Disneyland just took a major step forward on its $1.9 billion DisneylandForward expansion, and it starts with parking. According to the Orange County Register, the resort filed building permits with the city of Anaheim on December 24, 2025, for a new 8-level parking structure that will span 3.2 million square feet and hold 6,000 cars.
This is not just about more parking spaces. This garage is being described as “an essential first step” that will enable Disneyland to build four major new attractions at Disney California Adventure over the next five years.
What We Know About the New Parking Structure
The Eastside parking garage will be built on Disneyland’s Manchester employee parking lot, which backs up to the I-5 Freeway. A pedestrian bridge will connect visitors across Harbor Boulevard between the existing bus drop-off area and the new garage.
The facility will include 300 electric vehicle charging stations, a sign that Disney is preparing for the future of transportation as more guests arrive in EVs.
Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2026, making this a multi-year project on the east side of the resort.
Why This Parking Garage Matters
The reason this parking structure is so critical is that it will free up space on the west side of the resort—the area currently occupied by existing parking lots. Once those lots are no longer needed for parking, Disney can convert them into new attractions and experiences.
That is where the four major new attractions come in. According to the DisneylandForward plan, Disney California Adventure will get:
All of these projects depend on having somewhere else to park the cars that currently occupy the land where these attractions will be built. That is why this parking garage is being called the essential first step.
What This Means for Disneyland Guests
If you are visiting Disneyland in the next few years, you will likely see this massive construction project taking shape on the east side of the resort. And if you drive an electric vehicle, you will have 300 charging stations waiting for you when the garage opens.
More importantly, this is the clearest sign yet that the DisneylandForward expansion is really happening. Disney has been talking about these new attractions for years, but filing building permits for the parking garage shows that the company is serious about moving forward with the plan.
We are still years away from seeing Avatar, Avengers, or Coco attractions open at Disney California Adventure, but the clock is officially ticking. The parking garage is expected to take multiple years to build, and only after it is complete can Disney start converting the existing parking lots into new attractions.
But for fans who have been waiting for Disneyland to expand in a meaningful way, this is the kind of progress we have been hoping to see.
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