Disneyland Resort has announced plans to add a new parking and transportation hub along Harbor Boulevard. A version of these plans have been on (and off) the table for nearly 3 decades and it appears that this time the addition will actually happen. This infrastructure change will make way for expansion in the theme parks. In this post, we’ll share the news about the upcoming parking and transportation expansion as well as our commentary. Here’s the news!

Plans are underway for a new parking structure and transportation hub that will be built on the east side of Disneyland Resort, on a portion of what is currently the Manchester cast member parking lot. This new area will provide approximately 6,000 parking spaces, shuttle and rideshare areas, security screening and dedicated access for traffic off of Disney Way, improving parking and traffic flow throughout the resort area. This new parking and transportation hub will also feature a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, leading to an all-new esplanade arrival experience. The pedestrian bridge will also provide convenient public access to and from Harbor Boulevard.

These enhanced parking, transit, and arrival offerings are the first step in Disneyland Resort’s next phase of construction, creating the infrastructure necessary to prepare for future growth and to welcome more guests. New experiences will be added thanks to the increase in infrastructure including two all-new attractions that will double the size of Avengers Campus, plus the new “Coco”-themed ride and Avatar destination coming to Disney California Adventure park. The multi-year construction of this new arrival experience is slated to begin in fall of 2026.

The concept art above is stunning, specifically the retro entrance sign. I’ve been mixed on the 50’s and 60’s style of Downtown Disney’s renovation but continuing that trend resort wide will add some continuity. I like the mid-century look in this case and have always been fond of the logo used for that entrance sign. Here’s hoping that comes to pass.

As for the actual project, this is great news. There’s a long history of Disney trying to move this project across. I won’t dive too deep into that story but, suffice to say, they’ve wanted this for a long time. With DisneylandForward passing in 2024, that cleared the way for the company to have the autonomy to make this announcement.

The Eastern Gateway expansion was also announced in 2016 (although with a slightly different look) in hopes to add infrastructure prior to Galaxy’s Edge and a rumored Marvel coaster. Due to friction with the city of Anaheim, the project never came to be. Ideas never truly die at Imagineering and for Disneyland Resort to continue to expand, this was a necessary step forward.

Obviously, a parking lot and transportation hub isn’t the most enticing headline but it’s absolutely needed. Parking at Disneyland is not a pleasant experience, whether that’s at Mickey & Friends, the Toy Story Lot or Pixar Pals parking garage. Being so close to I-5 adds congestion and I wouldn’t call the system efficient. This new lot should offer a spot for everyone coming north on I-5 to park.

Along with that, a new pedestrian bridge over Harbor and more security checkpoints should make getting into the theme parks easier than ever before. I’m especially excited about the bridge, along with continued access from the hotels on Harbor. There’s been a lot of work done around the neighboring hotels in recent years but entering from some of the neighboring streets is, shall we say, not magical. The bridge will go a long ways toward helping that.

Even if you can’t muster up the energy to get excited about better parking, this project is a big deal for Disneyland’s future expansions. More (and better) infrastructure that is moved away from the parks will lead to more room for growth. We see that immediately in this announcement, as California Adventure’s Avatar expansion will likely take shape in the current bus drop off by Disneyland. The addition won’t just be a gateway for guests to enter, it will be a gateway for future growth at the resort.

We’re eager for this all to get started. Unfortunately, that won’t happen until fall 2026. While a few of the projects at Disneyland Resort can take shape without this infrastructure change, many of them will be in a waiting game until then. Plenty of things will be done behind the scenes before 2026. Hopefully, once they start physical work the project moves quickly since it’s not inside of the theme parks. I could see Eastern Gateway opening by early 2028. Until then, we’ll keep you updated with the details!

Are you excited for the new parking structure and transportation hub? Let us know, along with any questions you have, in the comments below. If you are planning a trip to Disneyland Resort then check out our planning guide. Looking for discount Disneyland tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!