Disneyland Resort Construction Update: November 2016 — Security Change Progess, Parade Floats, and Cupcakes

November saw significant changes in various projects around the Disneyland Resort. While Star Wars Land continued at a steady pace (despite rain and high winds), a couple of other projects were surprisingly put into action right in the midst of the Resort’s busy holiday season.

While the Star Wars Land site appeared, at first glance, to have moved little beyond dirt and concrete, a closer look revealed some significant signs that things appear to be right on schedule. Rock work has been started along the new course of the Rivers of America, and by the end of the month there was even the appearance of a trestle for the Disneyland Railroad’s new right-of-way. Behind the scenes more buildings are going up, and a new backstage access road is coming together.

The site appeared pretty much as usual the first week of November

Excavations and concrete work continued

All these concrete walls will one day be largely buried beneath landscape

The end of the Hungry Bear Restaurant behind the white canvas has been closed off to the public

Permanent backstage structures rise behind temporary construction trailers

The announcement that the Resort was building new security points at the Mickey and Friends parking structure tram loading, as well as access points to Downtown Disney caught many by surprise, though not LaughingPlace readers, who first read about it here in September. What is surprising is that work has moved forward during one of the Resort’s busier times of the year. Work on the Downtown Disney security areas has curtailed some of the offerings that guests have come to expect, not the least of which the skating rink, which has not appeared.

As work accelerates in the Mickey and Friends security area, existing landscape has been removed

Sections of asphalt have been removed to be replaced with concrete for the new tram route

The new route carries trams through the ground floor of Mickey and Friends and into a broad curve to the south of the structure

The tram service area can be seen further to the south of the new tram route

Rebar will support the new concrete for the tram route

Within days of the official announcement, parts of Downtown Disney were closed off for work on security access there

In addition to the access from parking, the open walkway between ESPN and Earl of Sandwich will also become a security screening area

By the end of November much of the valet parking area is behind construction fence

From inside Downtown Disney the scope of the new security area can be seen

The route to the hotel will be filled with security

The Eastern Gateway project is moving along more quietly. So far nothing obvious has happened at the site of the announced new parking structure, and only massive mounds of dirt have appeared at the new security area. The Carousel Motel, which has closed, is yet to be demolished to make way for the Harbor Boulevard overcrossing.

The entrance to the new parking structure for the Eastern Esplanade will be right here, off Disney Way

Over on Manchester Street, only a few signs remain of the office and warehouse that once occupied the site

Little has been done on this very large project

A great deal of dirt has been delivered to the western end of the site

A look toward the area that will one day hold a second major parking structure

This month’s update includes a few other odds and ends as well. General refurbishing has been taking place at Downtown Disney; a new Preferred Parking program was initiated at the Mickey and Friends parking structure; the floats for the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade have been seen (but just in storage); and the new Sprinkles Cupcake shop opened in mid-month at Downtown Disney.