West Side Parking Garage construction

[mm121]

Just looked at the parking garage facade photos. Yep, as ugly as I thought they'd be.

Not sure how else you'd camouflage a HUGE 5 story parking garage, the theming inside the new Disney Springs should make up for it though.

A parking garage, no matter what you do to it, still looks like a parking garage.

The garages at Uni dont have facades at all, so least they are attempting to make them look good.

 

[jt04]

Not sure how else you'd camouflage a HUGE 5 story parking garage, the theming inside the new Disney Springs should make up for it though.

A parking garage, no matter what you do to it, still looks like a parking garage.

The garages at Uni dont have facades at all, so least they are attempting to make them look good.

There is a meme out there that they have to stick to so as to maintain a grip on their alternate reality. So you have to expect postings like that. The area will look amazing. Disney is setting a standard here for urban landscaping that others will learn from.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Not sure how else you'd camouflage a HUGE 5 story parking garage, the theming inside the new Disney Springs should make up for it though.

A parking garage, no matter what you do to it, still looks like a parking garage.

The garages at Uni dont have facades at all, so least they are attempting to make them look good.

Plenty of major cities now have zoning regulations that require parking structures to not look like parking structures. Many also require the structure to at least be partially wrapped in other uses.

 

[danlb_2000]

There is a meme out there that they have to stick to so as to maintain a grip on their alternate reality. So you have to expect postings like that. The area will look amazing. Disney is setting a standard here for urban landscaping that others will learn from.

There is a meme out there that JT always has to praise every little thing Disney does, even before seeing the final product, and say how it's going to set the standard that everyone else will follow, so you have to expect posts like this.

 

[mm121]

Plenty of major cities now have zoning regulations that require parking structures to not look like parking structures. Many also require the structure to at least be partially wrapped in other uses.

once its totally covered even know we will know its a parking garage it won't necessarily look like one.

in some cases its just not practical to incorporate other uses like businesses into a parking structure, this would be one of them.

with the sheer volume this garage will see, incorporating other uses would have removed valuable space, and would mix people/ vehicular flows in ways that wouldn't be the best.

not sure why everyone hates on parking garages so much, they are a necessary evil to the way we chose to create an auto centric society, until the auto centric society gives way to more walkable new urbanist communities parking will be a necessity not an option

and we all know how bad parking has been for years at DD, so I dont get why everyone is getting them such a hard time when they are finally doing something about it.

I would still be curious to know how many parking spaces were there before, and how many will be there after, since land that was once used for parking is being converted into "the town center"

 

[RayTheFirefly]

once its totally covered even know we will know its a parking garage it won't necessarily look like one.

in some cases its just not practical to incorporate other uses like businesses into a parking structure, this would be one of them.

with the sheer volume this garage will see, incorporating other uses would have removed valuable space, and would mix people/ vehicular flows in ways that wouldn't be the best.

not sure why everyone hates on parking garages so much, they are a necessary evil to the way we chose to create an auto centric society, until the auto centric society gives way to more walkable new urbanist communities parking will be a necessity not an option

and we all know how bad parking has been for years at DD, so I dont get why everyone is getting them such a hard time when they are finally doing something about it.

I would still be curious to know how many parking spaces were there before, and how many will be there after, since land that was once used for parking is being converted into "the town center"

I agree. I'd prefer to see one parking garage for every 10 parking lots.

 

[danlb_2000]

I don't think the look of the garage is going to be a big problem, it's not like the current view the road is that exciting.

 

[71jason]

Just looked at the parking garage facade photos. Yep, as ugly as I thought they'd be.

It's almost impossible to see the garage once you're in West Side. Other areas, time will tell.

That said, on my trip to Anaheim, the look of the parking garages had zero effect on my opinion of DLR.

