Disneyland’s east-side ticket booths are gone. Here’s what that means for Harbor Boulevard arrivals
Disneyland removed its last east-side ticket booths as work continues on a pedestrian bridge and new 6,000-space parking garage.
Disneyland’s east entrance just changed in a visible way. The final two ticket booths on the east side of the Esplanade have been removed, shifting where some guests need to go now and clearing more room for a bigger arrival project tied to DisneylandForward.
What changed for guests right now
The change is already in effect. Crews removed the last two ticket booths on the east end of the Esplanade near the bus loop, leaving no ticket windows on that side of Disneyland’s main entrance plaza.
That brings the total number of east-side booths removed to six. Four others had already come down starting in August. Construction walls now run along both sides of the Esplanade, the plaza between the gates of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
For guests, the immediate impact is simple: anyone arriving from Harbor Boulevard who still needs to buy a ticket at the gate now has to head to the west side. The two west-end ticket booths are still operating, and Guest Services remains open there as well. Disney has not said whether additional booths will be removed. As digital tickets and online trip planning have become more common, walk-up windows matter less than they once did.
Why Disney is clearing the east side
The cleared space is being prepared for a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard. Disney plans to use it to connect the Esplanade with a new parking garage and transportation hub on the east side of the resort.
At the moment, guests coming from the hotels across Harbor Boulevard cross the street at ground level. The planned bridge would move that foot traffic above the roadway instead.
The work ties into DisneylandForward, the long-range development plan approved by the Anaheim City Council in a final vote on May 7, 2024. The city’s summary of that plan specifically references new parking east of the parks and possible pedestrian bridges over Harbor Boulevard. Under the agreement, Disney committed to invest at least $1.9 billion in Anaheim over 10 years.
What comes next with parking, security and future expansion
Disney broke ground in August on the new garage at the current Manchester Cast Member lot. Plans call for more than 6,000 parking spaces, 316 electric vehicle charging spaces, a dedicated area for shuttles and rideshares, and direct access from Disney Way.
A revised permit reduces the structure from eight floors to seven and cuts its size by about 4 percent to 3.1 million square feet, while Disney still says it will hold more than 6,000 spaces. Updated concept art shows a covered pedestrian bridge, though that design could still change. Disney has not announced an opening date for either the bridge or the garage.
The east-side arrival flow may keep evolving. The walkway from the current east-side security checkpoint now bends around the construction walls, and that area is expected to become the future screening location after work is complete. The former booth site has also been combined with the neighboring construction zone for the new Porto’s Bakery in Downtown Disney, with an interior wall separating the two work areas.
