ANAHEIM, Calif. — Disney marked a major milestone in its nearly $2 billion, multi-decades long plan to change and expand the Disneyland Resort.
The Anaheim Planning Commission voted 5-1 after a nearly six-hour meeting on Monday night to move the Disneyland Forward project to the Anaheim City Council for approval.
Disneyland Forward
With the approval of new zoning changes, Disneyland Forward could be a sweeping, historic revamp for the Disneyland Resort if passed by the city council.
The decades-long project could bring immersive new lands and experiences only found at international Disney Parks to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.
Decades-long expansion
Specific attractions or lands have not been officially named, but possibilities include immersive Frozen and Zootopia experiences similar to Disneyland parks in China and Japan.
Disneyland Forward estimates the project could generate nearly nine thousand jobs during construction and more than 4500 jobs during operations. The Anaheim City Council is expected to vote on the project in April.
In June 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom met with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro to discuss Disney’s decades-long plan to invest in the region.
Newsom’s visit followed the release of a Cal State Fullerton study that estimated the potential economic impact of a Disneyland Resort expansion.
The study showed the DisneylandFoward initiative could generate more than $250 million a year in economic output and $15 million in tax revenue for the City of Anaheim.
The last time the City of Anaheim approved expansion plans for the Disneyland Resort was in the 1990s.
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