After all the issues the Walt Disney Company has been facing recently, it turns out California, the Golden State, is proving its moniker accurate for the Mouse House and Disney’s Anaheim resort.

In a recent win for Disney—one that many would agree the company desperately needed—the company is going to get the chance to deliver on one of their long-held promises for expansion in Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort.

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Anaheim Planning Commission Approves DisneylandForward 

Disney officially makes headway on its DisneylandForward project. As the LA Times reported, the project was finally “approved Monday night on a 5-1 vote by the Anaheim Planning Commission after almost three years of reviews and analysis.”

“I want to thank each and every person who came tonight to speak their minds, whether you agreed, disagreed or were neutral,” said commission Chairperson Lucille Kring on the matter. “I want to thank Disney for bringing this to us. Make us proud.”

What this project would allow Disney to do is to reconfigure the park’s zoning, allowing Disney more flexibility in its theme park footprint. Disney will essentially be able to redesign how the park is laid out and potentially fit more into the space.

Anaheim Planning Commission approves 'Disneyland Forward' proposal https://t.co/lztjk8BxUG

— Frankie Crisostomo (@FrancCrist) March 12, 2024

It’s important to note that while the planning commission has approved the proposal, it’s not yet a done deal for Disneyland. The company will now take the DisneylandForward project before the Anaheim City Council.

This said, it’s a huge milestone worth celebrating, at the very least, for the Mouse House.

However, it appears not all residents in the area are supportive of these possible changes and the expansion project.

Anaheim resident Jeanine Robbins, who lives about a half mile from Disneyland, commented, “When they can take care of their existing employees, then they can come back with this ridiculous proposal,” she said. “If you pay your employees so little that they require food stamps and rent assistance and homeless shelter beds, then you are not a job creator. You are simply a moocher on the public dime.”

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What is DisneylandForward?

Disneyland Forward is a project put forth by the Walt Disney Company for its Southern California Disney Resort.

The website for this project details that while the City of Anaheim approved plans that would impact and define the growth of the Southern California Disney Park, the city’s “’traditional’ district/zone approach does not allow for the diverse, integrated experiences theme park visitors now seek.”

Thus was born DisneylandForward: “A multiyear public planning effort to update Disneyland Resort’s land use  approvals.” 

If Disneyland does get its final approval, it will certainly prove to be one of the most significant wins for Disney!

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