The Downtown Disney Thread

[Disney Irish]

Or somebody just went to Cedar Point. Put the signage of the first photo together with the restroom picture, and that's basically what they built at Downtown Disney:

View attachment 788661View attachment 788662

Not if you consider they put the same signage on the Coffee Shop at DLH -

Just because other parks or whatever have used the same signage and similar look doesn't mean it still not suppose to be reminiscent of the Old Studio lot. Its part of the theme they were going for.

 

[Nland316]

Genuine question — how does this Downtown Disney refresh work with DL Forward? I’m sure it’s been thought out, but is the area pretty certain to be unaffected by any of the future theme park expansions?

 

[Disney Irish]

Genuine question — how does this Downtown Disney refresh work with DL Forward? I’m sure it’s been thought out, but is the area pretty certain to be unaffected by any of the future theme park expansions?

I don't think its certain at this point as no explicit details have been provided on future impacts of the area. I suspect though that anything built now is meant to stay in place for at least 5-10 years if not more.

 

[SSG]

 

[DLR92]

While I love Washingtonia palms...Disney couldn't opt for Date palms or Canary date palms? A little more shade.

 

[Disney Irish]

While I love Washiontonia palms...Disney couldn't opt for Date palms or Canary date palms? A little more shade.

Its probably because they aren't meant for shade but aesthetic. They aren't known as the California Palm Tree for no reason, they are most common and native to the region. I have two in my front yard that are almost 100ft tall.

 

[DLR92]

Its probably because they aren't meant for shade but aesthetic. They aren't known as the California Palm Tree for no reason, they are most common and native to the region. I have two in my front yard that are almost 100ft tall.

No, these are Washingtonia robusta-Mexican fan palm. California fan palm
have thicker trunk and bigger leaf canopy, won’t grow super tall and lanky. Not as cultivated like we see in commonly in California.
Much of Palm Springs area have both Washingtonia palms.

 

[Disney Irish]

No, these are Washingtonia robusta-Mexican fan palm. California fan palm
have thicker trunk and bigger leaf canopy, won’t grow super tall and lanky. Not as cultivated like we see in commonly in California.
Much of Palm Springs area have both Washingtonia palms.

Ok, guess I couldn't tell the difference between the two as they look like mine except not as tall and mature.

Anyways I have whatever variety of Washingtonia Palm that can grow to 100ft tall or more. I was always told it was a California Fan Palm, which are common and native to California.

 

[chadwpalm]

No, these are Washingtonia robusta-Mexican fan palm. California fan palm
have thicker trunk and bigger leaf canopy, won’t grow super tall and lanky. Not as cultivated like we see in commonly in California.
Much of Palm Springs area have both Washingtonia palms.

The one thing I remember from working as a drafter for a landscape architect in the Palm Springs area many years ago is that Washingtonia Robusta were the tall skinny ones (robust) and the Washingtonia Filifera were the shorter (fat) ones.

 

[TP2000]

Just out of curiosity, I zoomed in on what they are calling Men and Women restrooms now, in the first new restrooms built since post-Covid and the addition of the Inclusion Key as part of their new corporate culture. Since they can no longer say "Ladies and Gentlemen" in park spiels, and CM's have to call you "Friend" now instead of Sir or Ma'am, I was wondering how they are identifying the entrances to the Men and Women restrooms now.

Turns out... the two different restrooms are called Men and Women. Like it's still 1955 or something!?!

 

[chadwpalm]

Could they eventual build multilevel parking structure here to service DTD and PPH? At least after the Simba lot starts getting allocated to theme park space later down the road.

I think it was Fresh Baked that noticed the DLH convention center space looked a lot like a parking garage in the concept art. That could eventually service the DLH guests.

