Walt Disney once famously said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Well, it’s safe to say Walt wouldn’t be shocked by the latest Disneyland news!
Partners Statue in Disneyland
The Disneyland Resort is no stranger to change. From the creation of Disney California Adventure in 2001 to expansions such as Avengers Campus, Cars Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disneyland continues to pioneer theme park innovation not only in Southern California but all over the globe. However, like Walt suggested, the work is never done and Disney plans to continue to create and expand with its latest project, DisneylandForward!
Announced in 2021, DisneylandForward came into play as a multi-year Disneyland and Anaheim Resort expansion and redesign that would expand and update two existing approvals from the 1990s. In layman’s terms, DisneylandForward would not only allow extra theme park development to the land surrounding the Disneyland Resort, but also expand the resort’s lodging, retail, parking, and dining options. Just this week, Disney representatives met with Anaheim’s city council to shed more light on the proposed plans.
DisneylandForward concept art ©Disney
©Disney
The point of DisneylandForward is to provide flexibility for the Disneyland Resort to build more theme park attractions, lands, lodging options, retail locations, and dining spots without the constraints of land obstacles and zoning restrictions. This project would unify the Disneyland Resort and Anaheim Resort areas into one unified entertainment center — essentially a miniature version of Disney World.
More about DisneylandForward ©Disney
Disney’s $1.9 billion investment would go towards these possible resort additions and would primarily focus on locations west of Disneyland Drive and the current Toy Story parking lot. Disney would use DisneylandForward to enhance parking for both guests and cast members while adding a new transportation center.
©City of Anaheim
Expansion would of course require a larger workforce, and Disney mentioned how the theme park district would get its own police and firefighting substations in addition to the possibility of more officer/firefighter jobs and an increase in cast member hirings.
Always a Light On for Walt Disney
When it came to theme park expansion, Disney proposed projects themed after Coco, Black Panther, Tangled, Frozen, Zootopia, Peter Pan, Tron, and Toy Story. During the meeting, Disney specifically referenced its other lands in international parks, such as the latest Zootopia Land at Shanghai Disney Resort, the World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, and the new Rapunzel’s Forest opening at Tokyo DisneySea later this year. To build more expansive lands and attractions, Disneyland would need these proposed city planning and zoning guidelines to be approved.
New Zootopia Land in Shanghai Disney ©Disney
It’s important to note that this plan does not purchase additional land but instead allows Disney to modify land it already owns but can’t currently work on because of zoning regulations. To get the ball rolling, Disney has offered to commit to investing between $1.9 and $2.5 billion plus an additional $5 million in street infrastructure improvements if $600 million is not spent within a decade. Additionally, the company has offered the city of Anaheim more funds for sewage upgrades, park upgrades, workforce boosting, and low-income housing among others in this proposed plan. Disney would also move the new Disney Vacation Club rooms into more normal tax operations akin to non-time share lodging in the area to further boost tax revenue for Anaheim.
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel
Disneyland has a few more meetings planned before a vote is held in late spring and we could see adjustments and new proposals made between now and then. The next DisneylandForward proposal is scheduled for an Anaheim Planning Commission hearing in March.
Disney California Adventure
To say the impact of DisneylandForward is huge is an understatement, and we’ll be sure to cover the proposed plan as updates unfold. In the meantime, be sure to stay tuned right here at DFB for all the latest Disneyland news!
Disney Announces a NEW 2-Story Earl of Sandwich Restaurant Is Coming to Downtown Disney
Want to Learn More About Disneyland?
Check Out the Links Below!
DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide
Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland
What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure
Closures and Construction at Disneyland
Learn All About Disneyland Park
See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure
Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure
Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App
Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland
Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program
Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland
Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland
Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland
Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland
Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe
Are you in favor of a Disneyland expansion or are you happy with the way it is? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Too bad I don’t read anything about Paris. I’m from Europe and I would love to see more expansion in Paris too. Visited the park there 3 times and want to go again. Disney is the best!
As a DVC owner, I have felt for many years that the Florida parks are getting short shrift with regard to desirable improvements, and I think that this translates to an erosion of the value of my property. Disney World serves many times more people than Disneyland does, and yet the relative investment in the parks there is much weaker when compared to revenue generated for the company.
Wish they’d do some of this expansion at WDW. It’s been years without a nighttime parade. I thought for sure they’d have something for the 50th anniversary. So sad.
If this is a 40 year continuing project, I would venture to say a bunch of us won’t be around to see its completion. What does bother me is continuous construction that blocks off large portions of the parks. Bummer!
How about DISNEY WORLD??? Please! It needs a lot of work. I’m envious of how some of the foreign Parks look (Tokyo). I know they are newer but they look amazing. I don’t plan on travelling there and that is why I want DISNEY WORLD given the same attention.
Happy to see that the original park will continue to receive updates and expansion, following Walt’s dream that it never be finished. Sorry I won’t get to see any of it, but that’s the breaks of being an old person. At least I will get to experience the dream of my 1950s childhood in a couple of weeks, finally seeing Disneyland with friends after 30+ visits to WDW.
I agree with Michelle ide also like to hear more about Disneyland paris expansion and a 3rd gate.
I’ve been to both disney world and Paris and have to say Paris is far more beautiful and superior of the 2.
So just more proposals and blue sky, with some “discussed ideas/concepts”. I picture most of this just being a nice list of talking points with nothing substantial until the post-Iger Part 2. Avenger’s Campus is still without an E-ticket, a lot of re-skins have been discussed for Animal Kingdom. Disney doesn’t need a 3rd gate in California or a 5th gate in Florida (I notice that people don’t bring up the 2 water parks with only enough attendance to keep one open at a time), build some more capacity within the current parks (similar to the international parks) AFTER the current rides are finally up and running not in perpetual B-mode.
They keep ignoring their cash cow, Disney World. Many have begun to complain.
Universal is opening “Epic Universe” next year, and I’m afraid Disney is greatly underestimating the Impact it will have.
Its a business,and the Current Board seems more interested in producing Movies that flop, than providing their long time supporters with the product they actually pay for.
Pigs get fed, but Hogs get slaughtered. Disneys current leadership is making mistakes that will prove costly and long lasting.