Disneyland expansion map shows what the park’s lands could look like after a historic makeover
Disneyland expansion map shows what the park’s lands could look like after a historic makeover
A plan approved by the Anaheim City Council paves the way for the California theme park’s future over the next four decades.
Disneyland has been approved for a major makeover now that the Anaheim City Council unanimously passed the second vote for a rezoning project dubbed DisneylandForward. The project aims to add entire new theme park lands to Disneyland in Southern California, which could include places featured in Disney movies, such as Black Panther’s Wakanda or Frozen’s Arendelle.
But while the council approved the largest expansion to Disneyland since the park opened in 1955, Disneyland itself won’t actually be getting any bigger. Instead what Anaheim approved is the rezoning of existing property that Disney already owns, meaning that land on which Disney previously had approval only to build hotels or parking lots can now be used to build theme park attractions.
Ideas for an expanded Disneyland park already taking shape
So how will Disneyland be transformed now that its expansion has been approved? The city of Anaheim has published a map created by Disney to show what the park may look like in the decades ahead. From the map, you can see that the company is considering an entirely new immersive theme park between Walnut Street and Disneyland Drive just west of the current Disneyland and Disney California Adventure areas.
Disney says that possibilities for this area include a theme park based on Zootopia’s metropolis, a Toy Story Land, or Neverland from Peter Pan.
Disney says its current property South of Katella Avenue could be converted to “a new kind of Disney entertainment,” which may include a theme park, hotel, and retail. Disney says, “This property could be the perfect location to cater to locals, conventioneers, hotel and Disneyland Resort guests with restaurants, hotels, live music, shopping, ticketed shows and theme park experiences modeled after the popular Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort.”
Long timeline for DisneylandForward
So when is the expansion going to be done? It’s going to take a while—a long while. Disney says the development will take place over the next four decades. The rezoning approval (which, according to CNN, is expected to go into effect in the next 30 days) will lead to a finalized expansion agreement between Disney and the city that extends to 2064. That agreement will see Disney committing $1.9 billion to the project in the next decade: $30 million will go toward affordable housing in Anaheim; $8 million will go toward city parks; and $45 million is slated for transportation improvements.
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