Disneyland Expansion Plans One Step Closer To Being Realized

DisneylandForward, the theme park’s $1.9 billion expansion plan, received unanimous approval from Anaheim’s city council early Wednesday morning.

While Disney will not be expanding beyond its approximately 1,078-acre footprint, the approval results in zoning changes which allows the entertainment conglomerate to convert its properties to mixed use “immersive experiences.”

Currently, hotels have to be built within the hotel district and attractions like rides are limited to the theme park areas. Much of the development will be centered on surface-level parking lots.

The proposal will come before the city council again in May for a second vote.

An illustrative map of how the DisneylandForward plan fits into the current Disney footprint in Anaheim.

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Courtesy DisneylandForward

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What are some of the proposed changes

Two of Disney’s surface parking lots, namely the Toy Story lot and the Downtown Disney parking lot, will be “giving way to new development, so new theme park attractions, new hotels, new entertainment, retail, and dining versus the surface parking they are today,” Mike Lyster, Anaheim city spokesperson told LAist.

Lyster added that since the new additional theme park attractions could bring more guests, Disney will also replicate the parking structure (Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals) that are currently on the west side of Disney property on the east side too.

“It would actually do a great job serving those coming from the south,” he said. “So if you were driving up from San Diego, it would be a very easy way for you to come in and get right off the 5 Freeway and go directly into a parking structure of roughly about 17,000 spaces.”

Also included in the DisneylandForward plan is the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare that can carry between 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles daily according to Lyster.

In the plan, Disney looks to purchase three public streets including Magic Way, which carries approximately 15,000 cars daily.

Lyster said a Disney study showed that the majority of the users of the road are visitors to the park and less than 1% use it to cut through to the 5 Freeway.

“We are actually looking to make some improvements to the corner at Ball Road, dedicated right- and left-hand turn lanes, that would make it a lot easier for somebody who may no longer have Magic Way as an option to get to the freeway,” Lyster said.

But longtime Anaheim resident Mike Robbins opposes the plan, including the sale of the streets. Residents, he said, use the street to cut through to the freeway.

“I was told by a specific neighbor who said that he had done both (using Ball Road and Magic Way), that it could be 14 minutes going up to Ball Road and four minutes going down Magic Way to the 5 Freeway,” Robbins said.

How the city benefits from the resort

During Tuesday evening’s meeting that went into the early hours of Wednesday, city staff said that around 30% of the city’s general fund is currently generated by the resort. That number could increase, they said, with the expansion. The general fund, staff said, pays for city services such as the police force, parks, and fire department.

Also included in the expansion plan was a commitment by Disney to the city for $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for Anaheim parks, as well as $45 million for street and transportation improvements and $10 million for sewer improvements along Katella Avenue.

Disney will give the city $15 million towards affordable housing within one year of the project’s approval, with the remainder of the money to be given within the next five years. And the city has discretion on how to use the funds.

Resident concerns

The meeting on Tuesday evening drew a mix of public speakers: Some residents spoke of the “possible displacement” of Anaheim residents because it could increase rents in the city and “gentrification” of the city because of the expansion.

“No amount of Disney's expensive magic will outweigh the people's right to simply live and survive outside their doors,” one speaker said.

But, other residents spoke of their excitement at their home value potentially increasing because of the expansion.

“When Disney wins, Anaheim and the residents win,” the speaker said.