ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Disney has received key approval to expand its Southern California theme park, in its first effort to make major changes to the iconic Disneyland in decades.
The Anaheim City Council on Tuesday approved a plan to redevelop Disney's 490-acre (488-hectare) campus in densely populated Southern California into a vast site with parking lots moved to a high-rise structure and new entertainment and rides. unanimously approved the plan to remodel the building. This was the second vote needed on the plan after Congress gave initial approval last month. Approved zoning changes and ordinances will take another 30 days to take effect.
The proposal would not expand the park's physical footprint, but it would be similar to Disney's snowy village of Arendelle in “Frozen” or the creature-filled metropolis in “Zootopia.” Building on the land will help create new immersive experiences for visitors. The plan calls for Disney to invest at least $1.9 billion in the project over the next 10 years and spend tens of millions of dollars on road improvements, affordable housing and other infrastructure improvements in the city of 345,000. That is what is required.
Disney's major changes to its California theme parks come after the company received approval to turn Disneyland, the original theme park built in 1955 and dubbed “The Happiest Place on Earth,” into a resort hub. This is the first time since the 1990s. It later built the Disney California Adventure theme park and the Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment area in the city 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Los Angeles.
Disneyland was the second most-visited theme park in the world in 2022, with 16.8 million visitors, according to a report from the Theme Entertainment Association and AECOM.