Disneyland has revealed an update to its Disneyland Plan that would allow for future planning for new experiences.
The update, called DisneylandForward, includes hints to a number of new rides, restaurants and retail shops.
DisneylandForward is “a multi-year public planning effort with the city of Anaheim to update development approvals that meet the current and future demand in entertainment,” per Disney
- Disney plans to submit the expansion ideas to the city of Anaheim in 2023.
- Disneyland president Ken Petrock said in a statement: “Thinking big and leading the way is both our legacy and our best path forward. Now is the time to be bold, to dream, to believe, and to lead! The world-renowned Disneyland Resort is poised to bring back jobs to our community as well as new entertainment and experiences to loyal fans and new audiences for generations to come.”
What are Disneyland’s expansion plans?
DisneylandForward includes a number of new “possibilities” for expansion. None of these are guaranteed to happen. In fact, Disney said that “while there are no specific plans to share at this time, the possibilities for the future are nearly endless.”
The ideas include:
- A new land based on “Frozen.”
- A new “Tangled” land with a new restaurant based on the film.
- A Neverland area based on the stories of “Peter Pan,” including a restaurant based on the Lost Boys hideout.
- Improvements to the Toy Story Land.
- A possible new Tron ride and Zootopia experience, which already exist at other Disney parks.
- A new location with “restaurants, hotels, live music, shopping, ticketed shows and theme park experiences” based on the Disney Springs and Walt Disney World experience.
Is it a disappointment?
SFGate’s Katie Dowd wrote that the expansion plans might be a disappointment because the new suggestions don’t connect with each other. All of the ideas don’t combine into an immersive experience.
She wondered why Disneyland didn’t embrace a new “Wakanda land,” which would have been based around the fictional country from the Marvel universe.
- “It’s visually stunning, rich with ride concepts and both culturally inclusive and STEM-friendly. There could be an indoor roller coaster in the style of Space Mountain with the BART-inspired Vibranium mine trains. You could go an adventure with Shuri in her lab of the future. And, considering Disney will be making Marvel spinoffs until the end of time, the franchise is unlikely go out of style any time soon.”
What it means
Disney said in a blog post: “It is important to know that Disneyland Resort is not seeking any public funding in this effort and is not seeking to develop any additional square footage or hotel rooms beyond what is already allowed. We will be working with the city and community to update existing approvals to allow for future integrated, immersive experiences to be appropriately placed and built throughout Disney properties.”