Disneyland Resort Update: End of the Year, Non-Park Edition

Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA

When I mentioned that Friday was the last Disney parks update of the year, I wasn’t lying. But today, we have our last Disney and general update of year period… from outside the parks. In particular, we pick up on the blazing progress of the Mickey and Friends Parking expansion, plus see what’s new with Downtown Disney. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a Sunday update to cap off another year!

Pixar’s Pinocchio Pal-A-Round and Fox and Friends and Friends and Associates Parking Structure featuring Marvel Motorpool and Star Wars Shuttle Stops and Other Acquired Licences aka the Cleo Structure

It’s been a month since we’ve stopped by the new parking structure, and a lot of progress has flown by! This is great, because not only has the Resort been lacking in parking infrastructure to begin with, it will be crawling with hordes of eager Star Wars fans when Galaxy’s Edge opens next summer.

The concrete pours have gone up to the top floor, along with one of the two connecting bridges routing back to the existing structure. The escalator promenade is also taking shape, with some of the escalators already being installed and the architecture starting to take shape. At this pace, we could see the new parking structure open around mid-spring, giving the Resort time to test traffic flow and loading patterns to determine the most efficient ways to get what will surely be a mind-boggling amount of guests next year.

Lets look at some photos of the current state of the new Mickey and Friends structure!

It’s winter around the Disneyland Resort, and we get some pleasant skies this time of the year.

The Mickey and Friends expansion is coming along nicely, with the escalator promenade at the far end really starting to take shape as it nears topping off.

The escalators are starting to be installed.

The floor landings are different from the existing Mickey and Friends’. They’re more shaped and architectural.

The escalators from the third to fourth and fifth to sixth floors are angled to the side instead of a straight continuation like in the current structure.

And the elevator tower looks notably bigger, with more towers than the measly existing two that create long lines for strollers and wheelchairs.

Ever wanted to know what escalators looked like before being installed?

Here you go.

In just a few months, people will be going up and down these guys.

As far as the rest of the structure goes, they’re starting to form the sixth and top floor now!

Here’s one of the two bridges between the new structure and the current one.

The concrete is getting “sacked and patched” to cover up blemishes from the formwork.

Over at the top floor, it’s surprisingly easy to hop over the forming walls and walk onto the new structure. I suppose common sense against construction site dangers should be enough to deter people from doing so.

But in America’s litigious culture, I’m surprised there wasn’t a greater effort to fence off even intentional access.

Once all of this is done, the tram will extend under the promenade and loop around the escalators, like it used to do.

From the middle of the parking structure, here’s a panorama of the current progress.

.

.

.

.

.

A close-up of the other bridge, which is just a little bit behind the east bridge.

A detail of the expansion joint between the two halves of the new structure.

More columns going up.

The ramps up to each level are pretty much done, though.

Here’s the escalator promenade from the ground level.

I like the little oculus.

Over on Magic Way, there’s still no sign of the bridge that’s supposed to go over the street from the escalator promenade to the Downtown Disney property.

But you can see where the connection will be made.

It looks like it will be on the right side of this photo, where there is not concrete or formwork.

Here’s the other side of the elevator tower section.

On the south side of the new structure, it looks like there will be some sort of connecting vehicular path aligned with the entrance drive into Downtown Disney.

But the structure is looking pretty cool from around the Resort. Just a few more months before it’s done!

Downtown Disney Work

At Downtown Disney, the year-long renovation and reimagining of most of the retail district is running down, with only Ballast Point and Black Tap Craft Burgers and Shakes still under construction. Most recently, Naples Ristorante has completed its transformation, with the quick serve portion and downstairs dining room now open to the public. The look is sleek and modern, and I think it looks great. The same applies to Wetzel’s Pretzels, which got a facelift on its facade and has a glass jewelbox aesthetic. AMC Theaters, ESPN Zone, and Rainforest Cafe remain closed—victims of the fallout of the cancellation of the planned four diamond hotel. But overall, Downtown Disney looks fresh and good for another decade and a half!

At Downtown Disney, a few Christmas themed photo ops have been set up.

You know, to hide the fact that places like ESPN Zone closed for no reason after all.

Some more holiday decorations can be seen in front of Rainforest Cafe.

Over at Black Taps Craft Burgers, the outside looks pretty complete, but then again, the progress has been mostly interior.

They’ve finished enclosing this formerly exterior deck.

There’s an odd chandelier up in there. That’s cool if you like abstract inverted toadstools.

The tube steel supports for either signage or canopies have been up for months, but nothing on them yet.

The entrance lobby of Ballast Point has progressed, though. You can see a new grand light fixture through the glass, though.

See?

Slowly but surely, it’s coming along.

Ballast Point will also have outdoor seating over the roof of Wetzel’s Pretzels as well.

This will be a nice overlook onto the east half of Downtown Disney.

Speaking of Wetzel’s, that store is back open.

It received a modest upgrade, but the all-glass curtain wall front looks spiffy!

Naples has also completed its transformation.

The Napolini quick serve is done.

Inside, you can find a fast food “build your own pizza” style diner, similar to Blaze Pizza and similar establishments.

There are also pre-made sandwiches and salads, plus drinks and stuff.

Toppings for pizza.

In the main restaurant, the lower dining room is open.

It’s got that modern aesthetic that Disney has applied to a lot of Downtown Disney.

And abstract light fixtures.

I believe Naples was responsible for the designs, not Disney.

But this is supposed to be a sort of prototype for a flagship-level location.

.

I do think it looks stylish, though. I love how open everything is.

So stop in for a bite!

That does it for this month at the Disneyland Resort. Next year will be a banner year with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and we’ll be along for the ride to the finish. But Marvel Land continues at California Adventure, and as Walt Disney famously said, “Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world.” There’s plenty of that to go around, and that will continue to give us things to take pictures of.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this year with Westcoaster. It’s been a wide ride through a variety of subjects from our regular theme parks to a plethora of Halloween attractions (we still have a few more to catch up on) to a few travel posts and festival items. Thank you for being along for the ride! We’ll see you in 2019.