Disney has recently been approved to expand its California parks with a $1.9 billion investment over the next decade. The expansion plan, approved by the Anaheim City Council, aims to create more immersive experiences for guests by transforming Disney’s 490-acre campus in Southern California. The project includes spending on street improvements, affordable housing, and other infrastructure in the city. This would be the largest expansion of Disney’s Southern California theme parks in decades, with a second council vote for final approval scheduled for May.
The plan does not expand Disney’s footprint in Anaheim but will allow the company to add new rides and entertainment options by relocating parking to a new multi-story structure and redeveloping a massive lot on the property. The Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney areas are surrounded by freeways and residential areas, making the expansion crucial for the company to continue creating significant new attractions. Public testimony during the council meeting focused on Disney’s plans to buy a public street near the theme park and turn it into a pedestrian walkway, as well as concerns about privatizing city streets.
Some residents are excited about the new rides the expansion will bring, while others are cautious about Disney’s plans to privatize city streets. There are concerns that once Disney owns a street, they could change its use without input from voters. Disney has conducted community outreach about its expansion plans for three years and has expressed its readiness to bring the next level of immersive entertainment to Anaheim. The company has not committed to which stories will be featured in the new development, as the project will take years to complete.
Disneyland, the original theme park built in 1955, was the second-most visited theme park in the world in 2022. Anaheim, where the park is located, is Orange County’s most populous city and home to 345,000 people. Hotel revenue typically makes up about half of the city’s revenue, with an expected climb to $236 million this year. Disney’s investments in the area over the past two decades have included Cars Land, Pixar Pier, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and Avengers Campus. This expansion marks the first major change to Disney’s California theme parks since the 1990s when the company turned Disneyland into a resort hub and built Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disney.
