New Parking Structure/Pedestrian Bridge Question

[DaveNinja]

Maybe the 'security gateway' on the map is different from bag check security.

 

[chrisaman]

Does this mean the old bus area can now become Marval Land?

 

[Ratherbeatdisneyland]

My guess is there will be stairs leading up at the point where harbor meets the walkway. Which could potentially be a pain for people with strollers. I can't see them building elevators on each side of the road.

 

[GatorChris]

My guess is there will be stairs leading up at the point where harbor meets the walkway. Which could potentially be a pain for people with strollers. I can't see them building elevators on each side of the road.

Hadn't thought of that yet. We're nearly out of the stroller phase, but stairs or a ramp would be a pain pushing up and hold onto going down. Can't say eliminating the crosswalk is really functional.

I bring this up, more than likely to my own demise. But we always like to stay at HoJo. We often cross the street at Harbor and Manchester. I'm thinking that HoJo, Fairfield, and the new Courtyard will still be able to easily take this crosswalk and enter as usual.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I was just on Hojo's facebook page and they say that the pedestrian entrance on Harbor will stay so that pedestrians entering from the Harbor hotels can still enter that way. The security at the pedestrian bridge is meant just for those parking in the structure.
https://www.facebook.com/hojoanaheim/

But then where does the pedestrian bridge let out? PAST the other security that Harbor hotel people will have to go through? Or are they going to have to go through security twice?

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

I was just on Hojo's facebook page and they say that the pedestrian entrance on Harbor will stay so that pedestrians entering from the Harbor hotels can still enter that way. The security at the pedestrian bridge is meant just for those parking in the structure.
https://www.facebook.com/hojoanaheim/

Well, there goes my theory, lol.

My guess is there will be stairs leading up at the point where harbor meets the walkway. Which could potentially be a pain for people with strollers. I can't see them building elevators on each side of the road.

I don't see any stairs on the plans. I think it looks like it just ramps up from the parking area. And according to the link that Angrose posted, you cannot get to the walkway from Harbor, so those people from those hotels will just cross the street and go in.

 

[LizzyS]

I'm actually guessing the opposite, that there will not be a public entrance on Harbor. Part of the reason for this project was to improve traffic flow on Harbor, which is a major road. They don't want people trying to cross Harbor and stopping traffic, thus the elevated walkway.

It would make most sense to have a CM only entrance on Harbor by the CM drop off, and all other public diverted to the new walkway. And it's easier and more efficient to staff 1 entrance rather than 2.

I can't explain the Disney shuttle drop off, though, so I could be wrong.

If the ped bridge is accessible there at Harbor, to then go over the road, that's still "direct" in my mind, lol. I live in Las Vegas, so the pedestrian bridge concept is not foreign to me, but here there are escalators directly at the bridge to get up onto it to cross over Las Vegas Boulevard.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

If the ped bridge is accessible there at Harbor, to then go over the road, that's still "direct" in my mind, lol. I live in Las Vegas, so the pedestrian bridge concept is not foreign to me, but here there are escalators directly at the bridge to get up onto it to cross over Las Vegas Boulevard.

Well, apparently I was wrong about the entrance on Harbor. If you look at the Hojo Facebook post that Angrose linked to, they say that you can still cross Harbor to enter the park, and that the walkway is not accessible from Harbor, so I assume there's no need for any elevators or stairs.

 

[LizzyS]

Ah, ok! I can't get to that right now because I'm at work, but that's good to know!

 

[hanna-nana]

So the walkway must come across from another floor of the garage?

We are almost out of the stroller stage, too (most likely will be when they finish this project) but that was my first thought. We stay close so we don't have to worry about a shuttle with the stroller. Stairs or waiting for an elevator still complicate things. Hopefully it's right that those close hotels can still use the crosswalk on harbor and the bridge will be more useful for those parking. Maybe the ramp down will be similar to the ramp at the monorail behind nemo?

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Ah, ok! I can't get to that right now because I'm at work, but that's good to know!

