Disneyland Resort is preparing to tear down four ticket booths on the east side of the Esplanade. Four separate demolition permits with the City of Anaheim moved to "Ready to Issue" on the morning of Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the final step before crews can legally begin work.

The booths sit just inside the Harbor Boulevard security checkpoint, in the stretch of walkway most guests cross first when they arrive from the hotels and restaurants across the street. Clearing them is the opening move in Disney's Eastern Gateway project, the new arrival hub that will eventually funnel guests over Harbor Boulevard on a pedestrian bridge.

What the Permits Say

All four filings are building permits pulled under the address 1509 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802, the parcel that covers the Esplanade and the resort's east entrance. They were originally submitted on March 4, 2026, and sat in review until this morning's status change.

Here is what was logged:

• BLD2026-00931 - DLR - East Esplanade - Demolition: 673 sq ft ticket booth with foundation to be removed and utilities to be capped.
• BLD2026-00932 - DLR - East Esplanade - Demolition: 673 sq ft ticket booth with foundation to be removed and utilities to be capped.
• BLD2026-00933 - DLR - East Esplanade - Demolition: 673 sq ft ticket booth with foundation to be removed and utilities to be capped.
• BLD2026-00934 - DLR - East Esplanade - Demolition: 673 sq ft ticket booth with foundation to be removed and utilities to be capped.

Each permit carries the same status "Ready to Issue".

Two details stand out. First, the foundations are coming out too, not just the structures on top. That signals Disney intends to regrade and rebuild this ground rather than drop something new onto the existing pads. Second, the utilities are being addressed, which is the same language that shows up when a site is being cleared for good rather than swapped out.

At 673 square feet each, the four booths add up to roughly 2,692 square feet of structure coming down.

Accessibility Services Moved Out Two Weeks Ago

The clearest sign this was coming showed up in early August. Accessibility Services relocated across the Esplanade on Tuesday, August 5, 2026.

According to DAPS Magic, the service had been operating out of one of the old ticket booths just inside the Harbor Boulevard security checkpoint, in the southeast corner of the Esplanade. It now runs out of Ticket Booth 6 on the west side, near the future Porto's Bakery & Cafe construction site.

That move took the last active guest-facing function out of the east booths. Two weeks later, the demolition permits are ready to issue.

If you rely on Disability Access Service or need to speak with a Cast Member about accommodations, plan on the west side of the Esplanade, closer to the Disney California Adventure entrance. Do not head toward the Harbor Boulevard corner out of habit.

The Esplanade Has Been Shrinking for Months

This is not a sudden change. The Esplanade has been losing ticket booths steadily since late 2025.

• November 2025: Disney closed and consolidated multiple booths. Two booths near the Downtown Disney entrance shut down, Lost and Found and Ticket Sales were combined on the Disneyland Park side, and four more booths closed on the California Adventure side.
• December 2025: Anaheim approved a first round of demolition permits covering the former La Brea Bakery building and two ticket booths.
• January 2026: Two ticket booths demolished on the West Esplanade
• August 5, 2026: Accessibility Services relocated to the west side.
• August 18, 2026: Permits for all four remaining east booths hit Ready to Issue.

Physical ticket sales have already shifted. The Disneyland Lost and Found booth now handles walk-up ticket purchases, and the overwhelming majority of guests buy through the Disneyland app or online before they ever reach the gate.

Why Disney Is Clearing the East Esplanade

The east Esplanade is the landing zone for the Eastern Gateway, the piece of DisneylandForward that reshapes how guests arrive at the resort.

The plan calls for:

• An 8-story parking structure with roughly 6,000 spaces on the former Manchester Cast Member parking lot
• Hundreds of EV chargers, plus dedicated shuttle and rideshare areas
• Security screening handled at the structure instead of at the park gates
• A pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard connecting the structure to the Esplanade
• A redesigned Esplanade arrival area feeding Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney

The structure covers roughly 3.2 million square feet and construction is phased so the resort keeps operating throughout. Disney is also demolishing a satellite Team Disney Anaheim East office building of about 70,732 square feet to clear the site.

The timing lines up with a second milestone. Scott Gustin on X reports that the parking structure groundbreaking is expected next week, with Esplanade enabling work starting at the eastern ticket booths.

All of this is groundwork. The Eastern Gateway has to absorb parking and arrival traffic before Disney can build on the surface lots it wants back, including the land tied to the future Avatar project at Disney California Adventure.

What This Means for Your Next Visit

If you are heading to Disneyland Resort in the next several months, here is the practical version:

• Buy tickets before you arrive. The app is the fastest path, and walk-up windows are down to a fraction of what they used to be.
• Accessibility Services is on the west side now, near the Disney California Adventure entrance.
• Expect construction walls and narrowed walkways in the east Esplanade once demolition begins.
• Give yourself extra time at the Harbor Boulevard security checkpoint during peak arrival hours.
• The commemorative pavers in the Esplanade are not expected to be affected at this stage, though Disney has not ruled out changes as work progresses.

What We Know So Far

Four demolition permits are cleared to issue. Accessibility Services is already out. A groundbreaking is expected within days. The last piece missing is a start date on the excavators, and Anaheim permit records do not include one.

Based on the December 2025 round, the gap between "Ready to Issue" and visible demolition can be short. Once those permits are pulled, work can begin quickly.

Sources: City of Anaheim permit records (BLD2026-00931 through BLD2026-00934); DAPS Magic