A new City of Anaheim planning draft sketches out a landscaped pedestrian loop that would wrap past Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resort’s park entrances. The Anaheim Resort 2.0 draft, prepared by urban design firm Gehl, calls the idea the Resort Ribbon, and its concept map runs the route all the way to an area labeled “Future Disney Destination.”
The 73-page document, as reported by Laughing Place, is a set of ideas rather than an approved project, but it shows how the city is thinking about foot traffic around the resort as Disney’s DisneylandForward expansion moves ahead.
What The Resort Ribbon Would Be
The long-term route would leave the Downtown Disney area, pass the theme park entrances and continue toward the planned eastern parking structure, GardenWalk, the Anaheim Convention Center’s Grand Plaza and that future Disney area. To get people over the busiest streets, the draft proposes grade-separated crossings on Disney Way and Katella Avenue near GardenWalk and on Harbor Boulevard south of Katella Avenue.
Instead of plain pedestrian bridges, the city pictures wide, landscaped paths with seating and shade. The draft says the idea “turns moving through the district into a curated experience, giving visitors a premium, stress-free alternative while bypassing traffic…”
Disney is written into the fine print. The draft says the route and crossing locations will be settled in coordination with DisneylandForward projects, so the final path depends on what Disney builds. That eastern garage is already underway, since Disneyland has broken ground on its new parking structure.
Harbor Boulevard Gets A Rethink Too
Anyone who has walked from a Harbor Boulevard hotel to the main gate will recognize the stretch the draft is trying to improve. It includes ideas for unique shade elements near Harbor and Katella, along with new wayfinding elements to help guests get where they are going.
The draft also proposes the Greenway, split into three main sections with seating, playful elements and more, and a redesign of the Harbor and Katella intersection.
Other ideas include an east-west transportation connector, new design standards for public spaces and incentives for hotels and other private properties.
Don’t Expect It On Your Next Trip
This is an early draft, and the city has not announced a public hearing or council vote on it. None of the improvements are guaranteed, and for now, the walk from Harbor Boulevard looks the way it does today.
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