Will Disneyland Take to the Skies?
Well, the cat is out of the bag on a story I’ve been chasing for years now.
During the DisneylandForward negotiations, a few public officials hinted at a secret project.
I’m not even sure they knew they were doing it, but they’d occasionally reference unprecedented transportation options.
Now, we know what they mean, and it’s fascinating, with dramatic implications for Disney.
Disneyland
So, will Disneyland take to the skies? Here’s what we know.
What’s the Rumor?
Let’s start with my confession. I’ve been less active on MickeyBlog over the past five weeks.
My wife and I have been writing a Walt Disney World vacation guide that will come out next year.
Image: The Healthy Mouse
Since that project has included 150,000 words of writing in 35 days, I haven’t had any time for current Disney stories.
That’s why I haven’t discussed the project until now, which is a source of extreme frustration to me.
Some of you will recall that I’ve covered the DisneylandForward project since day one.
As a part of this process, I combed through every public record and watched livestreams of countless public meetings.
Photo: Disneylandforward
During this process, I picked up on the possibility of Disneyland mimicking one of Disney World’s best ideas.
Nobody would go on record as confirming an Anaheim gondola system, but that was the story.
Image Credit: Disney
In early September, Justin Hermes revealed the details about this project, as first reported by the Anaheim Investigator.
During the DisneylandForward negotiations, many Anaheim residents loudly protested at council meetings.
Photo: Spectrum News
You can understand why once you learn just how corrupt Anaheim public officials have been lately.
So, Public Records requests have been a thing, and this one struck gold.
Photo: OC Independent
The reporter discovered a treasure trove of documentation about a potential Anaheim gondola system.
One of the anchor locations for this proposed station would be Katella Avenue.
Photo: OC Register
We don’t mention many streets on MickeyBlog, but you’ll notice 15 hits for Katella Avenue.
You can guess why. Yes, that’s a place by/at Disneyland Resort, and there’s a storied history here.
Photo: Wikimedia
Disney buys land here whenever possible, and it was explicitly a part of the DisneylandForward negotiations.
Park officials (happily) agreed to pay for the sewer line expansion on Katella Avenue. Now, we have this.
Why Now?
Photo: Pexel.com
When we discuss the possibility of an Anaheim gondola system, the timing means everything.
Seriously, should this project not begin quickly, odds are good it won’t for MANY years, if ever.
Photo: The Olympics
That’s because everything hinges on the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
In case you’ve never heard anything about Southern California in your life, traffic is awful here.
Image Credit: Olympic.org
Seriously, if you don’t know that, I presume you’ve suffered a recent head wound, as it’s that infamous a topic.
Do you know the last thing the greater Los Angeles area needs? Yeah, it’s an influx of new traffic.
Photo: Extra Space Storage
Specifically, unknowing international tourists driving around Southern California is a recipe for disaster.
They’ll get lost, they’ll drive erratically, and the locals won’t take kindly to it, which could cause headline-grabbing incidents.
Photo: vecteezy.com
Do you know what could solve that problem? Local officials could construct a gondola system.
At a proposed price tag of $125 million, that’s Los Angeles and Anaheim getting off cheap, all things considered.
Even better, this proposed form of transportation would reduce gridlock after The Olympics end.
Meanwhile, the benefits would remain, as the proposed project would still link gondola stations to popular tourist destinations.
Photo: Disney
Obviously, one of those spots would be near Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.
You can understand how that concept would appeal to Disney, as it would make theme park access that much easier.
Disney
Disneyland Resort caters to locals at a disproportionately large percentage compared to Disney World.
So, a form of transportation that enabled more efficient, less stressful theme park access would be a godsend. However, that’s not even the best part for Disney, at least if things break right.
The Possible Bonus
Photo:ofx.ie
One of the best scams in professional sports involves team owners and local politicians.
Any number of your favorite sports stadiums were built under highly suspicious terms.
Photo: PNG Tree
Politicians agreed to sweetheart deals with the owners as a kind of public favor for having a pro sports team locally.
Countless research has proven that these deals are absolutely atrocious for taxpayers and the cities themselves.
Photo: Moneycrashers.com
Somehow, these deals keep getting done, though, as the threat of losing a pro sports team is a powerful motivation.
Disneyland isn’t going anywhere, but it could still capitalize on a similar phenomenon.
Los Angeles Olympics
The cities of Los Angeles and Anaheim need The Olympics to go smoothly. Otherwise, it’s a black eye for everyone involved.
So, impacted politicians will do anything possible to make themselves look like heroes in the end.
Los Angeles Olympics
Do you know what else would be impressive? If a politician’s bio listed an exceptional transportation project.
Gondolas are a great idea for high-traffic areas, one that frankly hasn’t been explored enough in major metropolitan areas.
LA Times (Courtesy city of Anaheim)
The Olympics may prove the impetus for a gondola project to get off the ground in Anaheim.
I believe this so much that I wouldn’t be surprised if Anaheim officials wanted this story leaked.
They’re probably using this opportunity to take the temperature of local voters about the idea.
Disney Would Benefit Greatly
Meanwhile, Disney would benefit in the same way that pro sports owners do.
I’d expect the company to get a sweetheart deal here, one where it invests only a few million dollars.
In fact, there’s a possibility that Disney won’t spend a dime for this, which would be a flawless victory.
As a reminder, the reason why Disney World hasn’t added sorely needed monorail trams is the cost.
Photo: Getty
The most recent estimate bandied about was more than $100 million. Contrast that to the gondolas.
We’re discussing $125 million for the entire line, and even if it costs double that – municipal construction usually does – it’s still reasonable.
Photo: Getty
Plus, Los Angeles and Anaheim officials have extra income to splash around due to the influx of Olympic cash.
So, the timing here is ideal for Disneyland Resort to add a gondola station without even doing anything.
Disneyland
This rumor/story only has a shelf life, as a gondola system takes about 20 months to build.
Obviously, this one may be a rush job, but if nothing is confirmed by the end of 2026, it’s not happening.
However, public sentiment seems to be mostly in favor of the idea. I think this one’s got a real shot at happening.
Stay tuned to MickeyBlog, as we’ll cover any news updates we get about what I’m calling the Disneyland Skyliner.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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Feature Photo: Disney