Despite the concept art, I think the DCA expansion will probably just stay within this area and not be up toward DTD anymore:

I also think second entrances into the parks from DTD is something else from the concept art we probably won't get. I think they should just finish DTD with replacements for Rainforest and ESPN and everything north of that be part of DL expansion. Keep the path from Pixar Pals garage to DTD (maybe tighten it up closer to DL Dr. and have it enter where Rainforest is now with a similar looking bag check area they just completed on the south side, then build more shops/restaurants between that and ESPN area.

 

[chadwpalm]

A larger scale of my thoughts:

Blue boxes: Theme parks
Purple boxes: Parking garages (Left for DLH, right for DTD/PPH)
Green Box: North DTD entry from PP/MF parking structures
Red Box: Another DTD restaurant or shops
Yellow Line: New path from PP/MF to DTD (would have to go under bridge between DL proper and expansion
Pink Circles: DTD entrances. Left for DLH, top for PP/MF, bottom for PPH and new parking garage

 

[mickEblu]

Its located next what is currently the DTD parking lot next to the PPH off of Paradise Way and will replace the existing DTD security next to the DLH which will be turned into exclusive DLH security.

View attachment 788654


As for what they will do once Simba Lot is turned into theme park space, my guess is it will have a separate security entrance. That is if they don't turn the whole area into a big security bubble, which I still think is possible.

Thanks. What was there before? Did the AMC go back that far?

 

[Disney Irish]

Thanks. What was there before? Did the AMC go back that far?

Yes, that is exactly where AMC was previously. There is probably a map screenshot of the area pre-change when AMC existed on the forum somewhere, maybe even this thread.

 

[Communicora]

I love the breeze block.

 

[chadwpalm]

Yes, that is exactly where AMC was previously. There is probably a map screenshot of the area pre-change when AMC existed on the forum somewhere, maybe even this thread.

Google Earth to the rescue!

 

[Disney Irish]

Google Earth to the rescue!

View attachment 788816 View attachment 788817

Thanks!

 

[Ismael Flores]

Genuine question — how does this Downtown Disney refresh work with DL Forward? I’m sure it’s been thought out, but is the area pretty certain to be unaffected by any of the future theme park expansions?

If we go by the artwork they released, it looks that they at least have an idea of layout for that area.
The art shows the area used by the rainforest cafe as being a future gate entrance.

The northern and southern area of the expansion are connected by a corridor used as park expansion. The area looks like it would butt up against the hotel on the west side and up against the new Din Tai Fung.

If we go by that layout it seems like downtown Disney would consist only of what is being built at the moment. ESPN and Rainforest would be demolished for theme park use.

The new additions can technically use the newly built security gate area as an exit from theme park to DTD giving that area plenty of foottraffic.

The question is how do they get disneyland hotel guests from that property thru the park area and to DTD so they can head over to DCA and Disneyland.

 

[Ismael Flores]

How interesting would it be if they decide to get rid of DTD west of the bridge.

Add gates to the bridge and make that an entrance to the park. Disneyland hotel would become a new hotel inside the park

 

[Ismael Flores]

The one thing I remember from working as a drafter for a landscape architect in the Palm Springs area many years ago is that Washingtonia Robusta were the tall skinny ones (robust) and the Washingtonia Filifera were the shorter (fat) ones.

A bit of trivia and information regarding the California fan palm-
Washingtonia filifera is actually native to the Palm Springs area. When the area was pretty much taken from the Indians The Palm were taken and later spread thru California.

The Cahuilla Indians used the palms fruit for nourishment and the fan leaves to make their housing all their woven materials used in kitchen and pretty much everything else.they were also indicators of water in a dry isolated desert
According to legend a tribal leader realized his time on earth was coming to an end.
He decided he needed to leave his people and earth something. He announced he would now be called Moul and then stood straight and erect as his body started growing bark and eventually a strong a Palm and that was the birth of the largest oasis and concentration of Palms that still exist.

That is also one of the reason why they allow the palms to naturally loose their dead fronds.
along with the fact that removing fronds down to the main trunk actually ages the palm and makes it weak