Disney fans should get excited as Disneyland is set to be granted its largest expansion since it first opened in the 1950s.
Despite officials saying that Disneyland will never be complete, the expansion is set to take place over the next few decades under an agreement with the city of Anaheim until 2064.
Walt Disney’s Descendants Want To Keep Magic in the Family
With investors wanting to get on the board of Disney to make quick profits, Walt Disney’s descendants are keen to keep the magic in the family.
Walt’s descendants are keen to keep the family-built values that have long been ingrained into the family, something the investors wouldn’t want to keep.
Disney Will Expand Its Parks Without New Land
Disneyland is currently spread across 550 acres of land, just 2% of the land used in DisneyWorld, Florida.
Under its new plans for expansion, Disneyland will be able to expand on the land the company already owns by building theme parks on land where it could previously only build hotels and parking lots.
The Project Is Called ‘DisneylandForward’
The project has been named ‘DisneylandForward’ and is not expected to need any public funding for the expansion to go ahead.
The expansion is expected to happen around the Disneyland Hotel and the Pixar Place Hotel, which is on the west side of the resort.
The Southeast of Disneyland Will Also Be Expanded
The west of the park is not the only area set to expand; the southeast will also be considered.
This is where the Toy Story Parking Area currently is at Katella Avenue and Harbor Boulevard, where there will be theme park attractions, shopping and dining areas, and entertainment.
The Expansion Will Cost $1.9 Billion
Disneyland executives are expected to pay quite a high amount for the expansion, which is predicted to cost around $1.9 billion.
However, Disneyland’s current capacity is at 25 million, but the expansion is expected to go up to 40 million, which means they should get this money back relatively quickly with the revenue from ticket sales and money spent in the park on food and merchandise.
New Jobs at Disneyland
With the expansion will come thousands of new jobs, with around 13,500 new jobs set to appear over the next few decades that will all be involved in the expansion.
These will be involved in the building work, working as entertainment performers, in shops, or working in the food areas.
$1 Billion Invested Will Create Millions in Revenue
It has been expected that for every $1 billion that is invested in the Disneyland expansion project will create around $15 million in revenue annually.
This revenue will go towards Anaheim and is expected to help fund fire and police departments, parks, and libraries.
Plans for Expansion Have Been Approved Twice
The plans for the Disneyland expansion had to go through two rounds of approval with the Anaheim City Council, once in April and the other in May 2024.
The second vote passed with 7 votes for and 0 against, which now means the plan will go into effect after 30 days in June 2024.
New Experiences Have Been Proposed for Disneyland
For decades, Disneyland has provided people and families with a magical experience they wouldn’t experience anywhere else.
Some of the new experiences proposed for the new expansion include “Avatar,” “Tangled,” “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” “Black Panther,” and “Toy Story.”
Concerns About Rising Housing Costs
While the news about a Disneyland expansion is exciting for Disney officials and Disney lovers, some of the locals who live near Disneyland are concerned about a number of things, including potential rising housing costs.
However, Disneyland officials have assured these residents that they plan to invest $100 million into road improvements and affordable housing in Anaheim, hopefully easing their concerns.
A 40-Year Promise to Anaheim
As stated in the proposal plans, the expansion of Disneyland will see a 40-year promise being made to the city of Anaheim until 2064.
This includes paying millions of dollars to the city, such as $40 million for use of two streets currently owned by the city and $8 million for city parks, which will help keep residents and tourists happy.
