The $1.9 billion DisneylandForward expansion plan for Walt Disney’s original park was given final approval by the Anaheim City Council today. The procedural vote, which passed unanimously, follows an earlier approval of the project in April. The plan includes zoning and other changes that will be implemented within 30 days.
The approved changes to the DisneylandForward expansion plan include new zoning regulations that will permit mixed-use development in areas where it is currently not allowed. As part of the proposal, approximately 57 acres of parking and unused land will be repurposed. Disney has provided conceptual artists’ renderings of the plans, which depict a significant development to the west of the existing parks near the Disneyland Hotel, as well as another development to the southeast of California Adventure. These areas, which are currently primarily used for parking, will be transformed as part of the expansion.
The proposed changes to the DisneylandForward expansion plan would allow for the addition of theme park attractions alongside hotels on the west side of Disneyland Drive. Please see the rendering below for a visual representation of this concept.
Additionally, the plan would also permit the inclusion of theme park attractions alongside new shopping, dining, and entertainment options to the southeast, where the current Toy Story Parking Area is located at Katella Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. Please refer to the rendering below for a visual depiction of this proposed development.
Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger provided a glimpse of a potential new Avatar-themed area at the Anaheim park. He expressed the company’s intention to introduce Pandora – The World of Avatar, which has already been successful at Disney World in Florida, as a new feature in Disneyland. However, it is important to note that the term “possible” indicates that these plans are still subject to further consideration.
During a lengthy Anaheim City Planning Commission meeting in March, local residents raised concerns about the lack of specific details regarding the $1.9 billion revamp of the park, as part of the DisneylandForward plan. They questioned why they were being asked to approve the project without sufficient information about the specific attractions and experiences that would be added. The company’s plan for the park has been referred to as DisneylandForward.
DisneylandForward.com states that with DisneylandForward and increased flexibility within the existing properties, new lands and adventures, similar to those found at Tokyo DisneySea and Shanghai Disneyland, could inspire new experiences at Disneyland. Examples mentioned include the possibility of a Frozen land, Tangled and Peter Pan attractions for the original park, and elements from Zootopia, Tron, and Toy Story for Disney’s California Adventure. However, these are just examples, and Disney has not made any definite commitments to these specific additions.
The DisneylandForward project is crucial for Disney’s flagship park, as the Parks and Experiences unit has seen a significant 10% revenue growth primarily driven by its overseas properties. Despite growing attendance and per capita spending, Disneyland has experienced a decline in results compared to the previous year due to higher costs, including labor, as mentioned by CFO Hugh Johnston during a Q2 earnings call with analysts. Johnston also noted that Parks growth in the current fiscal third quarter is expected to be flat due to factors such as a normalization of post-Covid demand and a global moderation in travel.
Depending on what’s built, Anaheim is projected to see $15 million to $244 million in additional yearly revenue at complete buildout of what’s allowed under DisneylandForward.
