As Walt Disney’s original theme park and the only one he stepped foot in, Disneyland holds a special place in the hearts of fans across the world. The historical significance of the park is most likely why frequent attendees have such a hard time when new developments arise (like the upcoming (Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction). However, those fans seem to be singing a different tune nowadays as plans for the original park’s expansion are moving right along. Another milestone was just reached on that front and, amid the excitement, I'm honestly still not sold on some of the ideas the company has.
There are other areas of the park that desperately need some TLC (like Tomorrowland, which is getting a change). But, as a Disneyland fan myself, I am excited to see this new expansion plan come to fruition. It would be the first major expansion since Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge opened back in 2019 and would certainly make the already iconic park even more popular. However, I just can't muster the energy to get excited about what's to come. Let me explain that and discuss the progress the project has made.
How Is The Expansion For Disneyland Forward Making Headway?
The Walt Disney Company has been working hard with the City of Anaheim in the hopes of getting approval for the Disneyland Forward expansion project, which was officially announced in 2021. In addition to rezoning land to potentially expand Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Park or create a third park all together, the project includes plans to expand shopping and dining locations and repurpose the Toy Story parking lot.
The good news is that the Disney project took another major step forward this week, as it received unanimous city approval at a council meeting on April 16th. This is a massive win for the Mouse House and all but confirms that the endeavor will be happening in the future. Disneyland Forward faces one more round of city council votes next month, which it’s expected to pass. After that, the company must wait 30 days before changes can go into effect.
Though the powers that be can’t break ground just yet, that hasn’t stopped Imagineers from planning what they want to do with the new theme park space at the west end of the Downtown Disney shopping district. Those plans included teasing a potential Frozen land, Tangled-themed attraction and a Zootopia-inspired land similar to the one that just opened at Shanghai Disney. In addition, theme park fans have speculated that the proposed Avatar land CEO Bob Iger has brought up might be for the new area and not part of the existing resort.
Why Am I Not Sold On The Plans That Are In Store?
As a Disneyland local, I am ecstatic to see the original theme park get some more love. While some of the proposed lands and attractions excite me, like the Tangled-themed ones, I’m not so thrilled about some of the other ideas.
Sure, Zootopia land looks amazing in Shanghai, but I’m not so sure a land themed around anthropomorphized police officers is the right move in the United States, especially in California. Not only that, but the E-ticket attraction of the land involves a police pursuit chase. We can already meet Judy and Nick in Disney’s California Adventure Park and I think that’s all we really need when it comes to this franchise.
I’m also not thrilled about the potential for another Avatar-centric land. Part of what makes Pandora work in Walt Disney World is that it perfectly fits the core values of Animal Kingdom Park. As much as I would love a Flight of Passage attraction in my own backyard, I think it would take the fun out of the one on the East Coast.
The bigger issue I have with some of the Imagineers' proposed ideas is that none of them would be exclusive to Disneyland. Part of what makes the Disney theme parks so fun is that they all have something different to offer. That’s why visiting all the locations around the world is on so many people’s bucket lists. Why would I want Pandora or Arendale in my backyard when I could go to Orlando or Tokyo Disney to see these attractions? If Imagineers just slightly alter lands for each of the parks going forward, they’re going to lose their unique sparks.
The good news is none of these ideas are set in stone just yet. I have faith that the incredible Imagineering team will come up with some great new ideas that will be exclusive to the Disneyland Resort. Something that seems certain is that the Parks and Experiences Panel at D23 2024 is going to be full of exciting news.
