Credit: Inside the MagicDisneyland Resort just filed a permit that reveals the sometimes uncomfortable reality of theme park expansion. While guests get excited about new lands and attractions coming through the ambitious DisneylandForward project, cast members are losing workspace to make room for infrastructure that serves visitors rather than employees. A newly filed demolition permit shows Disney plans to tear down Team Disney Anaheim East, a 70,732-square-foot office building that currently serves as an administrative and operations satellite for the resort, to make way for the Eastern Gateway Parking Structure that will add approximately 6,000 guest parking spaces.
The permit was filed on February 11, 2026, and outlines plans to demolish the building located along the southern edge of the Manchester cast parking lot. This isn’t a small facility being removed for minor improvements. It’s a substantial office building where Disneyland cast members currently work, and it’s being sacrificed so guests will have more convenient parking when visiting the resort. The optics aren’t great, but the move reflects the practical reality of DisneylandForward, which requires massive infrastructure changes to support the experiences Disney wants to build.
What DisneylandForward Actually Means
DisneylandForward is Disneyland Resort’s billion-dollar, multi-decade expansion project designed to update and grow Walt Disney’s original theme park without replacing beloved existing attractions. The initiative modifies outdated regulations and planning restrictions set by the City of Anaheim, allowing Disney to build new immersive lands, attractions, dining, and shopping locations throughout the resort property.
The Anaheim City Council approved the plan in 2024 after the Planning Commission gave it the green light, launching DisneylandForward toward realization. Disney has emphasized repeatedly that it’s not seeking public funding, additional square footage, or hotel rooms beyond what’s currently approved. The company simply wants flexibility to update existing approvals and build integrated developments throughout Disney properties.
That flexibility is now translating into concrete actions, starting with demolishing buildings that stand in the way of necessary infrastructure.
The Eastern Gateway Parking Structure
The new Eastern Gateway parking structure represents a critical component of DisneylandForward’s infrastructure needs. With approximately 6,000 parking spaces planned, the garage will help accommodate the increased guest traffic expected from major new attractions and lands Disney has announced.
Construction is officially scheduled to begin fall 2026, meaning demolition of the Team Disney Anaheim East building needs to happen relatively soon to stay on schedule. According to the permit, the building’s utilities will be capped and the foundation will remain in place. This approach facilitates integration of plumbing and electrical services for guest accommodations like pedestrian walkways and entry points within the new parking complex.
Leaving foundations in place is common practice in these situations, providing structural support and utility infrastructure that can be repurposed rather than completely rebuilt. It’s more efficient and cost-effective than total removal, even if the building above ground disappears entirely.
What’s Coming That Requires This Extra Disney Parking
The parking expansion arrives as Disneyland prepares for several high-profile additions that will significantly increase resort attendance and require substantially more guest parking capacity.
Avatar Land is replacing the former Monsters, Inc. attraction with a new immersive area bringing Pandora’s bioluminescent world to Disneyland. The land’s popularity at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida suggests it will be a major draw in California as well.
Avengers Campus is expanding with two new attractions. Avengers Infinity Defense will feature heroes jumping through the multiverse to battle King Thanos. Stark Flight Lab stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man leading guests through tests of new technology. These additions will significantly increase Avengers Campus’s capacity and appeal.
The first-ever Coco attraction is coming as a boat ride set in the vibrant Land of the Dead from the film. Coco has massive popularity, particularly with Latino audiences, and a major attraction based on the property will drive substantial attendance increases.
All of these additions require infrastructure to support the guests they’ll attract. That infrastructure includes parking, pedestrian access, utilities, and support facilities. Sometimes that means existing buildings have to go.
The Disney Cast Member Perspective
From a cast member standpoint, losing a 70,732-square-foot office building represents a tangible reduction in dedicated workspace. Team Disney Anaheim East handles administrative and operational functions, meaning cast members who work there will need to relocate to other facilities or to reconfigured spaces elsewhere on the property.
Disney hasn’t announced where these cast members will move or how the loss of this office space will be accommodated. Presumably, the company has plans for relocating affected employees, but those details aren’t part of the demolition permit filing.
The situation highlights how theme park expansion often prioritizes guest-facing needs over employee facilities. New attractions get headlines and marketing campaigns. New parking garages get mentioned in infrastructure discussions. Cast member office buildings getting demolished to make room for guest parking rarely generates attention beyond trade publications and Disney news sites.
The Uncomfortable Disney Trade-Off
Demolishing cast member workspace for guest parking at Disneyland feels uncomfortable, but it’s part of the broader expansion goals. Cast members are essential to Disneyland’s operation and deserve quality facilities.
However, DisneylandForward aims to enhance guest experiences and attract more visitors, which requires infrastructure such as parking. While Disney could have located the Eastern Gateway parking structure elsewhere, the chosen site along the Manchester cast parking lot likely offers advantages that justify the disruption to cast member operations.
The Broader DisneylandForward Timeline
The demolition permit marks a key step in DisneylandForward’s progression following its approval two years ago. After the Anaheim City Council approved the plan in 2024, Disney has been working on permits for the large-scale expansion.
Due to its complexity, the process is slow, involving modifications to long-standing planning restrictions and coordination with city officials. Construction on the Eastern Gateway parking structure is set to begin in fall 2026, signaling visible progress as the project shifts from planning to actual development.
Looking Ahead
As DisneylandForward develops, more situations may arise where existing land uses are replaced by new priorities. Not all decisions will feel fair to everyone, such as cast members losing workspace to guest parking. It raises the question of whether Disney adequately considers employee needs in its planning, or whether facilities for workers are consistently deprioritized in favor of guest-oriented infrastructure. One demolished office doesn’t set a precedent, but it will be important to see how the company manages similar situations as DisneylandForward progresses.
Currently, Team Disney Anaheim East is making parking available for guests visiting Avatar Land, the expanded Avengers Campus, and the new Coco attraction. This trade-off, while necessary for expansion, still impacts the cast members who work in that building.