A $1.9 billion proposal that is expected to bring even more attractions to Disney Resorts in Anaheim could be approved by the City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting.
The park, which already sits on 490 acres, is not looking to expand, but to add to the already permitted space Disney has.
The city of Anaheim’s planning commission gave its approval to the proposal on March 11. Tuesday night’s City Council meeting is at 5 p.m. Should the council approve the vote this evening, the second vote would take place on May 7.
The proposal, DisneylandForward, will allow for theme park attractions alongside hotels west of Disneyland Drive and theme park attractions alongside new shopping, dining, and entertainment on the southeast of what is currently the Toy Story Park Area.
Disney would also pay $39.6 million to take on responsibility for Magic Way, according to the proposal.
A DisneyFoward fact sheet mentions the park would update and extend through 2064 a 1996 development agreement for Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney District and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. The current agreement runs through 2036.
Other investments by Disney would include $30 million for affordable housing, sewer improvements, funding for street and transportation improvements, and a continued workforce.
A 2023 Economic Impact Summary by Disneyland Resort mentioned that both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park were the top two most visited parks in the world, bringing in 13.55 million visitors.
Proposed zoning changes could allow for the building of attractions in Anaheim like those seen at Disney parks across the world.
Disney’s goal is to create what it calls more immersive experiences for tourists, similar to the attraction Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened in California in 2019. The company said it doesn’t yet know which stories would be central to the new developments, but the idea is to create areas like “Zootopia” in Shanghai Disneyland, where animal characters walk through a vibrant cityscape that resembles the setting of the film.
Other possible attractions may include Frozen like the one at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Toy Story Land, currently at Disneyland Hollywood Studios Florida and Tron, featured both in Shanghai Disneyland and Magic Kingdom Park in Florida.
Disney has emphasized their commitment to working together with Anaheim on the planning and placement of bike lanes and bridges. Potential plans to build bridges over Harbor Boulevard, Katella Avenue and Disneyland Drive would also be considered.
