Disneyland Gets Approval for Largest Expansion Since its Opening

By: Beth Moreton | Published: May 12, 2024

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.

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The Walt Disney statue holding hands with Mickey Mouse in front of the Sleeping Beauty princess castle in Disneyland.

Source: Steven Lozano/Unsplash

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. 

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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.

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Some of the rides at Disneyland. There is a ferris wheel with Mickey Mouse’s face on and a roller coaster next to a body of water.

Source: Brandi Alexandra/Unsplash

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. 

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An animated aerial view of the DisneyForward project and what it might look like to expand the park.

Source: @DisneyParks/X

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.

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An aerial view of what the DisneyForward project could look like. There is an avatar section that will be 11 acres, a Zootopia section that will be 7 acres, and a Polynesian Village Resort.

Source: @DisneyDeep/X

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.

A side view of the Sleeping Beauty princess castle in Disneyland. People walk over the bridge leading to the castle, with water underneath.

Source: Avel Chucklanov/Unsplash

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. 

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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.

The green army men from Toy Story with a Mickey Mouse ferris wheel in the background.

Source: Daniela Araya/Unsplash

These will be involved in the building work, working as entertainment performers, in shops, or working in the food areas. 

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$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.

The Mickey Mouse ferris wheel at Disneyland lit up with red lights at night.

Source: Giorgio Trovato/Unsplash

This revenue will go towards Anaheim and is expected to help fund fire and police departments, parks, and libraries. 

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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 Dumbo the elephant ride at Disneyland.

Source: Barbara Zandoval/Unsplash

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. 

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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.

The Small World ride at Disneyland.

Source: Yulissa Tagle/Unsplash

Some of the new experiences proposed for the new expansion include “Avatar,” “Tangled,” “Frozen,” “Zootopia,” “Black Panther,” and “Toy Story.”

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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. 

A building at Disneyland with a clock tower and the US flag on top.

Source: Kaleb Tapp/Unsplash

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. 

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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.

Fireworks going off outside the Sleeping Beauty princess castle at Disneyland.

Source: Kaleb Tapp/Unsplash

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. 

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