New Parking Structure/Pedestrian Bridge Question

[ClaraOswald]

So I was reading this just now - http://www.ocregister.com/articles/disney-725346-parking-disneyland.html?graphics

I noticed there would be security near the parking lot, East of Harbor.

Can someone explain to me what that means for hotel guests on Harbor? Will we still take a crosswalk and go through security in the current location? Would we somehow have to get up on the pedestrian bridge and go to the security on the East side?

I am just not understanding what they are building exactly.

 

[Ryan120420]

My guess is that guest staying at the hotels on Harbor will have to walk to Disney Way and use that narrow walkway leading to the new transportation and security plaza, then use the pedestrian bridge to the resort.

So in short, the east Harbor entrance will be closed and relocated to Disney Way.

 

[GoBears 1980]

Near as I can see from the plans submitted you will no longer be able to enter the Esplanade area by crossing Harbor Blvd.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cpiy5G7UIAADnK2.jpg

 

[Kindermouse]

well that is just inconvenient enough to make me change up some of my hotel choices.

 

[ClaraOswald]

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.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Hmm... Can anyone tell me what the Disney Shuttle Drop Off area to the right of DCA is? I just assumed it was a guest drop off area for area shuttles, but that would mean there would have to be a security area approximately where there is one now and if they are going to go with only one security entrance way out to the East it makes zero sense this would be a drop off area for Disney park guests. I just assumed they were adding a third security check point option for those coming from the massive parking garage thereby growing security check points as the number of guests grow. But it sounds like I'm really missing something, can anyone help me out here? Are there different types of shuttle drop offs? Ones for the transportation center and some other "Disney" shuttle?

 

[Kindermouse]

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.

I was just thinking the same thing-if its not that convenient I might as well stay further away for cheaper and take the shuttle.

 

[ParkHopper1]

There will probably still be a Harbor Blvd pedestrian entrance...too many other properties that would not make sense to push into the new transportation center and over the new walkway...plus on the drawing there is still the Cast Shuttle and Disney Shuttle drop off areas on Harbor Blvd. No one said that is going away.

 

[SMD]

Considering it's 2 years away from completion, I wouldn't assume that security will be the same as it is now at that point anyway.

 

[ClaraOswald]

If there is still an entrance/crosswalk for Harbor hotel guests....I wonder where it would be and where the security checkpoint would be. I mean, you can't have parking garage people going through security twice or anything.

 

[mamapenguin]

...I wonder when this starts? I want 3 more trips by June/July and I like BWPPI and PVI because of the walk to the parks. I don't like change
Thank you for posting this.

 

[daannzzz]

This would mean the Quality Inn and Suites and the New Holiday Inn Express on Manchester would be the closest to the east entrance. What a boost for them.

 

[gottalovepluto]

...I wonder when this starts? I want 3 more trips by June/July and I like BWPPI and PVI because of the walk to the parks. I don't like change
Thank you for posting this.

Even in Disney Corporate's dreams they can't get it (whatever "it" may turn out to be) done by July. We're talking 2018 here... or 2019 because, well it's Disney. You're good!

 

[VandVsmama]

First of all, a big thank you to "Go Bears 1980" for posting the picture above of the layout. That is really helpful! I agree with @daannzzz that this may mean that those 2 hotels on Manchester will become a lot more desirable, especially in 2018 when this new entrance opens.

UNTIL that occurs, I would expect that they will keep the existing entrance & security screening along Harbor Blvd intact.

AFTER they switch over to the new entrance, at least from my layman's point of view, this is going to make getting into DL from 1 of the Harbor Blvd hotels a huge pain in the neck. And it's going to make your walk in the morning MUCH LONGER!

I also agree about the point somebody made about disabled guests. For example, if you don't rent an ECV from Deckerts or another local medical supply company (which will deliver it to your hotel), then it's a super super long walk from the security tents to the actual park entrance. It would be really helpful for those sorts of guests if DL installed a moving walkway on the pedestrian bridge (kind of like the ones you see at airports). Or at least give those guests an option to rent an ECV right there just after they've gone through security.

One thing that I'm curious about is what is that "Disney Shuttle Drop Off" area that's on the left hand side of Harbor Blvd next to DCA? Is that for the Toy Story lot shuttle and/or other hotel shuttle drop offs? If so, then wouldn't there still need to be security tents at the Esplanade to accomodate those people?

 

[Becca1007]

But you have to consider that unless they move the cast drop off on Harbor that they have to have some type of security bag check on that side of the road. Because all the cast members that come in that way have to go through bag check and huge numbers of cast members ride the city bus that drops off right there on Harbor.

I would imagine that the pedestrian bridge would drop off post security but that there would be a new bag check/security screening still on the Harbor side.

 

[Bud Ice]

Harbor entrance still looks to be open.

There's a Disney Shuttle stop, Pedestrian Portal, and CM dropoff toward the bottom.
Not sure why the security gateway is where it is.

 

[eagleTransalp]

The way I measure it in Google Earth, if you walk to the Pedestrian Portal from the south on Harbor Blvd, it would add .24 miles to your walk to go that short distance east on Disney way and then add the same distance west on the new walkway from security. Coming from the north on Harbor, you would need to walk a loop down Harbor from the present crosswalk, along Disney Way to the Pedestrian Portal, then back up to security and then along the Pedestrian walkway, adding .6 miles to your walk. So the Good Neighbor hotels to the north would be impacted more than those to the south.

However, there is a sidewalk on Manchester, and the drawing looks like you may be able to walk along next to the new shuttle drop off point from Manchester, so coming from the north could mean just walking along Manchester. Maybe the Quality Inn will have the shortest walk of all the Good Neighbor hotels.

 

[LizzyS]

There will probably still be a Harbor Blvd pedestrian entrance...too many other properties that would not make sense to push into the new transportation center and over the new walkway...plus on the drawing there is still the Cast Shuttle and Disney Shuttle drop off areas on Harbor Blvd. No one said that is going away.

Yeah, I can't see them actually making the resort practically inaccessible directly from Harbor, tbh. A lot of folks walk in from that way.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Yeah, I can't see them actually making the resort practically inaccessible directly from Harbor, tbh. A lot of folks walk in from that way.

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.

 

[Angrose]

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/