With recent events and the potential reboot of the relationship between Disney and the City of Anaheim after the elections, I believe the most productive outcome would be to revisit the idea of a more comprehensive Resort Master Plan. Several of us have proposed ideas in a rather piecemeal fashion, but I've begun to see how some of these and a couple of new proposals might come together in a greater whole.
I just had an epiphany while I was writing another entry! I could never figure out why they seemed to have overbuilt the Western extension of Gene Autry Way to a widened Haster St.. If Disney acquired the Sunset Palms apartments (eminent domain, anyone--Garden Grove has done it), they would have direct access to the back of Toy Story Lot. An overpass over Haster would be even better and the on/off ramps to I-5 are direct to the HOV lanes. This would allow moving the entrance to the Toy Story Lot for Disney and Convention parking to Haster with direct access from the freeway. Oh, Snap! This would be a whole new ballgame for Resort and Convention parking. This has to be what Anaheim has intended all along. Sorry, I don't know how to grab a screen shot of Google Maps. (See my later entry below.)
There's some real horsetrading to be done here if Disney acquires GardenWalk and is ready to deal with Anaheim with the Toy Story and K-Lot properties. I would have no problem with Anaheim doing a deal with Disney (including tax incentives) that would result in some or all of the following;
1. CM parking structure on Harbor/Ball CM Lot.
2. Revised Eastern Gateway plan including USCIS plot after they vacate in 2020. I recommend incentives to get the motels to open a back gate to the new pedestrian approach and some kind of exit-only ramp/stairs/elevator from the East side of the bridge down to Harbor Bl.
3. Additional TDA parking North of Ball Rd. on the corner of the old Sheraton where the small hotel was demo'd.
4. Disney acquisition of GardenWalk with second hotel at Disney/Clementine and DVC on top of parking garage.
5. Possible additional parking structure on Ball CM lot.
6. Revised parking structure down the Western edge of Simba with room for one or more new Disney Hotels. And why not a four-star hotel fronting Katella on the South end of Simba owned by Disney but branded and managed by a premier hotel brand that knows who to run a four-star property? It's almost as close to the Convention Center as the Annabella and puts that back corner to good use.
7. Comprehensive development plan for Toy Story Lot and K-lot with two hotels fronting Harbor (at least one four-star), and two fronting Katella stradling the entrance from Clementine, possibly with a pedestrian bridge to Garden Walk. Definitely a pedestrian bridge over Harbor at Convention Way (this is a priority). New Toy Story Lot entrance on site of current Sunset Palms apartments with Possible vehicle overpass from Gene Autry Way. Structured parking behind the two new Harbor Hotels for Convention/Resort parking.
There are a couple of advantages in this wider approach including reinforcing the practice of Mickey and Friends/Cleo being mainly for traffic coming from the North and greater capacity and access for traffic coming from the South. It eliminates the dependence on the Magic Way approach into Pumbaa structure and city streets including the overburdened Harbor and Katella to access Toy Story. There are many variations on these ideas and probably some others not explored. But that extension of Gene Autry Way pointing at Toy Story can't be accidental--the City has to want to make that connection sooner or later.
DING, DING, DING--we have the seeds of a new Master Plan. Help us Darkbeer Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope!
I just had an epiphany while I was writing another entry! I could never figure out why they seemed to have overbuilt the Western extension of Gene Autry Way to a widened Haster St.. If Disney acquired the Sunset Palms apartments (eminent domain, anyone--Garden Grove has done it), they would have direct access to the back of Toy Story Lot. An overpass over Haster would be even better and the on/off ramps to I-5 are direct to the HOV lanes. This would allow moving the entrance to the Toy Story Lot for Disney and Convention parking to Haster with direct access from the freeway. Oh, Snap! This would be a whole new ballgame for Resort and Convention parking. This has to be what Anaheim has intended all along. Sorry, I don't know how to grab a screen shot of Google Maps. (See my later entry below.)
There's some real horsetrading to be done here if Disney acquires GardenWalk and is ready to deal with Anaheim with the Toy Story and K-Lot properties. I would have no problem with Anaheim doing a deal with Disney (including tax incentives) that would result in some or all of the following;
1. CM parking structure on Harbor/Ball CM Lot.
2. Revised Eastern Gateway plan including USCIS plot after they vacate in 2020. I recommend incentives to get the motels to open a back gate to the new pedestrian approach and some kind of exit-only ramp/stairs/elevator from the East side of the bridge down to Harbor Bl.
3. Additional TDA parking North of Ball Rd. on the corner of the old Sheraton where the small hotel was demo'd.
4. Disney acquisition of GardenWalk with second hotel at Disney/Clementine and DVC on top of parking garage.
5. Possible additional parking structure on Ball CM lot.
6. Revised parking structure down the Western edge of Simba with room for one or more new Disney Hotels. And why not a four-star hotel fronting Katella on the South end of Simba owned by Disney but branded and managed by a premier hotel brand that knows who to run a four-star property? It's almost as close to the Convention Center as the Annabella and puts that back corner to good use.
7. Comprehensive development plan for Toy Story Lot and K-lot with two hotels fronting Harbor (at least one four-star), and two fronting Katella stradling the entrance from Clementine, possibly with a pedestrian bridge to Garden Walk. Definitely a pedestrian bridge over Harbor at Convention Way (this is a priority). New Toy Story Lot entrance on site of current Sunset Palms apartments with Possible vehicle overpass from Gene Autry Way. Structured parking behind the two new Harbor Hotels for Convention/Resort parking.
There are a couple of advantages in this wider approach including reinforcing the practice of Mickey and Friends/Cleo being mainly for traffic coming from the North and greater capacity and access for traffic coming from the South. It eliminates the dependence on the Magic Way approach into Pumbaa structure and city streets including the overburdened Harbor and Katella to access Toy Story. There are many variations on these ideas and probably some others not explored. But that extension of Gene Autry Way pointing at Toy Story can't be accidental--the City has to want to make that connection sooner or later.
DING, DING, DING--we have the seeds of a new Master Plan. Help us Darkbeer Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope!
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