Anaheim City Council Approves $1.9 Billion DisneylandForward Expansion

The Disneyland Resort is one step closer to potentially introducing enchanting new lands including Arendelle, Zootopia, and Pandora. This expansion initiative, recently endorsed by the Anaheim City Council, offers a glimpse into Disney’s ambitious vision for park development.

Following an extensive eight-hour session that commenced Tuesday night, the City Council unanimously supported the project with a decisive 7-0 vote. However, the final approval of Disney’s proposal awaits a subsequent council vote scheduled for May.

Under the proposed DisneylandForward Project, Disney aims to invest $1.9 billion into property development over the next decade. This includes the acquisition of several streets from the city of Anaheim, notably Hotel Way, portions of Clementine Street, and Magic Way, with a total investment of $40 million.

Additionally, Disney pledges $30 million towards affordable housing initiatives across Anaheim, encompassing park enhancements, infrastructure improvements, and transportation upgrades. The project is anticipated to generate around 9,000 construction jobs.

While the plan does not expand Disney’s physical footprint in Anaheim, it facilitates the addition of new attractions and entertainment options by enabling the relocation of parking to a new multi-story structure and the redevelopment of existing lots, among other property optimizations.

Situated amidst freeways and residential neighborhoods, Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney shopping district rely on such development to continue offering substantial new experiences to visitors.

However, public sentiment expressed during the meeting’s comment period reflected a mix of reactions. Concerns centered on Disney’s proposal to acquire a public street for conversion into a pedestrian walkway and its intent to introduce a crosswalk on another adjacent street.

Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort, said at the meeting: “We are ready to bring the next level of immersive entertainment here to Anaheim.” Over the last two decades, Disney investments have included Cars Land, Pixar Pier, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and Avengers Campus.

Disney has not committed to which stories it plans to feature given that the new development will take years.