Originally Posted By Disneydanny well considering it's going in a former parking lot, Csrland is a GREAT name for it.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <That won’t happen (sorry gadzuuks). Even if Disney wanted to add a new hotel, that corner would be the worst location.> For now, maybe. But if they're serious about developing a third gate on the strawberry field, suddenly it becomes a great location - the one spot with a 7-10 minute walking time to all three parks. If they actually added a monorail stop there, it would be a REALLY great location.
Originally Posted By 2001DLFan <<gadzuux: You're forgetting the largest convention center west of chicago right across the street. I don't think they'd want the new hotel physically on the corner, they'd want it directly opposite the ACC. But they also wouldn't want ticky-tack motels right next door to their new hotel either.>> Disney is apparently not that concerned with the convention center. They realize that it provides one source of visitors, but not enough to actually go after them in a major way. They apparently aren’t even interested in making efforts that makes it easier for conventioneers to access the parks. DCA could have been an outstanding location for conventioneers to get a great meal (instead of convention fast food), but it’s so inaccessible from the convention center, they will never get those visitors. Their main focus is getting people in the parks. Also, Disneyland hotels have their own convention facilities. Putting a hotel in that out-of-reach location would not be of much benefit. There have apparently been concepts for a hotel opposite from GCH off Harbor Blvd. That one would make a lot more sense (the monorail even already goes through that area).
Originally Posted By bean That not entirely true, Disney provided an arch entrance on katella that leads directly to the timon tram. This allows pedestrains to cross and board a tram on the timon lot to the entrance of the park. Also do not forget that both Disne and the city of Anaheim have an understanding that both the mickey and friend parking structure as well as the convention center parking area are available to be used for overflow parking. That is why you sometimes see parking for the resort being diverted to the convention center when needed. That is the reason why crosswalks were provided directly from the convention center parking area and entrance directly into the arched entrance into timon lot.
Originally Posted By bean I also forgot to mention that covered bus stops and resort transportation stops were also added directly in front of the convention center and the katella arched ntrance into the timon lot. So no Disney is not ignoring the convention center goers and realize that they are an important factor for the parks and especially DTD. Any possible future addition in the corner of Katella and Harbor or along Katella would not be a bad location. The hotel could be another central hub for an additional entrance to DCA. This would allow for an even easier park hopping option from Disneyland to the third gate. The majority of the walking would be within Disney property. It would be even better if the opposite corner was eventually developed to also become part of the third gate allowing that gate to have a corner esplanade that would link all for corners with a more pedestrain safe bridge.
Originally Posted By aracuanbird The resort's accessibility from the convention center is feeble, at best. If it wasn't an afterthought, then it is all the more contemptable. Welcoming guests to the property via a parking lot is shameful. The east entrance from Harbor is superior, even. gadzuux is right...Disney is leaving a lot of money on the table (and missing a huge audience) by not having retail, dining, etc. easily accessed from the convention center.
Originally Posted By rocket jet ^^Disneyland welcomed guests to the property via a parking lot for over 40 years.
Originally Posted By aracuanbird Yeah, they sure did, rocket jet. And I really miss those days when Disneyland was only a park. But Disneyland 2007 is a resort, full of amenities and splashy restaurants and retail. When you compare that to walking through a pretty obscure gate in a chainlink fence, into a parking lot, just to see DCA's backside...there is no question the resort's back is turned to its southern neighbors.
Originally Posted By jonvn They probably should have a second entrance gate to the park there, you know? Not a bad idea. A very small one, but it could also be used as an exit, and actually be kind of handy if you are staying in the area. I would think that they'd need a pedestrian bridge over Katella, or there would be traffic problems.
Originally Posted By rocket jet They should've built a hotel along the backside of the park that was integrated into Paradise Pier. That would've killed two birds with one stone. A hotel there would've done a better job of blocking out the outside world, and it wouldn't have felt like the resort had its back turned on the convention center.
