Disneyland Forward, the Walt Disney Company’s initiative to expand its original theme park, just got the go-ahead from the Anaheim City Council. Deadline reports that the $1.9 billion expansion plan, which will take decades to finish, received unanimous approval.
“The 7-0 vote came early today after an eight-hour public hearing that started Tuesday night, during which Anaheim residents, Disneyland cast members, and officials from nearby cities spoke about the plan’s advantages and problems.” the trade wrote. The proposal is set for a final city council vote May 7.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has confirmed that coming attractions will include an Avatar area inspired by James Cameron’s World of Pandora for the Disneyland Resort. During a recent presentation at Disney Imagineering, Iger told press including io9 that “we have the property, meaning land, and the property, meaning intellectual property, to basically take advantage of the resources that we have to [in turn] to create shareholder value.”
Other major IP that could potentially become a part of Disney’s future Anaheim plans includes Frozen, Tron, Zootoopia, and Tangled, among others. “With Disneyland Forward and more flexibility within our existing properties, new lands and adventures like those underway at Tokyo DisneySea and Shanghai Disneyland could inspire new experiences here,” Disney shared on the official site for Disneyland Forward.
Plans to expand Walt Disney’s original vision at Disneyland have been thwarted over the decades since its opening, as various other companies have snatched up the valuable land surrounding the park. When Disneyland has expanded, it’s had to make creative use of the space. Disney California Adventure was built over a parking lot, for example, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was built over a petting zoo, BBQ restaurant, and backstage area. Now Disney will get a bit more zoning freedom; Disneyland Forward will see Disney pay $40 million to buy three roadways around the resort—Magic Way, Hotel Way, and a portion of Clementine Street—to get more flexibility over areas that already contain major infrastructure.
In related Disney news today, the Los Angeles Times reports that representatives from the Actor’s Equity Association and the Disneyland Cast Member-led “Magic United,” who work in various departments including characters and parades, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for union recognition with a super majority of 17,000 employees. It’s an important time for current and future cast members who make the magic possible and who are due better pay and protections during Disneyland’s growth evolution.
Ideally Disney will include the union with its plans to boost jobs in Anaheim with Disneyland Forward, which is projected to add 8,960 positions during construction and 4,584 during operations. Deadline notes that Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock pledged the construction jobs would be “100% union labor with a focus on hiring Anaheim residents and veterans.” The trade also writes that the development agreement, which lasts until 2064, will likely see Disney “spending $2.5 billion” by the project’s completion.
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