The Happiest Place on Earth has ambitious plans to expand. The Anaheim City Council unanimously voted in favor of DisneylandForward on Tuesday, pushing the 40-year proposal one step ahead. Though it’s still subject to a final vote, it seems likely the fan-favorite vacation destination will become even more magical in coming years.

The initiative adjusts development types and zoning, allowing for the addition of new theme park attractions, hotels, shopping, dining, and entertainment. Disney will commit to spending at least $1.9 billion in the next decade on its development within the existing space in the Anaheim Resort and Disneyland Resort. If approved, Disneyland visitors can look forward to new attractions, such as a potential sprawling Avatar land. Other immersive theme parks are possible, including popular attractions found internationally, such as the enchanting World of Frozen or a vibrant Zootopia park.

DisneylandForward points to Walt Disney, who said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.

The plan also states Disney will fund $85 million worth of community benefits in Anaheim in realms such as affordable housing, city parks, and street and sewer upgrades. The company will also pay $40 million to the city to buy three different public roads, a transfer of responsibility that Anaheim City Council says relieves public costs. The government cites serving Anaheim residents, businesses, and visitors as its rationale for approving the plan.

“Continued growth of The Anaheim Resort helps us serve residents, businesses, and visitors,” the City of Anaheim says. “Anaheim approved DisneylandForward because of what visitors mean to our city.”

Currently, Disneyland visitors comprise more than half of Anaheim’s revenue, in turn bringing in funds to maintain city functions. An expansion could also mean thousands of jobs in Anaheim, along with Disney’s promise to promote workforce development and jobs programs.

But some locals, who spoke at the eight-hour public meeting, are worried about disturbances from construction, increased traffic, and hikes in living costs were Disneyland Forward to get the full green light.

Anaheim’s second vote is scheduled for May 7, which will determine if the development can proceed.

Share:
More In Business
Is U.S. Restaurants’ Breakfast Boom Contributing to High Egg Prices?
It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Fast-food chains like Starbucks and Wendy's added more egg-filled breakfast items. In normal times, egg producers could meet the demand. But a bird flu outbreak that has forced them to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices. Some restaurants like Waffle House have added a surcharge to offset their costs.
Trump Administration Shutters Consumer Protection Agency
The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to stop nearly all its work, effectively shutting down the agency that was created to protect consumers after the 2008 financial crisis and subprime mortgage-lending scandal. Russell Vought is the newly installed director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought directed the CFPB in a Saturday night email to stop work on proposed rules, to suspend the effective dates on any rules that were finalized but not yet effective, and to stop investigative work and not begin any new investigations. The agency has been a target of conservatives since President Barack Obama created it following the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
Load More