Ah, I see. Here you go:

DISNEYLAND EXPANSION NEWS

In case you haven't heard, the Carousel Inn will be closed within two months and torn down to begin the creation of the pedestian bridge over Harbor Boulevard. Here's what you should know about the project:

* Construction will be a bit crazy if you're staying at the hotels on either side of the Carousel Inn so maybe you should come and stay with us instead!

* Our guests at the Howard Johnson will still enter the park on foot along Harbor the same way you do now. That will not change.

* You CANNOT get on the pedestrian bridge from Harbor Blvd. This project is designed to get people off the northbound 5 freeway into a parking structure and to get them into the parks without using Harbor. The hope is foot and car traffic on Harbor will diminish.

* It will be pretty we think. They'll landscape the bridge much like Downtown Disney's bridge and make it nice looking so the Harbor pedestrians will get to walk under a (hopefully) Disney-esque bridge to build that pre-park excitement.

Whatcha think friends?

#harborbridge #disneyland #disneyexpansion #easterngateway

 

[VandVsmama]

Ah, I see. Here you go:

DISNEYLAND EXPANSION NEWS

In case you haven't heard, the Carousel Inn will be closed within two months and torn down to begin the creation of the pedestian bridge over Harbor Boulevard. Here's what you should know about the project:

* Construction will be a bit crazy if you're staying at the hotels on either side of the Carousel Inn so maybe you should come and stay with us instead!

* Our guests at the Howard Johnson will still enter the park on foot along Harbor the same way you do now. That will not change.

* You CANNOT get on the pedestrian bridge from Harbor Blvd. This project is designed to get people off the northbound 5 freeway into a parking structure and to get them into the parks without using Harbor. The hope is foot and car traffic on Harbor will diminish.

* It will be pretty we think. They'll landscape the bridge much like Downtown Disney's bridge and make it nice looking so the Harbor pedestrians will get to walk under a (hopefully) Disney-esque bridge to build that pre-park excitement.

Whatcha think friends?

#harborbridge #disneyland #disneyexpansion #easterngateway

This answers a LOT of questions! Thank you for posting it! We can pretty much figure a couple of things from this and the map posted above:

1. the pedestrian bridge will probably end at the Esplanade AFTER the Harbor-side security tents. Since there will be security screening on the parking structure-side of Harbor Blvd for people parking in that parking lot.

2. Everybody staying at hotels along Harbor Blvd will cross the street in a cross walk just like they normally do. They won't be able to use the pedestrian bridge.

3. Everybody crossing Harbor Blvd from a Harbor Blvd hotel will probably go through security screening like they usually do. But it won't be mobbed with people coming from the new parking structure.

 

[crystal1313]

Also from same thread on FB from Hojo:

Disney met with us and said that the Harbor foot traffic would not be affected at all. There will be a second security area on Harbor (street-level) which will feed into the already-security-checked bridge pedestrians into the main entrance plaza. Same crosswalk across Harbor and everything. Win win!

They also mentioned that the current transportation hub will be shops and restaurants and a continuation of Downtown Disney.....

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

My guess is there will be stairs leading up at the point where harbor meets the walkway. Which could potentially be a pain for people with strollers. I can't see them building elevators on each side of the road.

More likely Harbor pedestrians will stay at ground level and meet with pedestrians arriving from the bridge as that ramp reaches the ground at the Esplanade.

 

[Nonsuch]

I'm actually guessing the opposite, that there will not be a public entrance on Harbor. Part of the reason for this project was to improve traffic flow on Harbor, which is a major road. They don't want people trying to cross Harbor and stopping traffic, thus the elevated walkway.

You are likely correct, there will be no public entrance on Harbor. Guests walking on Harbor will go East along Disney Way (under the power lines), then North joining the guests arriving from the parking structure.

The Eastern Gateway project seems to have many benefits:

• A larger and more permanent security screening facility, located farther from the main gates.
  
• Reduced traffic on Harbor.
• Reduces the convenience of staying at the motels directly across Harbor from the main gates.
• ...which increases the desirability of staying at the Disney hotels.

