With little or no ceremony the next to last section of the original Disneyland parking lot, now known as Timon, has been closed to guests. This is in preparation of adding ‘Cars Land’ to California Adventure, the second gate at Disneyland Resort. All the original parking lot will now be given over to the expansion project.
The OC Register has more details including where Disney plans to park all those cars now. (Hint: you’ll be walking.)
Just so that everyone is aware there are free shuttles from the following lots:
– Mickey & Friends – Run by Disney
– Pumba – Operated by ART & Coach USA
– Buzz Light Year – Operated by Coach USA (Possibly — ART as well, I am not positive)
Gardenwalk – Operated by Gardenwalk (well that’s what the sides of the buses say at any rate)
The Simba lost doesn’t have a shuttle.
In addition, you could park in Downtown Disney if you are staying late or going for no more than 5 hours, you can get something at downtown Disney and get parking validated or after about 12:30 A.M. they stop checking and just open the gates to let people out.
Let’s clarify a few things…
The Anaheim Transportation Network is a quasi-government agency that is designed to manage and operate the ART Shuttle Buses that service the hotels in and around the Anaheim Resort Area.
http://www.rideart.org
Now the agency does have a contract to have Coach America (which also runs many of the tours in Anaheim under the “Gray Line” name, which they own) to provide the Drivers, and maintain the vehicles used for the ART system.
(FYI, the ART system was a way for the City of Anaheim to help meet environmental laws and regulations in regards to reduced emissions from vehicles, and why all the vehicles used are “green” friendly, including some that are powered by Electricity. (ART has an agreement with another government agency, Anaheim Public Utilities).
Disney has an agreement with Coach America to provide the Buses needed for Pumbaa, Anaheim GardenWalk, Buzz Lightyear, Pongo and other times they need bus/shuttle service for park guests (such as the day of the Half Marathon).
Now, Coach America doesn’t have enough large white buses this summer to provide the Buses for Disneyland, so you will see some other names on the buses, as they are sub-contracting parts of the job they can’t handle. Liberty is one name I see a lot. Also Johnny’s Express.
Buses are marked with an 8 1/2 by 11 ” piece of paper that identifies the lot, both in words, and a drawing of the appropriate character. Also, Disney has three separate areas in the Main Shuttle loading area (Pumbaa, AGW and Buzz), so notice where you get off, and look for the signage.
Simba currently doesn’t have tram service, but Disney did “rebuild” the tram loading area behind the Paradise Pier Hotel in the last couple of months. But certain parts of the CarsLand project (and related items in the former Timon Lot) have to be finished before Disney can link up the Lion King Loading Station near the park entrance to the Simba Lot. Last I have heard, at least 6 months before they can offer the service.
Kind of ironic isn’t it? That part of the main focus of the movie cars was about having the roads curve with the land and not cut through it. Yet they are demolishing a parking lot for the purpose of this section of the park.
I’m not sure I see the irony. In theory they’ll be returning some of the parking lot to a natural setting.
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