New Disneyland 8 Story Parking Garage Permit Filed for DisneylandFORWARD Project

Hey Disney Vacationers! Disneyland has quietly taken a big first step toward its long-term expansion plans with a newly filed permit for a massive new parking structure tied to the DisneylandFORWARD project.

This new Disneyland 8 story parking garage permit gives us the clearest signal yet that the resort is laying real groundwork for major growth in Anaheim.

Quick Summary

• Project: New 8-story parking garage
• Location: Eastern Gateway near Harbor Boulevard
• Size: 3.2 million square feet
• Parking Capacity: Approx. 6,000 spaces
• Extras: Shuttle areas, rideshare, security screening, pedestrian bridge
• EV Chargers: 302 total
• Construction Start: Fall 2026
• Why It Matters: Required infrastructure for DisneylandFORWARD expansion

Disneyland Files Permit for 8-Story Parking Garage

According to the newly filed permit, Disneyland Resort plans to construct a core-and-shell, 8-story parking structure totaling a massive 3.2 million square feet.

This parking structure is part of the previously announced eastern gateway transportation hub near Harbor Boulevard. Disney has already shared that this area will eventually include:

• Around 6,000 parking spaces
• Shuttle and rideshare zones
• On-site security screening
• Dedicated traffic access off Disney Way

The goal is simple: improve traffic flow and create a more streamlined arrival experience for guests coming from the east side of the resort.

A New Arrival Experience Over Harbor Boulevard

One of the most eye-catching parts of this project is the pedestrian bridge planned to span Harbor Boulevard.

The bridge will connect the new parking and transportation hub directly to an all-new esplanade arrival area. It also provides public pedestrian access to and from Harbor Boulevard, which is a notable shift in how guests will move around the resort perimeter.

Disney summed up the significance of this phase clearly:

“These enhanced parking, transit, and arrival offerings are the first step in our next phase of construction, creating the infrastructure necessary to prepare for future growth and to welcome more guests as new experiences are added – 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.” – Disneyland

Those future additions are planned for Disney California Adventure Park, which helps explain why Disney is prioritizing transportation capacity first.

A Big Push for Electric Vehicles

One small but telling detail in the permit is the inclusion of 302 electric vehicle charging stations inside the garage.

That’s a significant number and reinforces that this structure isn’t just about capacity. It’s meant to serve the resort for decades as guest transportation habits continue to change.

What This Means for DisneylandFORWARD

This parking garage is more than a parking project. It’s the first physical domino in the broader DisneylandFORWARD plan.

By shifting parking and transportation to the eastern gateway, Disney can eventually free up existing surface parking and underused land closer to the parks. That space is critical if a new Disney theme park in California is ever going to become reality.

Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026 and will take multiple years to complete.

My Thoughts

This 3.2 million square foot parking structure is the clearest sign yet that DisneylandFORWARD is moving from concept to execution.

Before Disney could not break ground on a brand-new theme park until this garage is finished. There’s really no way around that. Based on the size of the structure and the complexity of building a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, my guess is this is at least a 18 to 24 month project, if not longer.

Looking at the timeline, the absolute earliest I’d expect any new Disneyland theme park construction to begin would be early 2028. More realistically, sometime between 2029 and 2030.

Disney will almost certainly be focused first on completing the Avatar land and the Coco attraction at Disney California Adventure, especially with the 75th anniversary of Disneyland coming in 2030.

This permit doesn’t mean a new park is imminent. But it does mean the foundation is finally being poured—literally—for Disneyland’s next era.

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Meet the Author: Nate Bishop

I’m a die-hard Disney fan with 38 years of visits under my belt, having stepped into Disney World 120+ times. Proud to be a Disney Annual Passholder, a Vacation Club member since ’92, a Castaway Club Member, and a runDisney enthusiast. Oh, and I’ve graduated from the Disney College of Knowledge. Need Disney insights or planning tips? I’m your guy!