What Land Does Disney Own Around Disneyland Resort Area?

[mickeyfan42]

So With the "Disneyland Forward" website up it got me wondering what all Disney owns in the surrounding area that we don't necessarily think of right away. We know they've had to move several operations that were backstage North of Disneyland to offsite locations. Do we have any idea where those got moved to? I believe I have all their land that we know for sure they own highlighted in Green (The main Resort area, Toy Story Parking Lot, Eastern Gateway site, Cast Lot to the North). I've read that they own the Candy Cane Inn and maybe a few of the other Good Neighbor Hotels on Harbor.

I also really don't understand why they haven't bought the GardenWalk property either of the times it has been up for sale.

Side Note, I have to wonder how much of them saying they just want zoning and to do Park expansions to the West side of the property is to throw everyone off the scent that they actually will do a 3rd Gate on the Toy Story property, while still getting the West side zoned for potential expansion in the future.

Please try to stick to land we know for a fact that they own (this is why I didn't highlight Candy Cane Inn). I do know there is the company D store offsite, but I couldn't remember exactly where that is located.

[Starcade]

I believe the large building behind the hotels on Harbor is the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that is unwilling to move or sell so the Eastern gateway had to be split into two plots connected by a thin walkway. You have it as they own the whole parcel, which I am not sure is accurate. But others have said they do in fact now own it. If so I stand corrected.

[Darth Scottie]

The properties adjacent to Disney properties are tightly held by their owners and seen as gold mines and cash cows as Disney's offers go up every year.

[notlemc]

The property in the middle of the proposed eastern gateway parking structure was/is owned by the federal government as part of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Looking for USCIS locations in the 92802 zip code, nothing comes up on their office locations. Additionally looking at google street view, since February 2020 the building and parking lot has had "Disney go away" fencing and green sheeting around the property. Me thinks that Disney finally got their hands on the building and bought it.

[SuperHappyCM]

I do know there is the company D store offsite, but I couldn't remember exactly where that is located.

Head east on Katella and turn left on Lewis. It's very plain so as not to attract anyone thinking it's open to the public. But I don't think Disney owns the land it sits on. They moved to that location from a previous one, so it seems they only rent the building.

[lemuth0922]

The property in the middle of the proposed eastern gateway parking structure was/is owned by the federal government as part of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Looking for USCIS locations in the 92802 zip code, nothing comes up on their office locations. Additionally looking at google street view, since February 2020 the building and parking lot has had "Disney go away" fencing and green sheeting around the property. Me thinks that Disney finally got their hands on the building and bought it.

That office was, I believe, an Asylum Office so it wouldn't come up in the search for a regular field office on USCIS. Property records still have it listed as a government building...*shrugs*

EDIT: Well, this OC Register article says otherwise

https://www.ocregister.com/2015/07/21/disney-buys-building-land-near-disneyland-for-48-million/

[Eagleman]

Property off site and not next to resort ,can still be use as a back stage ......
for now Disneyland does not have much storage area ,or office space

[mickeyfan42]

I believe the large building behind the hotels on Harbor is a dental academy that is unwilling to move or sell so the Eastern gateway had to be split into two plots connected by a thin walkway. You have it as they own the whole parcel, which I am not sure is accurate.

hmmm maybe that is why the original plans they released had 1 large garage taking up the South half of the property and the shuttle drop offs on the north half, as opposed to the drop off being the ground level of a garage taking up the whole footprint (and therefore WAY more parking)

[notlemc]

That office was, I believe, an Asylum Office so it wouldn't come up in the search for a regular field office on USCIS. Property records still have it listed as a government building...*shrugs*

EDIT: Well, this OC Register article says otherwise
https://www.ocregister.com/2015/07/2...or-48-million/

Based on that OC Register article, Disney bought the land in 2015, kept the USCIS lease until it ran out and then did not renew their lease. USCIS websites, including their asylum office search, no longer list the location as an office. Disney now owns nearly 960,000 square feet to build a giant parking structure.

