Disney’s push to expand theme park approved by Anaheim city officials

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Disneyland visitors may soon be able to walk through the frosty, snow-covered hamlet of Arendelle from "Frozen," or the bustling, critter-filled metropolis of "Zootopia."

The parks' new potential comes as Disney won approval from Anaheim city officials to expand the California resort over the next four decades.

Anaheim's Planning Commission on Monday review and approved the multi-billion-dollar DisneylandForward project that would expand the theme park and bring more rides, hotels, and entertainment to Anaheim.

The proposed expansion wouldn’t increase Disney’s 490-acre footprint in Southern California or change what the company already has permission to build. But it could help the company develop new attractions. They could place rides and entertainment options on what is currently a sprawling, 50-acre parking lot — and move parking for Disneyland to a multistory structure — all while keeping within the boundaries of a resort surrounded by residential neighborhoods.

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"We know there are stories out there we haven’t told yet, like ‘Wakanda’ or ‘Coco’ or ‘Frozen’ or ‘Zootopia’," said Rachel Alde, Disney’s senior vice president of global development and finance. "We know what kind of stories we would love to tell. We need to get the guidance on what we can build there so we can understand how."

Suzi Brown with Disneyland says, "What we'd like to do is develop differently. Right now, things are zoned for hotels or for parking. We'd like to make it a more integrated experience because we know that's what our guests are looking for."

What is an "integrated experience?"

"It means you might have a hotel right next to an attraction, and it really allows us to bring lands that are more immersive," Brown said, similar to the attraction Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which opened in California in 2019. The company said it doesn’t yet know which stories would be central to the new developments, but the idea is to create areas like "Zootopia" in Shanghai Disneyland, where animal characters walk through a vibrant cityscape that resembles the setting of the film.

"It would allow us to bring those kinds of immersive lands just [like] Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge," Brown said.

Right now, there isn’t enough room in the original Disneyland in California to build something on a large scale without affecting existing attractions, which are relished by loyal, long-time visitors to the company’s oldest theme park, Alde said.

It was the first time Disney has sought a major change to its California theme parks since the 1990s, when the company obtained approvals to turn its first park into a resort hub. It later added a second park, Disney California Adventure Park, and a shopping and entertainment area called Downtown Disney.

Disneyland, which dates back to 1955, was the second-most visited theme park in the world in 2022 with 16.8 million people coming through the gates, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM.

Disney’s parks are a tourism magnet for Southern California and especially for Anaheim, which is Orange County’s most populous city and home to more than 345,000 people as well as a major league baseball team and national hockey league team. Hotel revenue typically makes up about half of Anaheim’s revenue, and is expected to climb to $236 million this year, according to city estimates.

"Visitors generate a tremendous amount of revenue for our city that allows us to invest in our neighborhoods," said Erin Ryan, a spokesperson for the city of Anaheim. "Disney brings a lot of tourists here."

According to the company, Disney Parks has over 1,000 acres of land for possible future development to expand theme park space across its existing sites – the equivalent of about seven new Disneyland parks.

Erin Ryan with the City of Anaheim said a development agreement would include $45 million in street improvements in the Anaheim Resort Area, $10 million in sewer improvements, $30 for affordable housing for Anaheim, which the city would use to potentially build 500 affordable apartments.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.