Has Disneyland Already Begun Their Theme Park Expansion?

Last year, in March of 2021, Disney announced plans to expand the Disneyland Resort in a project called DisneylandForward. Included in the proposed revamp would be the Stitch parking lot which is currently used for employees, areas around Downtown Disney, the Disneyland Hotel, and Paradise Pier Hotel.

According to the Orange County Register, The Disney company has been working with the city of Anaheim following the pandemic to propel an economic rebound. Disney envisions adding theme Park, hotel, shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences to locations east and west of the Disneyland Resort.

The Stitch employee parking lot and Downtown Disney have been selected as possible future locations for theme Park offerings nestled between the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel. Formerly, the ESPN Zone, AMC Theaters, Starbucks West, Earl of Sandwich, and Sugarboo & Co. occupied this area, but they were recently demolished.

Plans to renovate Downtown Disney are also in motion, although they are not part of the Disneyland Forward project. Guests have recently noticed a fence surrounding the Stitch parking lot where the future Disneyland expansion would take place.

This has sparked some interest, with excited Disney Park goers wondering if Disneyland has officially begun the proposed project. Unfortunately, the rumors are not true.

Disneyland is simply cleaning up shop, resurfacing the asphalt, removing trees, repairing irrigation lines, and repainting the area. The Stitch parking lot will reopen this fall, but the location will not change as of yet.

The renovations at Downtown Disney and the Stitch parking lot are not included in the DisneylandForward expansion project. Currently, Disney is still in the development phase, submitting approvals to the city of Anaheim.

For more information about the project’s status, updates about the Disneyland expansion can be found on an official website for DisneylandForward. No construction has begun on the project yet. We will keep you posted when Disney finally breaks ground!