DisneylandForward has been officially approved by the Anaheim City Council. During the final procedural vote, the Council overwhelmingly approved DisneylandForward: 7 votes in favor and 0 opposed.
This approval comes after the initial approval of the project by the Anaheim City Council on April 17. With this final approval, the plan is scheduled to go into effect on June 7, 2024 – which is 30 days from now.
A Long Approval Process
It’s been three years since Disney first proposed the DisneylandForward project. Since then, it conducted public workshops in October 2023, January, and February 2024. After hours of public comment, the Anaheim Planning Commission approved the project on March 11. After a community meeting on April 10, the vote was passed to the Anaheim City Council.
Big Spending Plans
As part of DisneylandForward, Disney has committed to investing a minimum of $1.9 billion in the Disneyland Resort over the next decade, with a maximum investment of $2.5 billion. Additionally, Disney will allocate $30 million for affordable housing, with $15 million in the first year and $15 million in five years. Other allocations include $10 million for sewer improvements along Katella Avenue and $8 million for Anaheim city parks within the first year. However, the plan does not grant Disney any new land for development.
Disney will pay $40 million to acquire Magic Way. This road extends from Disneyland Drive to Walnut Street. The plan calls for Magic Way to remain open to car traffic for the hotel and parking.
Disney Gets Flexibility
With this approval, Disney gets the freedom to determine the locations for hotels, lands, and retail on its existing land. We may learn more at the upcoming D23 fan event in August.
Will DisneylandForward have a positive effect on the Anaheim community?