The city of Anaheim is considering adding a gondola system that would have a stop at Disneyland, making it technically possible for travelers arriving at LAX airport to travel to the famous theme park entirely via public transit.
In its current incarnation, the ride would not be speedy—the connection between the C line and the Norwalk Metrolink station would require a bus ride to bridge the three-mile gap between the two, but after they boarded the Metrolink, visitors would arrive at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) station, where they could then hop into the gondola and arrive at the theme park.
The proposed addition of the gondola would cost between $11 to $33 million per mile, and require the removal of numerous palm trees if the city chose to build it along Katella Avenue.
The gondola plan comes at a time when Anaheim is looking to reduce traffic on Interstate 5, which is frequently congested with Disneyland-bound traffic. According to a report by the Anaheim Investigator, the gondola plan has been discussed with both The Walt Disney Company and a 100-acre, $4 billion dollar mixed-use development project known as the OCVibe, which would be built on land surrounding the Honda Center and would have a direct connection with the gondola.
The estimated timeline for the gondola project has an implementation date of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Currently, the Anaheim Transportation Network is preparing for the Olympics by planning to invest $70 million in a rapid bus transit system.
