It is a very exciting time at the Disneyland Resort. There are a lot of different projects currently underway. As announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, a new Tomorrowland is on the way for Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom. In Disney California Adventure, work is underway on the expansion of Avengers Campus and a future attraction based on Pixar’s Coco. Due to the Tomorrowland project, the future area and attraction based on James Cameron’s Avatar will be waiting a little bit longer. In between both of these parks, work has been underway on updates to the Esplanade and also a new arrival experience on the east side of the Disneyland Resort.

This new arrival process will see guests parking or arriving at a new parking structure and transportation hub that is on the other side of Harbor Boulevard. This new facility will include space for the arrival of both buses and rideshare vehicles. It will also have security. It is also quite a ways off from opening. Between now and then, there will be some changes around the Disneyland Resort to accommodate both guests and the construction that is creating an even better guest experience for the future. This means changes for security, changes for bus arrivals, and changes for rideshare drop-offs.

These changes are not exactly what had been rumored to be happening in recent months. Some are similar. Some are not. Daps Magic will only report on what is confirmed by Disney itself and not what is being rumored. With that in mind, here is what is known thanks to updates on the Disneyland website:

Security

Already, two ticket booths have been removed on the east side of the Esplanade. The remaining two will also be removed. The East Security screening area will temporarily shift into the location where these booths once sat. As construction continues, there could be walls being put in place in and around the area that could change the path into the parks.

Transportation

The transportation situation will also be changing with new locations coming for both bus and rideshare drop-offs. The Toy Story Lot shuttle drop-off will remain in the East Esplanade area and will move slightly north and closer to Harbor Blvd. On top of that, the Downtown Disney District rideshare area was refreshed, and selected transportation pick-up and drop-off locations were relocated nearby. This can be found in what was once the Downtown Disney District parking lot off of Magic Way that has most recently been Cast Member parking. The Disneyland Website directs rideshare drivers to “Take Magic Way from Disneyland Drive, then turn left at Downtown Drive and follow signs to the drop-off area. Standard parking rates will apply after the 15-minute grace period.”

According to a permit that was filed, there will also be a new rideshare drop-off location on Harbor Boulevard as well. The permit describes this new location as being near Disney California Adventure’s Gate 10. This appears to be slightly south of the current drop-off location.

A New Parking Structure

Ultimately, these temporary changes are to allow the Disneyland Resort to create a completely new arrival experience on the east side of the resort. Last month, ground was broken for this parking structure and transportation hub. When it is completed, it will be found across Harbour Boulevard from the Disneyland Resort at 1585 S. Manchester Ave. A permit that was filed late last year revealed that the structure will be a 3.2 million-square-foot parking structure that will be 8 levels tall. It will also have vehicle chargers for 302 electric vehicles. In total, this structure will be able to accommodate around 6,000 vehicles.

There will also be a dedicated space for both shuttles and ride-sharing vehicles. There will also be security screening, a dedicated access way for traffic coming off of I-5 to Disney Way, and a pedestrian bridge. This will allow direct access to the Esplanade and entrance to both parks from this parking structure and transportation hub.

Other Esplanade Changes

Along with the construction that is directly impacting the security, bus drop-off, and rideshare drop-off experiences, there are also other changes happening in and around the Esplanade. Work continues in the southwest corner on the future home of Portos Bakery & Cafe. Just steps from this site, a fence currently surrounds some trees and their containers. It appears these are being removed. The ticket sales location has played musical chairs with locations within the Esplanade in recent months and can currently be found on the northwest corner of the Esplanade. Accessibility Services can also be found nearby in one of the remaining ticket booths.

There are a lot of exciting changes happening around the Happiest Place on Earth! Daps Magic will continue to cover them and provide updates as they become available. What do you think of these updates? Are you excited about the future of the Disneyland Resort? What are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!