 

[dstrawn9889]

once its totally covered even know we will know its a parking garage it won't necessarily look like one.

in some cases its just not practical to incorporate other uses like businesses into a parking structure, this would be one of them.

with the sheer volume this garage will see, incorporating other uses would have removed valuable space, and would mix people/ vehicular flows in ways that wouldn't be the best.

not sure why everyone hates on parking garages so much, they are a necessary evil to the way we chose to create an auto centric society, until the auto centric society gives way to more walkable new urbanist communities parking will be a necessity not an option

and we all know how bad parking has been for years at DD, so I dont get why everyone is getting them such a hard time when they are finally doing something about it.

I would still be curious to know how many parking spaces were there before, and how many will be there after, since land that was once used for parking is being converted into "the town center"

~1500 and the deck had a capacity of ~4000 in the footprint of the deck(well not really, that was a QnD count of spaces from google earth of the lots that closed to build the deck

 

[unkadug]

I am thinking that might actually be a trash chute.

Good catch....could very well be.

 

[WDWtraveler]

Garage construction photo update as of Saturday, Sept 27, 2014. These two pictures were taken between Splitsville and AMC Theaters. Twin escalators are installed. There is some sort of structure (red steel) being built at ground level between the garage and Downtown Westside. If you look closely, you will see safety railings (horizontal stainless steel cables) are installed at each level. Behind the plastic covers in the second picture, the elevator doors have been installed.

The following two pictures were taken from the upper level of Planet Hollywood restaurant. In the first picture, you can see the demolition of the Planet Hollywood Store in the left foreground. There appears to be a barrier wall being built at ground level between the garage and the street level entrance to Downtown Disney. I expect this will funnel people from the garage to the Downtown entrance structure on the left, or perhaps its a separate building. The last picture is the east end of the parking garage.

 

[danlb_2000]

Garage construction photo update as of Saturday, Sept 27, 2014. These two pictures were taken between Splitsville and AMC Theaters. Twin escalators are installed. There is some sort of structure (red steel) being built at ground level between the garage and Downtown Westside. If you look closely, you will see safety railings (horizontal stainless steel cables) are installed at each level. Behind the plastic covers in the second picture, the elevator doors have been installed.

View attachment 67052

View attachment 67053

The following two pictures were taken from the upper level of Planet Hollywood restaurant. In the first picture, you can see the demolition of the Planet Hollywood Store in the left foreground. There appears to be a barrier wall being built at ground level between the garage and the street level entrance to Downtown Disney. I expect this will funnel people from the garage to the Downtown entrance structure on the left, or perhaps its a separate building. The last picture is the east end of the parking garage.

View attachment 67054

View attachment 67056

I am trying to figure out what those enclosed areas are an each level of the garage. The ones that appear to have some sort of windows covered in plastic.

 

[WDWtraveler]

Those are elevators (four of them) on each level. Doors are installed and protected by plastic. They appear to be stainless steel. There are two "banks" of four elevators in the garage that can be viewed: between Splitsville and AMC Theaters, and at the entrance to Planet Hollywood.

 

[danlb_2000]

Those are elevators (four of them) on each level. Doors are installed and protected by plastic. They appear to be stainless steel. There are two "banks" of four elevators in the garage that can be viewed: between Splitsville and AMC Theaters, and at the entrance to Planet Hollywood.

Thanks, that makes sense.

 

[mm121]

Garage construction photo update as of Saturday, Sept 27, 2014. These two pictures were taken between Splitsville and AMC Theaters. Twin escalators are installed. There is some sort of structure (red steel) being built at ground level between the garage and Downtown Westside. If you look closely, you will see safety railings (horizontal stainless steel cables) are installed at each level. Behind the plastic covers in the second picture, the elevator doors have been installed.

I wonder if the walkway between AMC & Splitsville will also have elevator access, or only escalators to get from level 2 to the ground.

This walkway seems awkwardly off center from the alley, though this could probably be corrected by angling the escalators to the middle.

The following two pictures were taken from the upper level of Planet Hollywood restaurant. In the first picture, you can see the demolition of the Planet Hollywood Store in the left foreground. There appears to be a barrier wall being built at ground level between the garage and the street level entrance to Downtown Disney. I expect this will funnel people from the garage to the Downtown entrance structure on the left, or perhaps its a separate building. The last picture is the east end of the parking garage.

looks like they are planning for that road to be pretty active, not just a service road as some had previously suggested , and as such much cost and expense is being taken to separate pedestrian and vehicular traffic,

Didn't know they had torn down the PHS, though not surprised as soon details about the conversion to "The observatory" will probably be announced.

