Here is a proposed Imagineering project, which is a new 2-story dining-seating structure built where Disneyland's River Belle Terrace outdoor dining seating is. The project also includes widening the walkway between River Belle Terrace and Pirates of the Caribbean to relieve traffic congestion from Adventureland at this pinch point, which would sacrifice some ground-level outdoor dining area. As well, the new dining structure would be separated from the existing historic River Belle Terrace structure, creating a charming explorable alley between the buildings and in the area in front of the Stage Door Cafe.
Details:
1. The area between Stage Door Cafe and River Belle Terrace, and including the River Belle Terrace's current outdoor dining area, are at the heart of Disneyland Park but is underexploited. It offers little impactful place-making, and the array of outdoor umbrellas evokes 1960s-1970s amusement park, rather than the 1800s Frontier, diminishing thematic immersion. It is also an under-maximized (one-story) use of key real estate at a high-traffic location within view of Fantasmic and river traffic.
2. A two-story dining structure offers an opportunity to add best-in-class thematic place-making along the waterfront (which would be enhanced with a river dock-style boardwalk along the waterfront), and valuable revenue-generating Fantastic viewing and dining packages.
3. The highly-themed facade of the two-story dining structure would extend the front-plane of the Golden Horseshoe facade, creating cohesion as a "waterfront street." The plaza area in front of Stage Door Cafe, now defined as a courtyard or side-alley, is an opportunity for a more appealing and defined thematic space. (In essence, it would be more successful in the ways that the negative-spaces of New Orleans Square are more appealing -- and charming -- because of the definition created by the structures.)
4. All historic buildings are preserved and the view of the recognizable portico is also maintained from the walkway and Mark Twain.
5. There is no reduction in walkway space as the footprint of the new structure would be where outdoor dining currently exists. Rather, traffic flow would be improved by widening the pinch-point at Pirate of the Caribbean.
Here's what the area looks like currently:
Details:
1. The area between Stage Door Cafe and River Belle Terrace, and including the River Belle Terrace's current outdoor dining area, are at the heart of Disneyland Park but is underexploited. It offers little impactful place-making, and the array of outdoor umbrellas evokes 1960s-1970s amusement park, rather than the 1800s Frontier, diminishing thematic immersion. It is also an under-maximized (one-story) use of key real estate at a high-traffic location within view of Fantasmic and river traffic.
2. A two-story dining structure offers an opportunity to add best-in-class thematic place-making along the waterfront (which would be enhanced with a river dock-style boardwalk along the waterfront), and valuable revenue-generating Fantastic viewing and dining packages.
3. The highly-themed facade of the two-story dining structure would extend the front-plane of the Golden Horseshoe facade, creating cohesion as a "waterfront street." The plaza area in front of Stage Door Cafe, now defined as a courtyard or side-alley, is an opportunity for a more appealing and defined thematic space. (In essence, it would be more successful in the ways that the negative-spaces of New Orleans Square are more appealing -- and charming -- because of the definition created by the structures.)
4. All historic buildings are preserved and the view of the recognizable portico is also maintained from the walkway and Mark Twain.
5. There is no reduction in walkway space as the footprint of the new structure would be where outdoor dining currently exists. Rather, traffic flow would be improved by widening the pinch-point at Pirate of the Caribbean.
Here's what the area looks like currently:
Last edited:
