Disneyland will build a parking structure for the millions of visitors eager to see the new Avatar themed land, Marvel attractions and Coco boat ride debuting at Anaheim theme park resort over the next five years.
Disneyland has announced plans to build a 6,000-space parking structure, transportation hub and security screening area on an employee parking lot as the crucial first step in the $1.9 billion DisneylandForward expansion plan.
Work will begin in Fall 2026 on the multi-year construction project on the east side of the Disneyland theme park resort.
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“We’re incredibly excited about this project and what it means for us,” Disneyland resort president Thomas Mazloum said during a media event at Disney California Adventure. “Essentially, this is what unlocks DisneylandForward and sets the foundation for future growth.”
Disneyland concept art shows the Harbor Boulevard bus drop off/pick up area and security checkpoint replaced by a tree-lined esplanade and swooping S-shaped pedestrian bridge.
The pedestrian bridge would connect visitors by foot between the existing Disneyland bus drop off/pick up area on the west side of Harbor Boulevard and Disneyland’s Manchester employee parking lot on the east side of Harbor Boulevard.
The pedestrian bridge would pass over the Disneyland Monorail track that runs parallel to Harbor Boulevard on the west side of the street.
An approximately 100-foot-long Disneyland sign would stretch along the side of the bridge above a ground level pedestrian entrance along Harbor Boulevard. A new covered security pavilion appears to be located beneath the entry sign.
An elevator tower with a curving staircase would provide pedestrian access between the bridge and Harbor Boulevard, according to the concept art.
A 20-foot-tall pink and orange striped wall would block the view to the north of the I-5 Freeway as visitors cross over the Harbor Boulevard pedestrian bridge, according to the concept art. Trees would dot the bridge and planters would line the southern edge of the pedestrian walkway.
Pedestrians would pass between the Tropicana Inn and Camelot Inn hotels on the east side of Harbor Boulevard along a narrow strip of land that connects to an existing Disneyland employee parking lot.
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The new Eastside parking structure and transportation hub would push the existing Disneyland bus drop off/pick up area along Harbor Boulevard to Disneyland’s Manchester employee parking lot that backs up to the I-5 Freeway.
Disneyland visitors arriving by car would access the new Eastside parking structure from the I-5 Freeway via Disney Way exits. Shuttle buses from area hotels, Disney buses from the Toy Story parking lot and rideshare services would also use the new Eastside transportation hub.
The DisneylandForward proposal approved by the Anaheim City Council in 2024 envisioned a 17,600-space Eastside garage on the Disneyland employee parking lots bound by Disney Way, Manchester Avenue and Clementine Street.
A parking garage of that size would have a few hundred more parking spaces than the Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals garages combined and would be one of the world’s largest parking structures.
Disneyland needs to build the new Eastside garage before work can begin on the Toy Story parking lot where plans call for a Disney Entertainment Destination next to the Anaheim Convention Center with theme park experiences, hotels, retail, dining and entertainment.
The new garage and bridge are an essential first step as Disneyland plans to build four new attractions at Disney California Adventure over the next five years as part of the DisneylandForward plan.
Two new Marvel rides – Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab – will double the size of Avengers Campus. A Coco boat ride will be added near Pixar Pier. An Avatar themed land based on the “The Way of Water” will take over a portion of the Hollywood Land themed land.