Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro recently shared some interesting news about the possibility of Disneyland expanding in California.
The Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort are universally agreed upon as some of the best places in the world to enjoy a Disney vacation. Either Disney resort is filled with myriad rides and attractions (think like Haunted Mansion or Space Mountain) that truly capture the magic of Disney in a way few things can.
For a while now, Disney has been sharing bits and pieces about a possible expansion in Walt Disney’s original park—Disneyland Resort—and recently, Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro shared some more news with fans about the same.
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Josh D’Amaro Shares a Sneak Peek Into the Future of Disneyland
During the recent town hall that Disney CEO Bob Iger hosted along with his division chiefs Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, Josh D’Amaro, and Jimmy Pitaro, Mr. Iger shared a message of optimism for employees about the future of the company. During this meeting, Mr. Iger made it clear that the past year of restructuring and challenge was drawing to an end, and the company was entering a much more fun period of building.
During this same town hall, his division chiefs each took the time to address employees about upcoming changes or the potential for the future of their departments. When it came to Josh D’Amaro’s turn, he had some interesting notes to share.
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Josh D’Amaro Explains Scope for Expansion in Disneyland
During the town hall, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. D’Amaro echoed Mr. Iger’s sentiments of being excited for the future. On the subject of the $60 billion investment Bob Iger told shareholders about, the Disney Parks chief said the following:
“We stood up on the stage just several weeks back in front of an investor community and said we are going to invest $60 billion in the next ten years into this business because we believe in it,” Mr. D’Amaro said.
“We’ve seen what it’s done. We see the impact that it has on our guests and fans around the world. We’ve got so much space to play with. Disneyland, for example, Walt’s original theme park, we still have enough room to build another Disneyland there if we choose to do that. So many stories to continue to tell, so many new places to go. So, we’ve come a long way in the last few years but incredibly excited about the future.”
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What’s interesting about this statement is that, at the moment, there is still a catch. Anytime the subject of expansion in Disneyland comes up, it’s important to contextualize that with city restrictions.
As Disney Fanatics would know, Disney has been proposing an expansion in Disneyland for a while—the Disneyland Forward initiative—however, to make this happen, the city of Anaheim first has to approve it. If Anaheim does allow Disney its proposed expansion, it would be “a redistricting of land and a loosening of restrictions the city put in place in the 1990s to allow for more flexible construction and overall planning.”
For Mr. D’Amaro to imply that a third Disney park is a possibility is certainly exciting. Still, for this to happen, there are some legal changes and approvals that apparently need to take place.
Or perhaps Mr. D’Amaro’s optimism is a sign that the Walt Disney Company knows something we don’t and is confident in its ability to get the necessary paperwork approved to have “another Disneyland” in Anaheim.
More on the Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort is currently home to two theme parks—Disneyland Park, and Disney California Adventure Park—and a shopping and dining district—Downtown Disney. The Southern California Disney resort was the original Disney park, and was dreamed up and put in place by Walt Disney himself.