Disney has committed to spend $1.9 billion for a theme park expansion for Disneyland Park over the next decade. On Tuesday, January 23, 2024 the details of the proposed project, DisneylandForward between Disney and the City of Anaheim were released.
Over the next decade The DisneylandForward proposal would like to update the current 1990s Anaheim city plan to make the expansion happen. This currently can not happen due to Anaheim city planning and zoning guidelines. This long-term project would happen over the next four decades in order to allow more dining, hotels, theme park, entertainment and more. Disneyland has made a minimum commitment of $1.9 billion dollars and could potentially cost up to $2.5 billion.
Disneyland Development has teased the ideas of new projects for DisneylandForward such as Tangled, Toy Story, Tron, Peter Pan, Frozen, Zootopia, Black Panther and Coco as possible lands and or attractions. The proposed theme park, along with hotels, dining and shopping will be west of Disneyland Drive on the current Toy Story parking lot. Attractions and lands of these beloved Disney favorites currently already exist at other Disney Theme parks like Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Hong Kong.
The Multi-billion dollar expansion would require for some of the city streets such as Magic Way, Clementine Street, Gentry Autry Way and Hotel Way to be cleared for the proposed theme park. Disney would also have to spend millions more on new parking structures, pedestrian bridges and road improvements. The plan also states that a 17,000 space filled parking structure to be built. The parking structure will be larger than both Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures combined, with connections from the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway. A possible three pedestrian bridges would connect the Eastside parking structure to The Disneyland Resort over Harbor Boulevard. The bridges will also have access to hotels, dining and retail below. Katella Avenue on either side of Harbor Boulevard would also need to be widened and improved as part of this project.
There is currently a scheduled Anaheim Planning Commission hearing in March scheduled for the DisneylandForward proposal as well as a vote by the the Anaheim City Council in May. We will be sure to update as this exciting new development unfolds.
Featured Photo: Disney.
Written by
Brittney Malina
Contributing Writer
Brittney has been going to Disneyland since she was 3 years old. She has had a deep love for all things Disney ever since. Now as a wife and mother of two, she gets to share the love with her family and re-live the Disney magic through her children’s eyes. Brittney is a Legacy Passholder and you can find her walking down Main Street, U.S.A. with a churro or iced coffee in hand.
