Anaheim City Council Voted to Approve DisneylandForward

(eap) The Anaheim City Council yesterday voted unanimously in favor of The Walt Disney Company’s multi-decade Disneyland Resort expansion project “DisneylandForward”, providing initial approval. A second, procedural vote is scheduled for May 7 this year. If the comprehensive investment project, which envisages the use of land already owned by Disney around the existing resort area for the construction of further attractions, hotels, retail and entertainment facilities, also receives the second approval, there will be another 30 days before DisneylandForward would actually – and finally – receive the “green light” at the beginning of June...

Disney has not shared any specific development plans at this stage but has pointed to attractions at parks around the world as general examples, including a potential land based on the “Avatar” films. Such a themed world opened in 2017 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando (Florida). Within the DisneylandForward investment plan, individual projects would still undergo city planning review by the Planning and Building Department and other city departments of Anaheim. The plan does not grant any new acreage, square footage or hotel rooms to be developed. Instead, it shifts development amounts already approved by the city to other land Disney now operates. For example, new attractions are planned to be built next to the hotels located to the west of Disneyland Drive, as well as on what today is the “Toy Story” parking area at Katella Avenue, where there should also arise new retail offers, entertainment facilities and restaurants.

As part of a development agreement, Disney is required to invest a minimum of USD 1.9 billion in theme park, lodging, entertainment, shopping and dining within ten years. The development agreement also requires Disney to provide:

• USD 30 million for affordable housing in Anaheim, with USD 15 million in the first year and USD 15 million in five years.
• USD 10 million for sewer improvements along Katella Avenue
• USD 8 million for Anaheim parks within the first year.

The City Council of Anaheim says is has approved DisneylandForward because of what visitors mean to the city. They account for more than half the revenue used to serve the local residents with police, fire, libraries, community services and to pay down city debt. Depending on what’s built within the DisneylandForward plans, Anaheim is projected to see USD 15 million to USD 244 million USD in additional yearly revenue at complete buildout of what’s allowed under DisneylandForward. ■