Disney Rumors for February 2024
Something has changed with the recent announcement of progress toward a DisneylandForward agreement.
This month, we’ve gradually moved away from the topic of Disney Rumors toward Disney Plans.
Yes, I realize that’s a bold statement, but Disney has all but telegraphed parts of what’s about to happen.
Let’s connect some dots in this month’s Disney Rumors.
Progress Made
A few months ago, Disney announced a kind of goodwill tour across the city of Anaheim, California.
The explanation for this tour stemmed from Disney’s desire to change some traffic ordinances.
That statement sounds ridiculous, but it matters greatly to the potential expansion of Disneyland Resort.
During the 1990s, Anaheim’s City Council enacted some traffic laws that fly in the face of Disney’s stated expansion goals.
So, Disney needs the current Anaheim City Council to reset those rules. Otherwise, Disneyland Resort cannot add much.
Over the past 30 years, Disney officials have learned much more about traffic and terrain in this area.
Park strategists firmly believe the best places to position new themed lands and attractions are currently off-limits.
We’re witnessing a PR campaign to curry the votes to change the existing laws…and it’s working.
Disney’s so-called Community Coffees and the renewed friendship with Governor Gavin Newsom have changed the political climate.
As I discussed a few years ago, DisneylandForward has never been what people hoped/thought it was.
The entire purpose involves zoning flexibility. And Disney has apparently found the general terms to make that happen.
According to a report last week, Disneyland has committed a minimum of $2 billion and possibly as much as $2.5 billion toward expansion.
I’ve vacillated on which number to use because Disney officials have promised $2.5 billion.
However, should something happen, they could lower the financial outlay to $2 billion in exchange for a (trivial) $5 million buyout.
You can think of that agreement as $2 or $2.5 billion. Either way, the underlying point remains the same.
Disney thinks it’s gonna complete a deal with Anaheim officials this spring. Once that happens, Disneyland Resort improves.
We recently got a hint as to how.
The Jon Landau Appearance
Here’s the tricky part when discussing $2.5 billion in capital expenditures. It sounds like a lot, but it’s really not.
For that price, you can build the equivalent of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Cars Land. That’s the upper boundary, though.
Those two projects cost Disney right at $2.5 billion in 2024 dollars, maybe even $100 million more than that.
Disney has already promised two new attractions of some sort coming to Disneyland Resort.
One is the King Thanos ride, which will explore the story of the multiversal Thanos character who defeated the Avengers.
Disney announced the premise at the 2022 D23 Expo, but we’ve heard virtually nothing about the attraction since then.
Last year, Bob Iger surprised even Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock when the CEO confirmed an Avatar experience.
We still have no idea what that means. Is it a ride/attraction like Na’vi River Journey or Avatar Flight of Passage?
Has Disney plotted something larger in scale like a Disneyland version of Pandora – The World of Avatar?
How about something smaller? Maybe we’re discussing a simple Na’vi encounter. Without any context, it’s impossible to say.
We did just get a recent hint, though. Producer Jon Landau, who is a close associate of James Cameron, posted this.
Landau highlighted the fact that he has visited Walt Disney Imagineering, a statement with only one reasonable conclusion.
Disney is working toward something large enough in scale that the producer of Avatar must provide feedback on it.
That sounds like a full-throated Avatar experience rather than some lesser-tier attraction.
Something’s up, and one of the key players isn’t shying away from the discussion.
That’s not the way Disney has played its recent park upgrades. It’s generally laid low to avoid overhyping modest improvements.
What’s Happening Next at Disneyland Resort?
We know two things here. The first is that Disneyland officials will host two more Community Coffees, which are basically just town halls.
Then, Anaheim officials will vote on the plans, most likely in April. So, we’re more than two months away from anything happening.
Also, we should acknowledge that municipal plans can collapse quickly. If you kept up with Lake Nona any, you know that.
In fact, the developer behind that project recently pleaded guilty to some felonies. Anything can happen with this stuff.
Right now, Disney appears likely to take a significant step toward a Disneyland expansion, though.
Afterward, we should expect some official announcements. When are those most likely to occur?
Sadly, the answer isn’t until September, as that’s when the next D23 Expo occurs.
Obviously, Disney could reveal its plans at any point, but I’m not expecting anything dramatic before then.
For this reason, we could face another slow year when it comes to Disney Rumors, at least reliable ones.
However, the current conversation is unusual in that Disney has filed paperwork for its projected plans.
That leads to some reasonable conclusions regarding the project.
What Could the Expansion Entail?
A third themed gate is a valid possibility at Disneyland Resort, although I think Disney is more likely to expand its existing parks instead.
Still, Disney’s own filings suggested an estimate of 16 rides/attractions as part of this expansion.
Could park officials build that much for $2.5 billion? Honestly, the answer is probably no…but that’s a good thing!
Disney has good reasons to undersell its planned commitment at the Disneyland Resort.
A larger expansion could disrupt traffic and increase crowd noise in the area, two things that could turn the public against DisneylandForward.
Disney finds itself in the unlikely position wherein it shouldn’t comment too much at the moment.
Once the Anaheim City Council votes to provide Disney with zoning flexibility, park officials can ramp up the publicity campaign.
That’s another way that saving announcements until the Fall makes sense.
Still, we possess a strong idea of what some of those projects could be.
Disney has all but yelled from the rafters that it wants to bring some of its recent international expansions to the United States.
Projects like World of Frozen, Zootopia, and Fantasy Springs feature attractions and experiences that Disney wants to bring west.
In other words, this isn’t a situation where we’re trying to decipher how much of a D23 announcement is real.
Disney has told Anaheim’s local government what to expect, and now those plans appear to be progressing.
I don’t expect Disneyland to announce 16 attractions this year, as that would be overkill.
Presuming that the Anaheim vote goes as expected, DisneylandForward appears to have succeeded, though.
So, the bombshell attraction reveals are in play from now through the end of D23.
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Feature Photo: Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG