New Disneyland Parking Garage and Transportation Hub

[TP2000]

Checking Enterprise for August 27-28, you can rent an economy car at
Orlando International airport, FL for $16.99 per day
John Wayne airport, CA for $33.17 per day

Sounds more like Disneyland should have Magical Express in order to drive DOWN car rentals in Orange county like it did in Florida.

I use Hertz when I travel. And I've never hassled with Magical Express or the sad and smelly bus system at WDW, I rent a car and drive where/when I want while at WDW. It's fun to be free!

Hertz is the same situation, with the same five day period for Columbus Day weekend this October, with a full-size Impala in both cities;

$193 when rented at Orlando International Airport
$294 when rented at John Wayne Orange County International Airport

The real hurt is when you try to book this same vehicle/itinerary at the biggest convention town in the world, Las Vegas.

$540 when rented at McCarran Las Vegas International Airport. Which is why I've always taken a taxicab anytime I go to Vegas.

 

[TP2000]

With all due respect, you deleted and ignored the rest of my post:

I disagree. I see nothing in the site plan that indicates a pedestrian entrance from Harbor. I think this is aimed directly at businesses on Harbor. I foresee vigorous questioning and/or objections from area business in the permit approval process. Disney is absolutely capable of being this voracious. Look at how they implemented Magic Express in Orlando, driving up car rental rates compared to other tourist/convention destinations and how they bullied the high-speed rail effort to drop any station on International Drive (Sea World/Universal) if Disney allowed a station on their property.​

I did edit out the rest of your post, but I did that because it didn't quite make sense to me nor did it seem to equate to anything that might play out in Anaheim on the eastern side of that two block stretch of Harbor Blvd.

That said, I've enjoyed your insight into these types of rumor and news topics, keep it coming!

Florida's high-speed rail thing in 2009 was fascinating, but it also was dead by 2010 due to forces beyond Disney's control. The closest example for Anaheim would be the streetcar that was to run right to Disneyland's entrance on Harbor, but it sputtered along without funding from 2009 to 2014 (the Feds hated it and said it failed to meet their criteria for funding), and it finally died in 2015. A streetcar track or station is not represented on any of these plans Disney presented to the city.

Like high-speed rail in Florida, it died all on its own without Disney's help
.

 

[yookeroo]

Cheapest place I've ever rented a car is Orlando.

OK. Didn't answer the question though.

That doesn't make sense. Wouldn't the car rental places lower their rates in order to get people to rent a car instead of using Magical Express?

This was what I was thinking. If anything, this sort of competition should lower car rental rates. But I might be missing something.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Checking Enterprise for August 27-28, you can rent an economy car at
Orlando International airport, FL for $16.99 per day

Wow, that's an incredible rate.

 

[Phroobar]

Wow, that's an incredible rate.

That was just a random search.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I did edit out the rest of your post, but I did that because it didn't quite make sense to me nor did it seem to equate to anything that might play out in Anaheim on the eastern side of that two block stretch of Harbor Blvd.

That said, I've enjoyed your insight into these types of rumor and news topics, keep it coming!

Florida's high-speed rail thing in 2009 was fascinating, but it also was dead by 2010 due to forces beyond Disney's control. The closest example for Anaheim would be the streetcar that was to run right to Disneyland's entrance on Harbor, but it sputtered along without funding from 2009 to 2014 (the Feds hated it and said it failed to meet their criteria for funding), and it finally died in 2015. A streetcar track or station is not represented on any of these plans Disney presented to the city.

Like high-speed rail in Florida, it died all on its own without Disney's help
.

Thank you for the compliment. You are clearly a valued contributor here. But you ignore both the point I was making about the 2009 high-speed rail effort and Magic Express altogether. My point was that Disney's actions there clearly demonstrated their voracious nature and that's the corollary to the possible ending of pedestrian access to DL from Harbor BL. I cannot prove that this is their intention based purely on inference from an incomplete plot plan, but I believe there is evidence to suspect their motive and method until proven otherwise.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

I did edit out the rest of your post, but I did that because it didn't quite make sense to me nor did it seem to equate to anything that might play out in Anaheim on the eastern side of that two block stretch of Harbor Blvd.

That said, I've enjoyed your insight into these types of rumor and news topics, keep it coming!

Florida's high-speed rail thing in 2009 was fascinating, but it also was dead by 2010 due to forces beyond Disney's control. The closest example for Anaheim would be the streetcar that was to run right to Disneyland's entrance on Harbor, but it sputtered along without funding from 2009 to 2014 (the Feds hated it and said it failed to meet their criteria for funding), and it finally died in 2015. A streetcar track or station is not represented on any of these plans Disney presented to the city.

Like high-speed rail in Florida, it died all on its own without Disney's help
.

OK, great fact check. I was basing my comment on reports from the early post--Magic Express implementation that claimed big increases in rental rates for Orlando. What I remember is comparisons to Las Vegas that were basically equivalent pre-ME, and disparately higher for Orlando afterwards.

If I have this wrong, or am simply out of date, I apologize.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

OK, after reading several recent posts, I realize I was deficient in making my argument. When I said Disney was "voracious", I meant that I believe Disney has demonstrated that they are willing to go to fairly extreme lengths to keep visitors from visiting their competitors. I used the high-speed rail and Magic Express examples as evidence. Similarly, the price structure of multi-day passes shows that they are willing to coerce guests to stay on-property. The price differential for 4-5-6-7-day park hoppers vs. 1-2-3-days is ludicrous.

