PHOTOS - Disney Springs West Side parking garage connector now open

May 04, 2015 in "Disney Springs"

Disney Springs West Side Orange Parking Garage connector opening
Posted: Monday May 4, 2015 10:00am EDT by WDWMAGIC Staff

The Disney Springs West Side Orange parking garage took a step closer to be completed today with the opening of the new connector walkway this morning.


The connector provides escalator, staircase, and elevator access from the second floor of the Orange parking garage, and forms what will be the main entrance for many arriving guests.

Outside of the connector is a new entrance plaza area, complete with landscaping and a good amount of open space.

The second connector on the West Side near Splitsville is not yet open but is nearing completion.

Click the gallery for more photos.

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WDWtravelerNov 09, 2016

Photo update as of Wednesday, Nov. 9. New artwork appearing above elevator doors on second level of the Orange Garage main pedestrian crossover. Themed to "orange," Disney Springs, and Florida.

halltdJun 14, 2016

I'll give you that. I didn't even know there were two exits until like my fifth time in the garage. But, I never looked, either. When I actively looked for exit signage, I then saw it. It is kinda small, though. Maybe they need to light the signage, then people would see it easier.

mm121Jun 14, 2016

anyone have any pics of it? if its there i sure didnt see it, and messed up coming out of the garage, and i've been in the garage before like two times (one time drivng, one time riding as passenger) my point is if ive been in the garage previously and end up getting confused, then its surely confusing for tourists who have never been in it before.

halltdJun 14, 2016

The signage is there. You just have to read it. The exists say if they're for "Disney resorts" or "hotel plaza boulevard" or something alon those lines.

mm121Jun 14, 2016

they really need to add more signage regarding the exits inside the garage when i was up there recently from the 3rd level of the orange garage i ended up going west on LBV and had to go into the parking lot by the west side to make a uturn since i wanted to go east on LBV, since theres no signage telling you which way your exiting.

JohnWDMay 06, 2016

Is that the wdwmagic traveler mobile?

WDWtravelerMay 05, 2016

Photo update as of Thursday, May 5. Installation of individual parking indicators on the ground level started earlier this week, with the "tally" boxes at the ends of each row. Not operational yet.

articosMar 28, 2016

Doing this for a while, nothing shocks me anymore. :) Amused, most of the time. Shocked, rarely.

danlb_2000Mar 28, 2016

There was recently a permit filed for the MK castle stage with the description Electrical Investigation. Sounds like a case of something like this.

Master YodaMar 28, 2016

You would be shocked at how often utilities get moved during construction and the update never makes the final plans on file. Fast forward 30 years and you have a 6' diameter storm drain right were you need to sink a dozen columns.

dstrawn9889Mar 22, 2016

damn that shouldnt have been there... lucky we didnt hit it with the backhoe

articosMar 22, 2016

"Visitors are using doorways meant for emergency access only, he said, so the district is adding doors with signs that make it clearer they are not for general use. The district is also adding railings so that people who exit through the doors don't wander into traffic." Translated: We should have listened to our consultants, architects and vendors more. We screwed that up. "The district also had to relocate unexpected utility equipment that it ran across." Translated: So that's where that went. Huh.

danpam1024Mar 06, 2016

will it be painted orange:p:D

RiderFeb 27, 2016

The Reedy Creek Improvement District on Wednesday added $4 million to the $360 million budget for improving transportation around Disney Springs. Reedy Creek is a Disney-controlled taxing district. Disney is its primary taxpayer. Extra costs were about $4.7 million but were offset by a $750,000 decrease in the Buena Vista Drive reconstruction price tag. Most of the extra money covers increased expenses in parking garages, which will cost $157 million. The entire project also includes Buena Vista Drive reconstruction, a ramp leading into one of the parking garages from Interstate 4, and pedestrian bridges. Bruce Jones, the district's manager of contract and risk management, said Reedy Creek had decided to add new safety improvements to the first garage, which opened last year. Visitors are using doorways meant for emergency access only, he said, so the district is adding doors with signs that make it clearer they are not for general use. The district is also adding railings so that people who exit through the doors don't wander into traffic. That will cost $1.1 million. The second garage, which opens later this year, will cost $3.1 million more than originally planned. Jones said the district had to replace soil that had vegetation in it, which would have created instability when it decomposed. The district also had to relocate unexpected utility equipment that it ran across. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-cfb-tourism-column-02282015-20160226-story.html