Disneyland Wins the Vote and Moves Forward
Fellow Disney fans, I’ve got historically great news and even better news!
The historically great news is that Disneyland Resort has won the vote.
Yes, the Anaheim City Council just agreed to vote in favor of the zoning proposal known as DisneylandForward.
Now, Disney has committed to at least $1.9 billion in expansion projects at The Happiest Place on Earth.
The even better news is that after years of shadowy cabals, tax incentive squabbles, and the Florida Feud, Disney appears out of the political game for the foreseeable future!
Now that the company has won in Anaheim, California, and achieved détente in Florida, it can go back to theme park excellence.
To a larger point, today’s a significant day in Disneyland history, one we may still be discussing in 30 years.
So, let’s talk about the final vote on DisneylandForward and what it all means.
The Great Anaheim Debate
Okay, I’ll warn you that I’m bleary-eyed as I type this since I’ve just spent eight hours watching municipal government in action.
Right now, I feel like Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange. It wasn’t pretty.
Watching the entire Anaheim City City Council meeting didn’t restore my faith in democracy or anything, but it was enlightening.
This was Disney’s last opportunity to “move Disneyland forward,” and many supporters had the buttons to prove it.
Some of the same supporters and detractors appeared from last month’s Planning Commission meeting.
Thankfully, the City Council runs a tighter ship and kept the conversation as focused as is possible during an event like this.
If, say, a person wants to talk about Disney’s Satanic roots in 1955 and claim that the secrets and proof lie in the tunnels by the mountain, they get to speak.
The fact that they’re wearing Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse stuffed animals as they say it doesn’t lessen the strangeness. It is a part of democracy, though.
So, here we are, watching Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock follow that person and someone obsessed with coyotes.
To his credit, Potrock has comported himself extraordinarily well during the DisneylandForward project.
Throughout the process, Potrock has said and done the right things while also understanding the underlying politics.
Potrock has displayed transparency throughout the process, but he’s not a novice here.
He has also held back some pertinent information, some of which we just learned.
The Final Presentation
Ted White, the Principal Planner for the city of Anaheim appeared at this event, just as he had in March.
This time, White repeated some of the details from the previous conversation. However, we learned some new stuff as well.
Specifically, Disney commissioned a study from California State Fullerton’s Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting.
At this point, I should acknowledge a potential bias here, as my sister-in-law is a professor at this school, and we’re very proud of her.
To my knowledge, she was not involved in this presentation, though.
Anyway, the Woods Center for Economic Analysis and Forecasting’s Director, Anil Puri performed this study with the help of at least two assistants.
Here’s where you should start paying more attention, as it could hint at a future announcement.
Disney officials presented Puri and his team with a scenario to calculate the financial impact of park expansion on Anaheim.
In this scenario, “(the Disneyland expansion) construction phase is supposed to last four years…After the fourth year is over and construction is completed, a theme park will be in operation.”
So, Disney asked Puri to determine how much a four-year construction of new theme park offerings (or a third gate!) would help the city.
According to the data, a $1 billion theme park expansion would create 1,120 direct jobs per year for four years, for a total of 4,480.
Then, Disney’s parks will add 2,292 jobs. The labor income estimate is $403 million over four years at $101 million annually.
Also, Anaheim would gain $120 million in operations income annually.
The CSUF study estimates $1.147 billion in revenue generated from construction. Annually, the Disney expansion would generate $253 million.
Anaheim would gain $11 million in tax revenue alone during the four years of expansion, followed by $15 million annually afterward.
Disney’s Other Reveals
Once the DisneylandForward team had reassured everyone on the money portion, it leaned into the sales pitch for Disney fans.
The company didn’t quite show its hole card, but it definitely provided a strong hint.
Potrock calls DisneylandForward the “legacy project, a partnership between Disneyland Resort and Anaheim that will impact generations to come.”
During his pitch, he listed World of Frozen and Zootopia, along with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, as demonstrations of Disney’s evolving future.
Potrock discussed the emerging strategy of integrating retail and dining experiences within recreation spaces.
Changes like that wouldn’t be possible under the 1990s zoning ordinances that DisneylandForward sought to modify.
Now, you may wonder why Disney would discuss Galaxy’s Edge, which already exists at the park.
That’s the second half of this plan. Potrock states that Disney may “bring new, expanded experiences” to Disneyland Resort.
Specifically, Disney might increase the size and number of attractions at Avengers Campus, Cars Land, and Galaxy’s Edge.
Potrock added that the size of the upcoming Avatar experience depended on the vote. Here’s the quote:
“What we can do regarding size and scope is inherently influenced by DisneylandForward.”
As a reminder, Disney has committed at least $1.9 billion to Disneyland expansion.
The DisneylandForward agreement binds park officials to spend that much and possibly as much as $2.5 billion.
Based on the data presented tonight, Disney sounds like it has a strong idea for how it perceives the expansion.
To me, the whole thing sure sounds like Disney California Adventure meets Downtown Disney.
We’re talking about a future where Disneyland attracts locals by creating an entertainment space that exists beyond our current perceptions of what a theme park is.
Disneyland Moves Forward
We won’t know what DisneylandForward entails until park officials start confirming projects.
Thankfully, that necessary step could happen at any point, as the Anaheim City Council understandably voted in favor of DisneylandForward.
As expected, Disney and Potrock received a rubber stamp, winning the vote unanimously (7-0), as it should.
One of Anaheim’s financial experts suggested that the last time Anaheim changed its laws to enhance Disneyland, something stunning happened.
Disney increased its importance to Anaheim by growing from generating 11 percent of Anaheim’s general fund to 31 percent…or “$140 million.”
The projected growth rate from DisneylandForward would lead to Disney generating 60 percent (!) or another $140 million (!!!) for a total of $280 million to Anaheim’s general fund.
You vote yes when you can help your municipal populace that much. It’s a no-brainer.
Now, all that’s left to wonder about is whether Disney will build World of Frozen and Zootopia, while some Avatar experience is a given.
Similarly, new attractions at Avengers Campus, Cars Land, and Galaxy’s Edge appear likely based on tonight’s presentation.
In combing through the DisneylandForward documents, I’d previously identified 16 potential rides.
We can now start connecting the dots on the types of rides to expect as well as where Disney might put them.
Disney has won the primary vote, and Disneyland may move forward.
You can read Ken Potrock’s statement below. The final vote will take place on May 7th.
Update: In a new statement, Ken Potrock, president of the Disneyland Resort, says Disney is “excited for the city council’s initial approval of DisneylandForward as we move toward a final vote in May.” pic.twitter.com/WlVovxbOpA
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) April 17, 2024
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