Disney Has Big Expansion Plans, But Neighbors Hit Them With NIMBY

The Walt Disney Company has some big plans to expand every theme park across the globe. Sixty billion dollars will allow them to expand every theme park they own.

At the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, Disney has already announced the “largest expansion” in the Magic Kingdom’s history, as well as an expansion project for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and an update of Test Track at EPCOT.

However, one of Disney World’s projects is becoming a common complaint nationwide. Neighbors are complaining about Disney World’s decision to build an affordable housing complex for cast members. While they are in favor of affordable housing, they would prefer it not to be near them or Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY).

Further west at the Disneyland Resort, neighbors have even more to complain about. Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure are part of the Anaheim neighborhood, and residents are concerned about Disneyland Forward and the traffic it will bring to the area.

Residents voiced their concern about a proposal allowing Disneyland to purchase three city-owned roads, including Magic Way. They are also concerned about the Walt Disney Company and Anaheim City officials’ lack of transparency as these proposals are put to a vote.

Related: Disney Teases ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Coco,’ and ‘Tangled Attractions in $2.5 Billion Expansion

Anaheim resident Stephanie Mercadante said: 

We need to stop and study and thoughtfully examine the good for all. No one’s against enlarging Disneyland, but do it thoughtfully. I don’t dislike Disney, but I don’t want them to hurt my quality of life either. The more I hear from the residents and the more I walk and talk with people, they feel the same and they just want to coexist.

Disney has promised $30 million to build affordable housing and $8 million for parks and recreational areas around the Disneyland Resort neighborhood. It has also pledged to invest $1.9 billion in the region over the next decade.

Since Disneyland opened, Disney has been prominent in southern California. The company has donated millions to politicians in Anaheim City Hall and the Anaheim City Council.

This friendly relationship between local politicians and Disneyland is one of the residents’ primary concerns, as they fear that the Mouse House will be allowed to do whatever it wants with little oversight from local authorities.

With billions of dollars in tax revenue and thousands of jobs at stake, no matter how much Anaheim residents voice their concerns, Disneyland Forward seems to get the go-ahead. But at least they’ll be heard.

We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.