There’s a saying inside the offices of Walt Disney Imagineering that no idea and no name goes unused, just filed away to be dusted off for a future venture. Such is the case with the newest addition to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Port Disney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally intended as a huge development in Long Beach complete with a theme park, multiple hotels, sea exhibits and more, the name was too easy to ignore when ideas started trickling out for a water park to be built as a complement to Disneyland Park and California Adventure. While the new Port Disney Water Park doesn’t utilize all of those plans from 1991, (many of those having been shipped over to Tokyo for DisneySea), you will find subtle references in homage to the master plan of that development throughout.

 

REBIRTH

As the 4th water park in the Disney family, Port Disney had to be different from Disney's earlier ventures in Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon and Mount Pele located in Orlando. With a west coast location and a different clientele and tourist base, the park would need to be much more of a draw than just a diversion as was the case for the aforementioned Orlando parks. Along those lines, it was determined to bring the east coast west, and a new type of Disney water park experience to life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port Disney Water Park, a New England seaport themed experience, will open in the summer of 2020 bringing both the charm and intrigue of the area to Anaheim, combined with a whole new set of adventures and fun. Among the offerings are many themed water park experiences as a few theme park style attractions built to fully immerse guests into the Port Disney experience. All are designed to draw in locals looking for something entirely different than what they’ll experience in nearby water parks, and entice the 2-day visitor to tack on an extra day to their stay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The park itself will be located on the current Simba parking lot, across Disneyland Drive from the existing parks and adjacent to Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. A few slightly larger location were considered, however , this site provides both convenience for a large section of Disney resort guests, but also avoids disrupting current long-range build up plans for the resort. With that said, roughly 25 acres of land is ample room to fit all manner of experiences and an ambiance you won’t find elsewhere within the resort. Note much of the land not taken up by the park itself is dedicated to the backstage: an often forgotten part of imagineering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Entering the park, you are immediately greeted by the seaside village of Port Disney. An inviting village green creates a welcoming atmosphere and a perfect complement to the numerous New England/Amity style structures lining the walkways. Tucked inside these structures you’ll find maps and information, lockers and changing rooms(with more of each  located throughout the park) and a few small shops and dining options. The park itself will be very exploratory with numerous walkways broken up by elements both natural and manmade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you’ve made it into Port Disney, the seaside location of the village starts to become more apparent. Water flows through town and the park as you pass by the Port Disney Water Works and historic looking structures towards the harbor. Trees appropriate to New England and the coast are placed around the property to break up visuals and in the background, the intermittent sound of seagulls and crashing waves fill the air. You’ll notice the design of the structures change slightly as you make your way harborside, and a nautical flair permeates from everything around, including an odd-looking tavern, but more on that later. Here in the harbor, you’ll also find a few boats lining the wharf completing the scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Port Disney will feel like a vacation, while you are on vacation. While the sets and decor set the tone for the park, unique dining, the water attractions, and family rides mixed into the surroundings will make any visit to Port Disney an experience not soon forgotten.