On Tuesday night, the Anaheim City Council is expected to vote on the DisneylandForward proposal. This will be the culmination of three years of work on this proposal by the Disneyland Resort and the city of Anaheim. These three years haven’t just been spent developing the proposal but also sharing it with local government officials, citizens, and businesses. In March, Anaheim’s Planning Commission voted to move DisneylandForward to the City Council to be voted on after a meeting that ran late into the night. If that passes, a second vote would be had at the May meeting. This would be followed 30 days later by zoning changes and other requests going into effect.
About DisneylandForward
DisneylandForward would allow the Disneyland Resort to update the way it uses land it already owns in and around the current Disneyland Resort theme parks. The proposal, if passed, will allow for theme park attractions alongside Disney hotels on the west side of Disneyland Drive. It would also provide for the potential of theme park attractions alongsidenew shopping, dining, and entertainment in the location that currently has the Toy Story Parking Lot. Concept art shows this location with a Disney Springs (Walt Disney World Resort) looking area.
The proposal would also call for additional and new parking both east and north of the current theme parks. Foot bridges across Harbor Boulevard and Disneyland Drive are also included in the proposal. Disney would also pay $49.8 million to take responsibility for Magic Way. This was extensively discussed during the Planning Commission meetings. It would also assume control of the entry drives into Disney parking at Clementine Street and Hotel Way. The payment would also go to remove planned extensions of both Clementine and Gene Autry Way.
The DisneylandForward proposal would not “request any new acreage, square footage or hotel rooms to be developed. Instead, it would shift already approved development amounts across land Disney owns.”
There would be some community benefits paid for by Disney if the proposal goes forward. This includes $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for city parks, and $50 million for street and sewer improvements, along with some other benefits.
There are also some proposed zoning changes included in DisneylandForward that would allow for the Disneyland Resort to build new buildings with attractions like those seen around the world at other Disney parks. The new Disney Fantasy Springs expansion at Tokyo DisneySea was used as an example. This expansion will be opening at Tokyo Disney Resort in June. There also have been multiple discussions about an Avatar experience coming to the Disneyland Resort, with concept art released recently. It should be noted that these are simply examples and not promises for what will be coming. The passage of DisneylandForward would mean that individual projects and ideas could be explored and enter the development process. These projects would then be sent to the city to undergo planning reviews before moving forward.
Benefits of DisneylandForward
“When Disney invests, everyone wins.”
Ken Potrock
The city of Anaheim has shared that visitors currently account for over half the revenue the city uses to pay for police, fire libraries, community services, and also pay down city debt. This was shared in the context of the benefits of the Disneyland Resort and DisneylandForward. These benefits became very clear during the pandemic when tourism dried up and with it, the revenue that tourism brings.
In the final Planning Commission meeting, Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock spoke saying how this “legacy project” would set the stage for a great future for both the Disneyland Resort and also Anaheim. Potrock also said how this is a “tremendous responsibility for all of us and a privilege to be a steward for this very special place.” He shared how DisneylandForward will continue Walt’s legacy. He also shared how guests want more interactive experiences and how that can come with DisneylandForward. “When Disney invests, everyone wins,” Potrock said. This project will be bringing in new revenue to the city to pay for things that help all over the city. The investments in the Disneyland Resort will lead to more tourists staying in the area for a longer time. It will also lead to more jobs and more benefits as well. This includes union jobs, Potrock said. He said that the there would also be a focus on hiring Anaheim residents and veterans. He shared that the future is bright for both the Disneyland Resort and the City of Anaheim which he shared was a “collaborative effort.”
If all goes as planned, the Tuesday night meeting of the Anaheim City Council will see a vote on DisneylandForward. It appears that this is the final topic on the agenda for the meeting. While it is expected to be voted on during this meeting, it is also possible that the vote will be postponed for one reason or another. This would set back the second vote and implementation of DisneylandForward if it were to happen. Daps Magic will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available. More information about DisneylandForward can be found at DisneylandForward.com.
What do you think of DisneylandForward? What do you like most about it? Do you think it will pass? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