[mickeyfan42]

Do any of you have experience combing over the City and County records to check for ownership? So far all I'm seeing are land and building permits from the City's website, and some very basic parcel information from the County, nothing listing legal owners.

https://gis.anaheim.net/PropertyInfo/index.html

https://www.ocgis.com/ocpw/landrecords/

[mickeyfan42]

The property in the middle of the proposed eastern gateway parking structure was/is owned by the federal government as part of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Looking for USCIS locations in the 92802 zip code, nothing comes up on their office locations. Additionally looking at google street view, since February 2020 the building and parking lot has had "Disney go away" fencing and green sheeting around the property. Me thinks that Disney finally got their hands on the building and bought it.

in doing some digging, Disney already owned that land but had to wait for USICS lease to run out (which it did last year) So now Disney has a lot more freedom to make the parking structure even bigger and not have to go around a small office

[lemuth0922]

Based on that OC Register article, Disney bought the land in 2015, kept the USCIS lease until it ran out and then did not renew their lease. USCIS websites, including their asylum office search, no longer list the location as an office. Disney now owns nearly 960,000 square feet to build a giant parking structure.

Not sure where you got all that from the article (when I view it it's 3 sentences, lol). But yes, point is, they own it now.

[mickeyfan42]

Not sure where you got all that from the article (when I view it it's 3 sentences, lol). But yes, point is, they own it now.

I found the old Miceage article from when Eastern Gateway was announced and in it, they mention that Disney had quietly purchased the property, but that USCIS' lease went through 2020. That has came and went now which would give Disney a little more freedom on the design plans for that site.

[Starcade]

Now that Disney now does own it they could put in a parking structure of 4-5 stories making it the equivalent spaces to replace the Toy Story Lot. That leaves that parcel up to be used for whatever they want without the need to use it for Resort parking. The Toy Story lot is not quite big enough for a third gate unless they got very creative in going vertical as you would need a chunk of that for parking for it's park and the footprint as is is only like 80% of DCA or DL. Probably only 60% once a parking structure is built. I see them using this as a Disney-Lite experience with more retail then attraction and maybe a Hotel on site. It would be a great plot for a water park/resort kind of like a Diney-esque Great Wolf Lodge that can be open year round.

Or they are truly putting their sites on the Anaheim Garden Walk and have been watching it struggle waiting to pounce at the opportune time and then the story gets really interesting as that would give them so many more options having the ability to link all three major parcels. Maybe some of these plans are being leaked to put pressure on certain owners to sell and or provide Disney more leverage to make some more demands on the city?

[mickeyfan42]

Now that Disney now does own it they could put in a parking structure of 4-5 stories making it the equivalent spaces to replace the Toy Story Lot. That leaves that parcel up to be used for whatever they want without the need to use it for Resort parking. The Toy Story lot is not quite big enough for a third gate unless they got very creative in going vertical as you would need a chunk of that for parking for it's park and the footprint as is is only like 80% of DCA or DL. Probably only 60% once a parking structure is built. I see them using this as a Disney-Lite experience with more retail then attraction and maybe a Hotel on site. It would be a great plot for a water park/resort kind of like a Diney-esque Great Wolf Lodge that can be open year round.

Or they are truly putting their sites on the Anaheim Garden Walk and have been watching it struggle waiting to pounce at the opportune time and then the story gets really interesting as that would give them so many more options having the ability to link all three major parcels. Maybe some of these plans are being leaked to put pressure on certain owners to sell and or provide Disney more leverage to make some more demands on the city?

I fully expect that they don't really want to waste the Toy Story parcel on anything that isn't a new park, and I do think they just wanted to ride it out to get GW for as little as possible (I imagine that after this last year, now would be an excellent time to make an offer on it because I would be shocked if it has fared any better than other malls have (the one closest to me has lost about 1/5 of the tenants). Especially when the 2 most popular sites there are the theater and House of Blues, both of which have had to go without being able to be open for the better part of a year (ok maybe HoB was open but didn't have the live entertainment which is what drives people in). And yes, I don't think Disney will build a 3rd park over there until they own GW for that connector. Also, that parcel is 74 acres. If you don't count the Grand Californian as part of DCA's footprint (and I don't because its a hotel, not attractions), it is the same acreage. Yes they'd have to get creative but it is also worth remembering that when DCA first opened it was only about 50 acres, and grew to 55 with the additions of A Bug's Land, and Tower of Terror. And that 74 acre measurement of the DCA plot includes what is left of the Timon parking lot, aka, where that Avengers E-Ticket will go if/when it breaks ground.