 

[flynnibus]

Not sure how else you'd camouflage a HUGE 5 story parking garage, the theming inside the new Disney Springs should make up for it though.

A parking garage, no matter what you do to it, still looks like a parking garage.

Take a look at this photo...

That is the hotel's parking garage with a false facade to make it look like a hotel.. not the parking lot since it would dominate the view of the property from the main throughfare...

Here's example 2.. another 40 blocks down or so.. Here is a condo's parking garage

This one obviously looks more like a garage.. but you actually have to do a double take as you drive by.. as it doesn't look like your normal parking decks.

So, no, I don't subscribe to your theory that.. "A parking garage, no matter what you do to it, still looks like a parking garage."

Wow.. remember when Disney used to be ABOVE your average business you found anywhere at home?

Apparently who could blame them.. when most guests don't seem to even bother to notice when they've done good or bad. Just slap some mickey ears on it and call it a day.

 

[mm121]

Take a look at this photo...

That is the hotel's parking garage with a false facade to make it look like a hotel.. not the parking lot since it would dominate the view of the property from the main throughfare...

Here's example 2.. another 40 blocks down or so.. Here is a condo's parking garage

This one obviously looks more like a garage.. but you actually have to do a double take as you drive by.. as it doesn't look like your normal parking decks.

So, no, I don't subscribe to your theory that.. "A parking garage, no matter what you do to it, still looks like a parking garage."

Wow.. remember when Disney used to be ABOVE your average business you found anywhere at home?

Apparently who could blame them.. when most guests don't seem to even bother to notice when they've done good or bad. Just slap some mickey ears on it and call it a day.

I like the modern take on covering that their doing, so we will just have to agree to disagree.

Camoflaging it to look like a hotel would be kinda wierd since there is no hotel here, would be cool if they would of build a small one in the landings or something, definitely could have added to the village story.

The main attraction is the rest of Springs, not the parking garages, and as has been said previous, we're lucky they are getting covered at all, since Uni's aren't covered, and there's really nothing that requires them to be covered.

The only conflict is that the garages have a modern theme, while the rest of springs has an 'old florida" story, so the theme of the garages dont really match the theme of the rest of DS

but wow will be nice when this mess is cleaned up, didnt' realize how nasty it was over by planet hollywood

 

[matt9112]

There is a meme out there that JT always has to praise every little thing Disney does, even before seeing the final product, and say how it's going to set the standard that everyone else will follow, so you have to expect posts like this.

This....the Internet was just won...the horn has blown lay down your arms.

 

[G00fyDad]

Garage construction photo update as of Saturday, Sept 27, 2014. These two pictures were taken between Splitsville and AMC Theaters. Twin escalators are installed. There is some sort of structure (red steel) being built at ground level between the garage and Downtown Westside. If you look closely, you will see safety railings (horizontal stainless steel cables) are installed at each level. Behind the plastic covers in the second picture, the elevator doors have been installed.

View attachment 67052

View attachment 67053

The following two pictures were taken from the upper level of Planet Hollywood restaurant. In the first picture, you can see the demolition of the Planet Hollywood Store in the left foreground. There appears to be a barrier wall being built at ground level between the garage and the street level entrance to Downtown Disney. I expect this will funnel people from the garage to the Downtown entrance structure on the left, or perhaps its a separate building. The last picture is the east end of the parking garage.

View attachment 67054

View attachment 67056

Anyone else have the urge to go up to one of these beams and paint your name in a small corner just so you could say you have something permanently with your name on it (or semi-permanent) at Disney World? Or is that just me?

 

[CDavid]

Anyone else have the urge to go up to one of these beams and paint your name in a small corner just so you could say you have something permanently with your name on it (or semi-permanent) at Disney World? Or is that just me?

You missed your big chance with Leave a Legacy at Epcot.