specifically about the new garage being built, so I figured that I'd start one! @OCDisney just posted this on Twitter:
View attachment 155374
I definitely thought it was interesting how they could definitely use that area currently used for the "Transportation Facility" for DCA expansion.

definitely!

 

[PiratesMansion]

^^I noticed that entrance by the red circle too. I hope that means that they're keeping the crosswalk but it would certainly not surprise me if they don't. It certainly fits their purposes to separate the resort and the rest of Anaheim.

There's been random talk about the crosswalk being "unsafe." Have there actually been a lot of incidents or are people saying that because they were uncomfortable with the panhandlers?

That old design of the bus complex though! I thought it was ugly now but...wow.

 

[CJR]

Although they have a reason to push for it, I don't think the crosswalk across Harbor is going away. I don't see the nearby businesses letting Anaheim approve the removal without a fight. Although Disney does have a pretty big influence, I just have trouble believing the city would go for that. It'd be a perfect example of a big corporation flexing their muscles and most people would definitely fight against Disney on it, especially locals in California. Seems to me, Disney realizes this and has a solution not well presented in the art work. I suppose we'll see though.

 

[britain]

Does the long pedestrian corridor slowly slope up to the bridge height? Or is there a more condensed ramp area I can't see?

Exciting note about the monorail change!

 

[FerretAfros]

Although they have a reason to push for it, I don't think the crosswalk across Harbor is going away. I don't see the nearby businesses letting Anaheim approve the removal without a fight. Although Disney does have a pretty big influence, I just have trouble believing the city would go for that. It'd be a perfect example of a big corporation flexing their muscles and most people would definitely fight against Disney on it, especially locals in California. Seems to me, Disney realizes this and has a solution not well presented in the art work. I suppose we'll see though.

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the crosswalk will remain. In order to allow access to the CM drop-off area, that spot will still be signalized. If there were no crosswalk, people would still attempt to cross there regardless, leading to unsafe conditions since the signal timing would likely be inadequate to cross such a wide road and drivers wouldn't expect pedestrians there.

Given the number of pedestrians and drivers who aren't familiar with the area, it's especially important to make the intended traffic rules abundantly clear and easy to use. It's better to funnel all the pedestrians into a single crossing location, and make sure that location is clear to drivers (like a normal intersection). Even if there's no entrance to the parks there, it seems unlikely that the crosswalk would be removed from a pedestrian safety perspective.

Does the long pedestrian corridor slowly slope up to the bridge height? Or is there a more condensed ramp area I can't see?

I expect the path along the Carousel Inn parcel will slowly slope upward, and the path in the existing bus plaza will slowly slope back down. Assuming the bridge surface is 20' above the roadway (17' vertical clearance with 3' structure depth), the slope would need to be approximately 400' long to be gradual enough to avoid being a "ramp" and getting all the ADA rules involved.

The proposed sloped areas are about 600' long, giving Disney plenty of room to make it gradual, and even add some level landings along the way for people to rest along the way. I would imagine that there would also be some sort of shuttle service for people with mobility impairments, since wheelchair rentals are located next to the parks, but that's more of an operational consideration than infrastructure

 

[Phroobar]

Why are the wheelchair rentals next to the parks? It seems really inconvenient for someone that needs one. Shouldn't they be near the parking structures?

 

[NobodyElse]

Does the long pedestrian corridor slowly slope up to the bridge height? Or is there a more condensed ramp area I can't see?

Exciting note about the monorail change!

I think it's a safe assumption that the entire "pedestrian connector" on the east, as well as it's meandering counter-part on the west will both gently slope up to the Harbor crossing. My guess is that the grade will just meet the requirements to eliminate the need for elevators, etc.

 

[britain]

The city buses are still going to be stopping along Harbor, right? There's got to be crosswalks. It might not be the preferred, pretty way of entering the resort, but there's got to still be some way of accessing it... But if security is now further east...

HoJo is my preferred hotel. How am I going to get in?

 

[britain]

Do we know for sure that Harbor is not being submerged?

 

[Phroobar]

I thought the walkways where going to have sidewalk elevators to the bridge just like Las Vegas does.

 

[jbradway]

The city buses are still going to be stopping along Harbor, right? There's got to be crosswalks. It might not be the preferred, pretty way of entering the resort, but there's got to still be some way of accessing it... But if security is now further east...

HoJo is my preferred hotel. How am I going to get in?

City buses will probably be re-routed onto Manchester and stop in or near the transportation facility. They could still run stop on Harbor. But only for hotel and business access - no access to parks. The crosswalks and sidewalks along Harbor may be the same situation - no park access.
Walking from the Hojo to the new transportation drop off seems like a short walk up Manchester. However, I noticed the sidewalk abruptly stops a short distance away at the Quality Inn & Suites. This seems like the city will have to extend the sidewalk. But looking at the street, it is very narrow and the easement is not wide enough for a walkway. Lots of questions about how this is really going to work.

 

[jbradway]

I thought the walkways where going to have sidewalk elevators to the bridge just like Las Vegas does.

If they did this, then the security gateway would not be in the transportation facility and instead remain at the Esplanade. I just don't see them creating alternate security checkpoints at an escalator and elevator along Harbor. That would be a huge backup there with no room to accommodate everything. With all the strollers needing to use an elevator, you can imagine the mess. That's why I think they will funnel all eastern park access through the transportation facility. Shuttle pickups in front of the hotels to drop you off at the new facility. Going to be quite the logistical challenge.

 

[britain]

Shuttle pickups in front of the hotels to drop you off at the new facility. Going to be quite the logistical challenge.

Shuttles that nickle and dime ya. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[Phroobar]

So the USCIS building is NOT part of this phase? Is that were the additional parking structure will go after this phase is complete? Seems weird there is an unrelated building in the middle of it.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Don't expect DCA to expand into the current transportation hub.

"There are no plans to expand either park onto where the current transportation hub sits between Disneyland and California Adventure."

This makes me think that the current pedestrian entrance on Harbor might remain.

http://m.ocregister.com/articles/disney-725346-parking-disneyland.html

 

[jbradway]

I'm skeptical that the monorail can make the turn into DCA as it seems to show. That would be a tighter turn than anywhere else on the current track. Perhaps if Stage 17 were demolished, it would make it much easier. I would guess that maybe they cut off the detail there because they haven't finalized that area with their DCA back lot plans. Much like the detail in the current east drop off seems to have a blank space.