Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Bergman View Post
It can be done, but to really theme it properly and make it look seamless it won't be cheap. And it's not really necessary for day-to-day operations (since they can use the other three stations) but would be useful in an emergency so they can unload there.

And it is going to totally destroy the symmetry of the station view from Main Street and the Plaza. If it wasn't for the traffic troubles I'd put it farther east facing the east tunnel walkway and the pin stand, where it will hide in the trees.

That said, IF you can get them to go for it, the disguised lift needs to go right behind the trashcan here:


All depends on your definition of "expensive" - Anything Disney does in a public venue is going to rival a Public Works project - it all has to be planned, and engineered, and safety checked, and cleared through Legal and Anaheim Building & Safety, and built by outside building and elevator erection contractors to high safety standards.

This well-hidden elevator inside a themed "outbuilding" on the upper level(with an underground equipment room right next to it for the pump and controls) is going to be $1 Million Dollars at a bare minimum, and $3M isn't out of the question. And that's before you build a loading platform for the last train car, or modify fences and gates in the station to get there...

Note the tree on the station level, you have to cheat the elevator and equipment room to the east as far as possible (right at the last step) to avoid the root ball. Prune the tree roots too much and you chance the tree blowing over in a windstorm. Put the Elevator right behind the can, and the machine room entrance off to the left in the crook of the straircase, it needs to be close by to minimize the chance of oil leaks.

You might be able to get something really ugly but usable for $250,000 - they would literally make a notch in the retaining wall with a poured concrete base and 'notch' walls, a concrete path with side walls for the planter leading up to it at street level, and put in a pre-fab open platform elevator lift (like Tiki Room) to platform height. Paint it green to match the climbing shrubs till they grow back, and bury a power line over to the base to operate it.

--<< Bruce >>--
Most of this I would agree with, however if they take out the planter next to the Staircase then they can actually do more external construction and still present a seemless facade in relation to the stairs! That planter alone is This would eliminate the need for extra construction and also allow for a better traffic flow (line for elevator outside of the exit vs at the end of it). As I said price is the concern, aside from that it can be done, and actually done fairly easily. That planter alone is 6ft in length... you can take out some of the wall if you need more room. The beauty of this design is that you are not losing ANY real estate or platform area! You are simply using the footprint already used by the planter.