DCA, Future Expansion
Topic: Pumba Lot Parking Deck

#	Author	Message
1	jmuboy Fri 10/30/2009 11:25a	Disney's primary solution to the current parking problems at the resort will be to add a 2nd parking deck. Supposedly it will be constructed on the Pumbaa parking lot area. My question, how will they get the guests into the Main Entry Plaza? Can a covered pedestrian bridge be built over Harbor Blvd with wide moving sidewalks, like you see in Airports? The sidewalks could be reversed depending on guest flow and time of day. The other option, which I would guess is less desirable, would be a tunnel under Harbor Blvd. I just don't see trams being used. They don’t seem like a feasible option. But that is a lot of people to get over to the gate and unfortunately those hotels separate the deck from the Main Entrance.
2	Hans Reinhardt Fri 10/30/2009 12:09p	Originally (like way back in the 1990's) the plan was to build a peoplemover system to shuttle guests back and forth from the garages. I suspect that they will use trams on a dedicated lane with an underground passageway for the new garage. More importantly, how will guests be shuttled from the new temporary lot being built on the strawberry fields?
3	Darkbeer Fri 10/30/2009 2:11p	Let's answer the second question first. As part of the permit process for Disney to build the new Parking Lot on the former Strawberry Field, Disney had to promise to offer transportation to the parks. They will use the current Coach America Bus system. The route will be from the parking lot, where the bus will go up Harbor to the park and Tram/Bus loading zone. On the way back, they will enter via the CM Entrance on Katella and then enter the Public Parking area from the north east, making a circular route. As for what they will do when the Pumbaa structure is finished, my guess they will keep it simple. IMHO, that is a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Blvd. They could start the bridge at an elevated height, such a from the 3rd or 4th level of the Parking Structure. This has a couple of benefits. No need for a ramp, special elevators, etc. It also keeps folks off the first level, where they could walk in front of cars entering/exiting. Guests would use the elevators and escalators built into the Parking Structure to get to the level of the Pedestrian bridge. Once it crosses over Harbor, it would make a 90 degree turn to the north, and then a long ADA approved ramp would go to the current Main Pedestrian Entrance. There is plenty of room to not need any sort of elevator or other mechanical system, which costs money to build and run, and is subject to breakdowns. Disney could add some sound and maybe even some advertising to break up the walk. But in the current climate of "less is more", I don't see Disney spending any major bucks on things like moving sidewalks. They will claim that they are doing it to be "green" and save the use of electricity.
4	cheesybaby Fri 10/30/2009 2:44p	Any bets that they will spend millions researching and designing traffic and pedestrian flow in the new structure, only to build it and then change everything to operate these 180 degrees away from the planned design (see: Mickey and Friends parking structure)?
5	FerretAfros Fri 10/30/2009 3:13p	Did that happen with M&F? I guess it kind of makes sense now why the turns at the bottom of the exit ramps are so tight. But at the same time, I think the way they run it now makes a lot of sense and flows quite nicely. How did they deal with the traffic cross over if you originally went up the 'down' ramps and down the 'up' ramps? Wouldn't that have put the exiting cars on the wrong side of the street?
6	Darkbeer Fri 10/30/2009 3:44p	Actually the Up and Down Ramps were never changed. The original plans had guests going to the East side of the structure, and then park in a row that went westbound. To exit, they just kept going down the end of the aisle and turned towards the center and the exit down ramps. While that might sound all well and good, it created two major issues. First off, people prefer to park at the "front" of the row, nearest the escalators, and it slowed down the cars behind them, especially if Disney was trying to get them to go to the end (back) of the row. The second issue was pedestrian safety, as guests who just parked got out of their cars and headed up the row to the escalators, which had them walking in the pathway of incoming cars. So they re-striped the entire lots, and is now why you have to make an U-turn to head west to the "back" of the structure, and then head up a row. This allows folks to go to the "front" of the row, and that the pedestrians will be walk towards the escalators/elevators and that the cars are way behind them, and don't have to cross each other most of the time.
7	Hans Reinhardt Fri 10/30/2009 6:10p	Thanks for the info Darkbeer.
8	believe Fri 10/30/2009 11:14p	>>>> Did that happen with M&F? I guess it kind of makes sense now why the turns at the bottom of the exit ramps are so tight. But at the same time, I think the way they run it now makes a lot of sense and flows quite nicely. <<<<< Interesting about the traffic flow in the resort area. From what I read, the traffic design worked too well. Meaning, guests didn't stay around the resort area to buy stuff or eat at restaurants. From the freeway, they drove directly to the structure - and afterwards, they drove directly to the freeway.
9	jmuboy Sat 10/31/2009 11:21a	A pedestrian bridge like Darkbeer describes could also be used if/when they ever add Disney hotels at GardenWalk. Hotel guests could cross Disney Way and access the bridge to walk over to the parks and DTD.
10	Darkbeer Sat 10/31/2009 11:43a	While I think a pathway to the Parking Structure to the new Disney Managed Hotels at AGW, I think Disney will opt for a tram service to keep in line with other hotels in the area, in fact, they might have to join the ART system as part of the Building Permit process, since the city has required it from every other new Hotel in the city.

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