This project has been effectively spun by a series of small businesses. The Anaheim Resort District is bigger than the little strip of hotels along Harbor.
This project will benefit:
1) Anaheim ART- Anaheim's Public Bus Service that handles Hotels within the Resort District and brings guests to destinations throughout the Resort District. The Esplanade currently acts as the central terminus for all ART Buses. Removing the buses from the Current Disneyland Resort Transportation Plaza will give ART drastically more room for exchanges. The new terminal will have something like 19 dedicated Stops for full sized Busses, plus an additional dozen or so for smaller shuttles. They're going to be designed for the larger busses currently employed, with pull in spots and more room for turns. The spots will also have spaces for potential passengers to wait and linger with trees and benches available. It will be a considerable step up for customer experience and a huge win logistically. The change will also remove all the bus traffic from the heavily trafficked Harbor and onto the easier to deal with Manchester. This will improve the effectiveness of ART, Commuters, Taxis, etc. Of course no one mentions this project is a huge boon for the "Public Private Partnership."
2) Commuters. With the elimination of Thousands of Pedestrians Crossing Harbor, the reduction of the vast majority of Vehicle Traffic into Disneyland from Harbor, and the New Parking Structure designed specifically for Traffic Mitigation this helps Commuters. They also have eliminated another driveway off of Harbor thanks to the Pedestrain Bridge. I'm sure Anaheim Residents feel like Disneyland is a "Good Neighbor" when they're stuck in gridlock. This project helps them.
3) Gardenwalk, Prospera, and Good Hope International. The walkway creates a straight shot down to businesses that have invested or are investing hundreds of millions into the Anaheim Resort District. It will dramatically reduce the hassle of getting to Gardenwalk and the businesses surrounding it. Gardenwalk has specifically mentioned the Eastern Gateway Project as a potential driver of further growth for their business because it will so increase the ease of entrance. For a move designed to "keep people away from local businesses" this sure is being designed to benefit a whole host of businesses. Remember that thing about ART? Every Anaheim business that utilizes ART will become that much more attractive as their patrons no longer have to sit in a "Baroque Period" LA traffic nightmare waiting to go back to their room, instead they can sit under a "Canopy" of trees. Step up?
4) Disneyland Guests. Disneyland's parking nightmare will be drastically lessened. People will actually be able to get a spot and walk to the park without waiting forever in security.
5) Security will keep the park safer and better able to stop rioters, stampedes, and those seeking to do harm from ever reaching the sitting ducks that are the line to get into the parks. If the 24 hour party taught us anything, it's Disneyland Security needed more space. The current transportation center is an outmoded dinosaur that does not meet today's (or even the 1990s) needs of security.
6) The entire local economy. If Cars Land taught Anaheim anything, it's let Disney build. This project will let Disneyland reclaim a piece of property that can be used for expansion. That helps every Anaheim business.
Who it hurts:
1) Hotels along Harbor. I personally I suspect this is being overblown. A person who wasn't going to stay at Grand Californian isn't going to suddenly book just because they have to walk a couple hundred extra feet. Star Wars Experience is going to make hotel rooms in high demand. The one thing that should prompt concern from these hotels is this project puts them on more equal footing with places like The Anaheim and several other players down Harbor. They just are going to have to compete on customer experience instead... Too bad.
2) Restaurants on Harbor. They too are going to have to compete with places like Gardenwalk. They really should suffer, but at the same time should it be Disneyland's job to subsidize a McDonalds Drive Through in a pricy real estate market next to one of America's biggest tourist destinations? Chew on that while everyone else heads down to Gardenwalk.
Anaheim is moving towards consolidation, with big developers working together to ensure their outcome. These small family players are inefficient and will get swept away one way or another.
Now, to the talking point "this is Disneyland's plan to buy out Harbor!" I actually believed that for a while, but reality has set in on me. Disney has proven terribly shortsighted in its handling of its property in Anaheim. Instead of making investments before they throw a billion down on expansion, they buy years after when the property market is booming. They've been perpetually playing catch up. This is simply not some genius plan to take over Harbor (I am sure that some longtime TDA Employees are enjoying themselves a little), instead it's a plan to address a plethora of Transportation, Logistical, Security, and crowd flow issues. The idea Disney would through hundreds of millions on property and infrastructure to try to drive some Mom and Pop Motels out of Business doesn't make sense. If that's the end result, I'm sure they'll snatch them up, but I'm guessing Star Wars will bridge the gap nicely for those Harbor Whiners.
Also they've talked about "penalizing those who don't stay at Disney hotels." That too doesn't make sense as Disney has something like 2400 rooms and a handful of timeshares. Penalizing most of your visitors is obviously good business. Those rooms are now regularly commanding obscene prices. They're doing just fine even without targeting Harbor Boulevard. Apparently people like staying at Disney Hotels.
Finally there's the attractiveness of the bridge. Frankly I'm not sure what the issue is. It looks like a Disneyland Bridge that matches the design of the rest of the Resort District. It's designed to provide first Responders like Ambulances, Fire trucks, and Police Cars easy access onto the bridge and into the central plaza in case of emergencies. It's design reflects that and security concerns. The reveal of Space Mountain is going to be awesome.
This project is a good thing for almost everyone except some small businesses on Harbor who will continue to prosper even with the change. Security, Guest Flow, Customer Experience, Transportation, Logistics, and the compelling other needs should make this project a no brainer.
I just can't understand the stupidity of Anaheim's City Council. Tax exemptions and refunds I can understand, but a parking garage that will make Anaheim's next big boom possible is the straw that broke the camel's back? What?!?!
Oh politics...
Edit: I'll add that Disney should have done this earlier, but they didn't. Hurting guests, commuters, Cast Members, other businesses, and even the safety of the Resort District's Guests for a Dog and Pony Show is totally irresponsible.
I'm not one of those, though.
