Disneyland Expansion IS Happening. So What Happens NEXT?

May 7th, 2024 was a historic day for the Disney Parks and its effects could be felt soon!

Partner’s Statue in Disneyland

After years of planning, several city council meetings, and tons of discussion involving blue sky ideas, DisneylandForward was finally approved on May 7th. The plan — which will officially take effect on June 7th, 2024 — will expand the Disneyland and Anaheim Resorts to offer more theme park experiences, dining locations, shopping spots, parking structures, and lodging options. While DisneylandForward is set to be completed over the next decade, the ripple effect could be massive before development is complete.

Disney is committing $1.9 billion towards the DisneylandFoward investment, which could ultimately include projects or lands based on popular IPs like Black Panther, Tangled, Frozen, Toy Story, Tron, Zootopia, and Coco among others. With recent expansions in other parks around the world and at Disney World, it’s fair to assume we could see some of those developments arrive at Disneyland over the next 10 years. In fact, Disneyland is already in the process of bringing an Avatar experience to the parks.

©Disney

So, bottom line, what does it all mean for the Disneyland Resort?

Per CNN and owner and founder of International Theme Park Services, Dennis Speigel, the Disneyland Resort’s estimated 25 million visits per year could skyrocket to roughly 40 million visits over the next 20 years. While that’s still short of Walt Disney World’s numbers (which is forgivable considering Disney World is the most visited resort in the world), we’re looking at a rapid growth in popularity that would take Disneyland to the next level.

Concept Art ©Disney

“This is long overdue – this is decades overdue. This, in my opinion, is the biggest thing Disney has done since they opened the gate in ’55,” said Speigel. He likened the expansion to “going from a two-room house to a five-room house” in that Disneyland’s space would offer more space, more attractions, more amenities, and, ultimately, more reasons to stay longer.

Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure

It makes sense — after all, pre-expansion, Disneyland Park could be comfortably completed in two, maybe three days while Disney California Adventure has long been considered a one-day park unless you’re a foodie. DisneylandForward changes that narrative significantly.

Matterhorn Bobsleds

So how does this affect Disneyland tourists? For starters, the Disneyland resort is notoriously pinched. Technically, there are more rides at the Disneyland resort than the entirety of Disney World (which is insane to think about considering Disneyland Park can fit inside Magic Kingdom’s parking lot). However, the abundance of attractions complicates the flow of foot traffic. Expansion eases that.

This is considered a wide space at Disneyland

We won’t really experience that boon for a while, considering imminent construction will surely slow things down before it speeds them up. Regardless, the influx of attractions and entertainment options will draw in bigger crowds, more spending, and more interest as construction gets underway. All in all, what comes next is uncertain except for this — Disneyland is about to look and feel a whole lot different than it ever has in its nearly 70-year history.

Disneyland

We’re excited to see what the future has in store for the Disneyland Resort! There are sure to be TONS of upcoming updates so stay tuned here at DFB for all the latest news!