We don't know that there will be no pedestrian entrance on Harbor. I think it would be a bit extreme, even for Disney at its worst--it would be far to obvious to even the most casual observer. But I think they are totally capable of it--look, they gave us DCA 1.0, TL '98, and Light Tragic.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

My point was that Disney's actions there clearly demonstrated their voracious nature and that's the corollary to the possible ending of pedestrian access to DL from Harbor BL.

Isn't that a bit if a stretch through? What advantage does Disney gain by cutting off park visitors from nearby businesses and motels? It's not like Knott's or Universal has a competing park across the street.

 

[truecoat]

Isn't that a bit if a stretch through? What advantage does Disney gain by cutting off park visitors from nearby businesses and motels? It's not like Knott's or Universal has a competing park across the street.

Then there will be no option for eating outside the park besides DTD. No option to get a rain poncho or sweatshirt back in the room and they'll have to buy a new one.

 

[Burgower1994]

Q. What’s going to happen to the Carousel Inn?

A. It will close sometime in October and eventually be razed. A spokesman for Wincome Group, which manages the property for Disney, said the hotel is relocating the 55 employees or helping them find a new job at a nearby hotel.

Q. How about the Pizza Press, which was also on the Carousel Inn property?

A. Disney’s lease with Pizza Press ends in April.

Q. Will visitors staying at nearby non-Disney hotels be forced to walk around to the Eastern Gateway transit facility on Manchester Avenue to get to the Disneyland Resort?

A. Guests staying in the hotels or motels on Harbor will be able to access the resort without going through the Eastern Gateway. The plans are still being developed but there will be another entrance with a security point for those entering on Harbor.

Q. Will nearby hotels or motels have backside access to the Eastern Gateway?

A. Disney has no plans to create an access point behind the hotels and motels on Harbor.

Q. Will people walking on Harbor have access to the pedestrian bridge linking the new transportation hub with the theme parks, similar to the bridges that connect some hotels in Las Vegas?

A. There will not be a direct access to the pedestrian connector or bridge from Harbor. However, vistitors can use a pedestrian pathway at Harbor and Disney Way directly to the Eastern Gateway.

Q. What will the pedestrian walkway and bridge over Harbor look like?

A. The bridge may be similar to the one visitors cross in Downtown Disney over Disneyland Drive. Visitors may not have noticed that they are using the well-disguised bridge, because planters and tall hedges hide the view of the street. There will be a limited amount of retail and food vendors along the pedestrian walkway.

Q. How far is the walk from the Eastern Gateway security checkpoint, on the east side of Harbor, where the theme parks’ new transportation hub will be, to the esplanade that leads to the theme parks’ main gates?

A. The walk is about a half-mile, or 10 minutes. There will be shuttles to take handicap visitors to a drop-off area near the esplanade.

Q. Will there be a new route for the Monorail? Is there a chance Disney California Adventure will expand into the area that now holds the transit hub?

A. It’s unclear if the route will change. And Disney says that the design for the main entryway, where the current transportation hub sits, is in progress.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disney-725945-harbor-bridge.html

 

[SSG]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disney-725945-harbor-bridge.html

Good news for the Harbor hotels.

 

[LukaLand]

Wow, I guess we are going to get some new shops and restaurants!

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Wow, I guess we are going to get some new shops and restaurants!

And direct access from Harbor via both the new bridge or by using ground level pedestrian entrances as is done now. So it sounds like the HoJo "DtD east" rumor just might be true after all, however it isn't clear from the article exactly where along the path from the Esplanade to the Eastern Gateway those new retail locations will be built. In relation to that, I found this bit interesting:

"And Disney says that the design for the main entryway, where the current transportation hub sits, is in progress."

 

[NobodyElse]

Wow, I guess we are going to get some new shops and restaurants!

Or "There will be a limited amount of retail and food vendors along the pedestrian walkway.". I think it's more likely that we see kiosks, and perhaps something like a Starbucks.

 

[LukaLand]

Or "There will be a limited amount of retail and food vendors along the pedestrian walkway.". I think it's more likely that we see kiosks, and perhaps something like a Starbucks.

I'm assuming its going to be similar to the other little strip of kiosks in DTD, which aren't Disney food/merch. Plus of course a DVC kiosk. Starbucks would be good, and probably not far fetched based on the lines I've waited in. Sounds good to me. More distractions on the way in, why not?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Starbucks would be good

As a tourist I would appreciate another good coffee option besides Starbucks. Their coffees aren't anything remarkable. Is there a local roastery that Disney could showcase? There has to be.

 

[NobodyElse]

As a tourist I would appreciate another good coffee option besides Starbucks. Their coffees aren't anything remarkable. Is there a local roastery that Disney could showcase? There has to be.

Kéan Coffee would get my vote. Unfortunately, they might not be the best fit for folks wanting a super-fast coffee between the bridge and turnstiles.

 

[TP2000]

This is a fun picture to look at, provided by Disney to the Orange County Register. I'll post it again just for impact.

I love that the new security areas are permanent, purposeful, and modern. In fact I love that the entire aesthetic of this entry is modern yet very lush. Although obviously they've obscured all the bus loading zones with too many trees and greens. The swoopy marquee at the entrance to the bridge is fun too.

This is a dramatic improvement than the entry areas built in the cheap and lazy Paul Pressler era of the late 1990's. So much better!

 

[TP2000]

Wow, I guess we are going to get some new shops and restaurants!

Disney specifically used the words... "There will be a limited amount of retail and food vendors along the pedestrian walkway."

That sounds a lot like what is found along the existing Downtown Disney bridge over Disneyland Drive, since 2001. Vendors along the bridge walkway.