The OC Register reports that Disneyland has purchased the 11-acre Anaheim RV Village, with plans to convert it into a 1,400-space employee parking lot to accommodate increased demand for parking stemming from increased attendance at its parks:
The plot holds 293 trailer and camping spots aimed at Disney tourists, as well as an auto-repair facility, according to documents.
The new parking lot would replace spots in an employee lot off of Katella Avenue, which would be converted into visitor parking and be adjacent to the Toy Story lot.
Brown said the addition is needed because of the increase in attendance since the June 2012 unveiling of Disney California Adventure’s expansion that included immediately popular Cars Land. California Adventure had a 23 percent jump in attendance last year, up to 7.8 million, according to an industry report. Next door, Disneyland attracted 16 million.
Because of the crowds, Disney has had to occasionally bus in employees from far-away lots, including Angel Stadium’s. The theme parks also have agreements to use spillover spaces at the Anaheim Convention Center and the Anaheim GardenWalk mall – both of which have expansion plans and may need more of their own parking in the future.
The Anaheim RV Village has had its ups and downs. Several years ago, a previous owner of what was then called Travelers World RV Park had planned a mixed-use project of high-rise condos and retail outlets called Parc Anaheim, and had actually shuttered the park. The project was ultimately collateral damage in the Disney-SunCal battle and the real estate downturn, and re-opened its doors as Anaheim RV Village.