[savarese04]

Now that Disney now does own it they could put in a parking structure of 4-5 stories making it the equivalent spaces to replace the Toy Story Lot. That leaves that parcel up to be used for whatever they want without the need to use it for Resort parking. The Toy Story lot is not quite big enough for a third gate unless they got very creative in going vertical as you would need a chunk of that for parking for it's park and the footprint as is is only like 80% of DCA or DL. Probably only 60% once a parking structure is built. I see them using this as a Disney-Lite experience with more retail then attraction and maybe a Hotel on site. It would be a great plot for a water park/resort kind of like a Diney-esque Great Wolf Lodge that can be open year round.

Or they are truly putting their sites on the Anaheim Garden Walk and have been watching it struggle waiting to pounce at the opportune time and then the story gets really interesting as that would give them so many more options having the ability to link all three major parcels. Maybe some of these plans are being leaked to put pressure on certain owners to sell and or provide Disney more leverage to make some more demands on the city?

I'm sure they want the Garden Walk (or LITERALLY ANY property around the park), but that parcel isn't as big as people think it is. It's like 1/3 the size of DCA, so I'm not sure what they would do there, keeping in mind that it's zoned for retail and turning it into anything else that doesn't bring in sales tax revenue, would raise the hackles of the Anaheim folk. I'm sure they were thrilled to have Disney taking over the USCIS property, since its an office that doesn't generate taxes and is a pretty politically contentious presence anyway.

[mickeyfan42]

I'm sure they want the Garden Walk (or LITERALLY ANY property around the park), but that parcel isn't as big as people think it is. It's like 1/3 the size of DCA, so I'm not sure what they would do there, keeping in mind that it's zoned for retail and turning it into anything else that doesn't bring in sales tax revenue, would raise the hackles of the Anaheim folk. I'm sure they were thrilled to have Disney taking over the USCIS property, since its an office that doesn't generate taxes and is a pretty politically contentious presence anyway.

That's why if I were involved in Disney's resort master planning I would 100% be pushing for purchasing GW, build 3rd gate on Toy Story (it is definitely big enough for something decent (by DLR standards, not WDW size lol), build up the Eastern Gateway, then use the GW property as a "DTD East" or something like that, it would stay as retail/dining, and be how you funnel guests from the parking structure to the park. Like how DLR Hotel guests are funneled through DTD to get to the parks, or how Universal funnels your through their shopping district. Plus, depending on iff they got some of that hotel space surrounding GW, they could then have a couple more Value or Moderately priced hotels for DLR. I know I would actually save up more to stay on property if they ever did a value resort, but moderates are just too expensive when I can stay down the road for as little as $60/night.

[jish5555]

As I recall, that green chunk with the little pathway leading to harbor blvd. was meant to be a new parking structure with an overhead walkway so as to avoid too much foot traffic on the ground. This didn't go over well due to how the neighbor hotels and restaurants got really upset over that, thinking it was gonna lose them a lot more business (which is understandable).

[mickeyfan42]

As I recall, that green chunk with the little pathway leading to harbor blvd. was meant to be a new parking structure with an overhead walkway so as to avoid too much foot traffic on the ground. This didn't go over well due to how the neighbor hotels and restaurants got really upset over that, thinking it was gonna lose them a lot more business (which is understandable).

yes, that is the site of the proposed Eastern Gateway, which, iirc would have completely eliminated all crosswalk traffic allowing vehicular traffic to flow significantly better. And yes, it was the McDonalds and IHOP and other restaurants that pitched a fit. I don't know why the hotels would have been against it though because why would they lose business if all guests have to do is walk to the back of their property to be "in Disney"? Also, I don't have sympathy for giant corporate chains that might lose 1-5% in sales from the proposed project which Disney wants back on the table (based on the Disneyland Forward website). Now if there are independent small businesses over there, that is a different equation. But I honestly don't think they'd lose much traffic as all guests will be seeing what is there when crossing the bridge and it might entice them (after this many trips I never even noticed the IHOP until they complained about the project, and now I won't go there out of principle, same for the McDonalds because I would have rather seen the Eastern Gateway get build before we got Pixar Pals

[brianpinsky]

Here is all the property that I know about. I would love to know of more property including those in Cerritos