With Disney World getting a lot of attention recently with its Piston Peak update, Disney couldn’t possibly just let Florida have this one. In a “be fair to California” moment, Disney provided some small (in our minds) updates on the changes coming to Disneyland. Let’s dive in…
New Transportation Hub
First up, there’s a new parking garage and “Transportation Hub” coming to a spot just east of the resort. Here’s a satellite view, for reference:
Map Copyright Google, Fair Use Claimed
I’ve put an orange box around (mostly) the two parks. Across Harbor Boulevard, to the east, is a purple box around some non-Disney hotels and restaurants. East of that is a blue box around the location of the new parking structure.
The new structure will be connected to the parks by a bridge over Harbor Boulevard. Here’s the concept art with my annotations:
I have to confess I know very little about the rationale for this. When visiting Disneyland, I’ve always stayed at either a Disney hotel or a nearby hotel a short walk from the park. In general, I assume easing congestion is a good thing, but I’m most interested to see how this bridge impacts the nearby hotels.
Avatar…Place…Still Coming…
I’ve given them grief for it in the past, but maybe Universal had it right to just call their new Minion-inspired area a “Land.” Between Piston Peak and whatever is happening with Avatar out west, Disney can’t seem to settle on comfortable terminology for these not-quite-land-sized updates.
Disney seems happy to refer to an Avatar “Experience” coming to Disney California Adventure…but sometimes they also use Avatar “Destination.” (I think the not-land is the Destination and the attraction is the Experience?) This “experi-nation” will replace some of the Hollywood Backlot area, resulting in the closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! This wraps up one of the greatest stories in Disney ride history, by the way.
There’s no (public) timeline for this project, except that Monsters Inc. will close in “early 2026.”
All I can say for this one is that the messaging continues to be a bit odd. Last I heard, this would use technology similar to Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure at Shanghai Disneyland. That’s an impressive ride (or it was when I last rode it in 2017) and a concept we should all be excited about…but Disney seems to be playing too coy for that. Possibly the idea is just still in flux.
Coco Ride Coming to Pixar Pier / Paradise Gardens Park
Disney also explained that the new Coco boat ride will be built in the Pixar Pier / Paradise Gardens Park area. Rather than replace (much) existing guest areas, the ride will be built mostly on existing backstage areas.
We can see from the concept art that it will be located very near Incredicoaster. This makes sense, as there really isn’t much backstage space in this part of the park except for some buildings at the intersection of Katella and Disneyland Drive. Zoe developed a love affair for Goofy Sky School on our last visit, so I’m glad to see this construction coming nowhere near that attraction.
All Your Other Disneyland Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Disneyland Planning Guide. When it comes to hotels, we’ve got reviews of all three Disney hotels: Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel. As for tickets, check out where to find discount Disneyland tickets.
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