A Walk around the Disneyland Resort

I took the day off today and spent some of the morning walking around the Disneyland Resort.  Sure was a nice morning for it.

It was cool and crisp in the shade at Downtown Disney.

Disney California Adventure is getting a new main entrance structure in preparation for Buena Vista street.

Concept art of the new main entrance.  Sure looks nice.

Walking down Harbor, the rockwork for Cars Land is in full swing.

Finished rockwork on the west side of Cars Land can be seen through the wire mesh.

Once the cement is applied, details are carved.  After carving is finished, many layers of paint are added.

The back of Cadillac Ridge really block in the hotels on Harbor and Katella.

Looking through a construction fence, Cadillac Ridge is on the right, and the show building for Radiator Springs Racers is on the left in yellow.

Crossing Katella and walking towards the Convention Center.  I really like the look of so many palm trees.

The expanded Convention Center opened with the rest of the new Anaheim Resort in 2001.

It was time to start heading back, so I took the shuttle busses from the new Toy Story parking lot.  It was a much more comfortable experience than the parking lot trams on the north end of the resort.

I didn’t know you can see the Crystal Cathedral from here.

Let’s take a look at the Grand Californian.  It’s been quite a while since I’ve been here too.

Looking north from the new Disney Vacation Club wing.  The hotel has really grown up nicely.

The mountains of Cars Land can be seen in the distance.

The Disneyland Hotel is in the middle of a massive renovation, which includes rebuilding each room from the inside out, changing the look of each tower, and completely remodeling the inner dining and pool area.

The iconic waterfalls are gone.

But new fun, featuring monorail themed water slides, await families beginning summer 2011.

The last town to be remodeled is about half finished.

Everything behind the Neverland Pool is under construction.

With Downtown Disney available for public shopping and dining, it was decided that more of the Disneyland Hotel could be used exclusively by hotel guests.  I’m curious to see how much of the grounds will be open to the public and how much will now be closed off.  I guess we’ll see in a few months.