Though no firm plans have been announced, the Disneyland Resort is working with the city of Anaheim, Calif., to update approvals on what it can develop and where for future expansion.
The DisneylandForward initiative seeks updates to city-approved plans from the 1990s that resulted in the addition of the theme park Disney California Adventure, the shopping and dining complex Downtown Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
"While those plans resulted in major improvements to the entire Anaheim Resort, their 'traditional' district/zone approach does not allow for the diverse, integrated experiences theme park visitors now seek, severely limiting Disney's ability to continue investing in Anaheim," according to the initiative's website.
Possible development in Anaheim as part of the DisneylandForward initiative.
Disney clearly states it is not seeking public funding or square footage or hotel rooms beyond what is currently allowed.
While no firm plans have been released, Disney teased a number of possibilities if it is able to more creatively use existing space. Among these are areas dedicated to popular franchises like "Frozen" and "Zootopia" and a "new kind of Disney entertainment destination" for locals and visitors alike, such as Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort.
On a map outlining those possibilities, Disney shows a "possible immersive theme park" experience on the west side of its Anaheim property, between Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel; currently, that area is mostly zoned for hotel usage. That section of the property is across Disneyland Drive from Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the Grand Californian. The map indicates it would be an expansion of both of Disney's existing theme parks.
The map shows the new entertainment area to the southeast of its existing campus, off South Harbor Boulevard and West Katella Avenue. That area currently houses land earmarked for future expansion and the Toy Story parking lot.
The map indicates a new parking area to the east of its existing theme parks and north of the proposed entertainment area, off South Harbor Boulevard and Disney Way. It would include a pedestrian bridge and accessibility to other businesses along Harbor Boulevard.
"To this day, Disney continues to invest in the Anaheim Resort with exciting additions like Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway and the soon-to-open Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park," Disney said on the DisneylandForward website. "Unfortunately, the addition of more attractions and experiences in the future may be limited under current inflexible planning restrictions unless we remove and replace treasured rides and attractions in our parks today."