A similar Western Gateway project would be a logical next step, perhaps part of the new hotel construction. This could place DTD inside security screening.

...I can't explain the Disney shuttle drop off, though, so I could be wrong.

Guests could be screened at the Toy Story Lot (and other Disney locations) before boarding the shuttle bus.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I think you might be right. That really sucks for those hotels. They will lose a LOT of business. Within 10 years, I am sure most, if not all, businesses in that chunk will be sold to Disney.

I know that once this happens, we likely won't stay at those hotels anymore. The main draw is the short walk. If that is eliminated, I'd rather stay farther away and take a shuttle.

Hopefully we're still good for our 2017 trip though.

I actually wonder about this. Will Disney make it more difficult for the owners of the properties right there so they'll eventually agree to sell? I know HOJO says the crosswalk for Harbor will still be open, but is this permanently, or just for now?

Also, with regards to the security screening area, I am really curious how they're going to do this with the Harbor pedestrians. Unless there is a security checkpoint before that walkway meets up with the bridge, it's going to end up messed up. So where will security be now? I'm hoping they will do a set up similar to what Universal now has where the metal detectors are pretty much permanent, but there are a ton of them, so the lines won't get so backed up.

 

[crystal1313]

You are likely correct, there will be no public entrance on Harbor. Guests walking on Harbor will go East along Disney Way (under the power lines), then North joining the guests arriving from the parking structure.

The Eastern Gateway project seems to have many benefits:

• A larger and more permanent security screening facility, located farther from the main gates.
  
• Reduced traffic on Harbor.
• Reduces the convenience of staying at the motels directly across Harbor from the main gates.
• ...which increases the desirability of staying at the Disney hotels.

A similar Western Gateway project would be a logical next step, perhaps part of the new hotel construction. This could place DTD inside security screening.


Guests could be screened at the Toy Story Lot (and other Disney locations) before boarding the shuttle bus.

I actually wonder about this. Will Disney make it more difficult for the owners of the properties right there so they'll eventually agree to sell? I know HOJO says the crosswalk for Harbor will still be open, but is this permanently, or just for now?

Also, with regards to the security screening area, I am really curious how they're going to do this with the Harbor pedestrians. Unless there is a security checkpoint before that walkway meets up with the bridge, it's going to end up messed up. So where will security be now? I'm hoping they will do a set up similar to what Universal now has where the metal detectors are pretty much permanent, but there are a ton of them, so the lines won't get so backed up.

It sounds as though, there will be a separate security area for people crossing on harbor at the street level, then once you pass security, you will merge with the people from the pedestrian bridge. Makes sense if they do in fact add more shops and restaurants where the current transportation hub is at.

Also from same thread on FB from Hojo:

Disney met with us and said that the Harbor foot traffic would not be affected at all. There will be a second security area on Harbor (street-level) which will feed into the already-security-checked bridge pedestrians into the main entrance plaza. Same crosswalk across Harbor and everything. Win win!

They also mentioned that the current transportation hub will be shops and restaurants and a continuation of Downtown Disney.....

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

You also have to wonder too, if there really is going to be kind of a Downtown Disney eastern section, will that make the Harbor Boulevard hotels more attractive to visitors who choose the on-site hotels to be closer to the existing Downtown Disney shops and restaurants.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Guests could be screened at the Toy Story Lot (and other Disney locations) before boarding the shuttle bus.

Is Toy Story staying? I thought part of the point of the new parking structure was to replace that lot.

 

[Becca1007]

You also have to wonder too, if there really is going to be kind of a Downtown Disney eastern section, will that make the Harbor Boulevard hotels more attractive to visitors who choose the on-site hotels to be closer to the existing Downtown Disney shops and restaurants.

This would make me more likely to choose a Harbor hotel and still dine in DTD. The one thing that bugs me about eating in DTD is having to clear bag check twice, so if I could cut that down to one bag check or none extra (dining on the way out of the park) I would be a happy camper.