The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the plan to transform Disney’s 490-acre (488-hectare) campus in densely-populated Southern California by moving parking to a multi-story structure
Disney has received key approval to expand its Southern California theme parks, marking the first significant revamp of the legendary Disneyland in years.
The Anaheim City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve Disney’s plan to overhaul its 490-acre campus by moving parking to a new multi-story structure and transforming a vast lot into a zone buzzing with new entertainment and rides. This decision follows an initial nod last month, and with the zoning changes and ordinances now approved, there’s a 30-day wait for changes to take effect.
While the blueprint doesnt extend the parks’ boundaries, it paves the way for Disney to craft novel, captivating worlds for guests, like the frosty village of Arendelle from Frozen or the bustling animal city of Zootopia. The project will see Disney pour at least $1.9billion into the venture over the coming decade and spend millions more on enhancing streets, building affordable homes, and upgrading other key infrastructure for the local community of 345,000 residents.
It’s the first time Disney has sought a major change to its California theme parks since the 1990s, when it transformed Disneyland, originally opened in 1955 and famously known as ‘the happiest place on Earth’, into a resort destination. This expansion included the addition of Disney California Adventure Park and the Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment district, located about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
In 2022, Disneyland was the world’s second-most visited theme park, attracting 16.8 million visitors, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM.
