There is still space to build another Disneyland in Anaheim, Disney theme park chairman Josh D’Amaro announced on Tuesday during an employee town hall in New York City.
“We’ve got so much space to play with. Disneyland, for example, Walt’s original theme park, we still have enough room to build another Disneyland there if we choose to do that,” D’Amaro said during the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Walt Disney Co. previously announced plans to invest $60 billion into its theme park business over the next decade.
The vast money investment would be used to “expand and enhance domestic and international parks and cruise line capacity, prioritizing projects anticipated to generate strong returns, consistent with the company’s continuing approach to allocate capital in a disciplined and balanced manner.”
Plans to expand the “Happiest Place on Earth” could become a reality should the city of Anaheim approve DisneylandForward plans.
The DisneylandForward project details how officials want to update and renovate the Anaheim theme park. The project will include new attractions, shops and restaurants within its existing 490-acre footprint, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Disney is seeking zoning changes for the expansion. Disney officials previously wanted to add a third entrance to the resort, but those plans never materialized.
D’Amaro previously discussed the possibility of bringing Arendelle from “Frozen,” Wakanda from “Black Panther” and Santa Cecilia from “Coco” to life in some capacity at Disneyland and potentially its sister park in Orlando.
“’Frozen,’ one of the most successful and popular animated franchises of all time, could have a presence at the Disneyland Resort. Wakanda has yet to be brought to life. The world of ‘Coco’ is just waiting to be explored. There’s a lot of storytelling opportunity,” D’Amaro said.
Disney fans have theorized that lands, rides and attractions based on “Tangled,” “Zootopia” and “Tron” and expanded areas based on “Peter Pan” and “Toy Story” could also be in the works.
Disneyland has also teased the possibility of adding an “Avatar” experience to the resort. News of the potential addition was teased in February, but details on the project have remained limited.
However, it was later revealed that director James Cameron was working with Walt Disney Imagineering on the project.
News of the Anaheim resort’s likely future comes after the city of Anaheim released a 17,000-page environmental study for DisneylandForward.
The company has not announced how much DisneylandForward would cost, but it previously stated that the endeavor would be privately funded. Disney hopes to have the project reviewed by the Anaheim City Council and receive approval before the end of 2024.
Disney has previously held community coffee chats for community members to attend and learn more about the proposed project.
