Credit: DisneyIt looks like construction is full steam ahead at Disney California Adventure’s soon-to-be San Fransokyo Square, specifically at one of the main entry points into this area of the park.
At Disney’s D23 Expo in 2022, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts Josh D’Amaro and former Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced that Pacific Wharf in Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort would be rethemed to San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6 (2014).
The news was generally well received by fans who were looking forward to seeing the vibrant, textured world of Big Hero 6‘s sprawling metropolis come to life. Construction crews broke ground on the area in early January and have been hard at work renovating the former Pacific Wharf since.
One of the first projects the Park set out on retheming was the Pacific Wharf Bridge, which underwent a repainting back in February in the shade “international orange,” which just so happens to be the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge used to be light blue. Because of this, many fans joked that Disneyland Resort should’ve never removed the Golden Gate bridge from Pacific Wharf, which was changed to the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge in 2011.
Regardless, construction continued, and the Pacific Wharf Bridge was briefly closed to accommodate the update as part of the area’s transformation into San Fransokyo Square. While the large Torii gates seen in the concept art have yet to be added, the footbridge itself reopened just a couple of weeks later, lined by construction walls and barriers.
But evidence of the construction seems to have since disappeared, making way for the brand new San Fransokyo Gate!
Recent images show the bridge’s updated progress, including its new coat of paint. While its structure is still the same as of now, the design does help to immerse Guests in the colorful world of Big Hero 6. Check out the snapshots below:
An updated look at the San Fransokyo Gate Bridge at DCA: pic.twitter.com/xeQEmNV8Od
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 30, 2023
The bridge is just one of many locations in Pacific Wharf that are getting a new Big Hero 6 makeover. Concept art for this area shows a blend of traditional Japanese and Mexican design elements, such as paper lanterns and colorful papel picado-inspired flags as the new decor. In addition, the current dining options will remain but will likely undergo a retheming of their own. According to the released plans, this section of the park will keep acting as a shopping and dining area for Guests.
In this newly rethemed area, Disneyland Guests will also have the opportunity to meet Baymax for the first time, though there are currently no plans to add a ride such as Tokyo Disneyland’s The Happy Ride with Baymax.
In the coming months, the San Fransokyo Gate will hopefully resemble the structure seen in the concept art revealed at last year’s D23 Expo. Building the large Torri gates on either side of the bridge is sure to be a monumental task for construction crews, but as of now, Guests will get to witness the final product in Summer 2023. Seeing this progress on the bridge is indeed a good sign of things to come for San Fransokyo Square.
Are you excited to step into the world of Big Hero 6 at Disneyland California Adventure? Let us know in the comments below.