Originally Posted By bean "The resort's accessibility from the convention center is feeble, at best. If it wasn't an afterthought, then it is all the more contemptable. Welcoming guests to the property via a parking lot is shameful. The east entrance from Harbor is superior, even. I am just curious, what do you expect Disney to do? not every hotel or major meeting place can be right next to the entrance of the parks. Or should Disney also provide monorail transportation from the front door of the convention center? What is wrong with people walking a few yeards to a tram loading area? It was never a problem when DCA was not there. Its also not a problem when you park in the mickey and friends parking lot. Besides, if people do not want across to the loading area they could easily wait outside the convention center and board the many shuttles that take people to the front gates. Also, give me one example of any theme park that does not welcome ANY guest via a parking lot or parking structure. Should we have valet service for 60,000 guests?
Originally Posted By bean Original plans were to have DCA's front gate facing south or west. It was then realized that it would have been the most stupid idea ever. This whole issue that is beign brought up is ridiculous. The entrance set-up for guests ivisting the convention center that want to walk to the park is not just a whole in a fence. The area has benches, nicely doen lush landscape and arches that match the entrance on the east side of the resort along harbor. Once past that you walk a few feet and board a tram. The views of the parking lot are just liek the views you see once you exit the mikey and friends parking structure (a huge parking area and the backside of Disneyland) they are the same views you see in every Disney park or any theme park in the world. Besides, most people that go to a convention do not go to the parks straight from the convention center, they go from their hotel rooms.
Originally Posted By jonvn "What is wrong with people walking a few yeards to a tram loading area?" Because they are fat? "This whole issue that is beign brought up is ridiculous." I don't know, I think a small auxilliary entrance at the south side of the place might be a good idea. But it'd keep people out of the DTD area, so that might not be what is desired. The main entrance is right where it should be. I don't see how you could put it anywhere else.
Originally Posted By bean problem with that is that another entrance in the back of the park would cut the backstage access in half. The parks fencing is not exactly close to the main guest walkways of the park. the whole south side of the park has backstage roads. Only area would be near the warf gates but at that point you have just made guests walk more than they would have if they had boarded the tram. The northen side of the park has little to no access roads. They are mainly in the backlot area
Originally Posted By jonvn "Only area would be near the warf gates but at that point you have just made guests walk more than they would have if they had boarded the tram." Ah, well, then not much point is there. I have never understood how people could suggest that the entrance should be on the south side. That's realy crazy.
Originally Posted By pwrof3 Well, they had a nice little entrance next to souv 66, but they got rid of it to expand the Grand. They could have opened that to the public instead of just Paradise Pier Hotel guests. The entrance was right behind downtown disney so it would have been a shorter walk from disneyland hotel and anyone who wanted to take a short break at the movie theater.
Originally Posted By gadzuux When there's a new hotel on katella, directly across from the ACC, there will almost certainly be a park entrance included at that time. And it wouldn't be surprising at all to see a new pedestrian overpass across katella, linking the new hotel with the ACC.
Originally Posted By trekkeruss While I agree that an entrance from the convention area would not be a bad idea, I don't think it's reasonable to expect that visitors would pony-up admission just for the extra dining opportunities at DCA, when DtD also has some very good choices.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt "What is wrong with people walking a few yeards to a tram loading area? It was never a problem when DCA was not there." Nothing. Having attended conventions at the Anaheim Convention Center my experience is that attendees aren't so interested in Disneyland. While a dedicated shortctut to the Resort would be nice, my view is that most of the adult crowd across Katella want a good bar and a decent place to eat.
Originally Posted By aracuanbird >>This whole issue that is beign brought up is ridiculous.<< Yes, Bean, that's right. Ridiculous! Much better that Disney push forth with the DCA they built, the smashing success that has proven itself to be! Let's see, Disney's property is adjacent to a convention centre that at times can be crawling with, what, 10,000 people maybe? Many of those people would be business travelers on their own, with only a fleeting interest in what the Mouse has to offer. I guess the best course is to make it a real pain to even get to your property in the first place. That's much better than having a couple of swank joints right there offering upscale entertainment (and premium priced drinks). I'm sure Morton's is grateful. This point about the convention center demonstrates how jacked up the resort expansion really was. The convention center was in place long before the DCA plans. There is no way I'll be convinced that the project planners--if they chose to--had no option but to build a hole-in-the-fence access to Katella. Maybe the overused single-gate theme park configuration was more confining, and limited the designer's options...but maybe that was a wrong headed model for a second park to begin with.
