\n
![](\"https:\/\/content.fortune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/AP24068820646220-e1710150974780.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/p>\n [ad_1]
\n<\/p>\n
Walking through the frosty, snow-covered hamlet of Arendelle from \u201cFrozen,\u201d or the bustling, critter-filled metropolis of \u201cZootopia\u201d might be possible one day for visitors to Disney\u2019s California theme parks.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s only if Disney wins<\/a> approval from local officials to expand its Anaheim resort<\/a> over the next four decades.<\/p>\n The proposed expansion wouldn\u2019t increase Disney\u2019s 490-acre (488-hectare) footprint in Southern California or change what the company already has permission to build. But it could help the company develop new attractions. They could place rides and entertainment options on what is currently a sprawling, 50-acre (20-hectare) parking lot \u2014 and move parking for Disneyland to a multistory structure \u2014 all while keeping within the boundaries of a resort surrounded by residential neighborhoods.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know there are stories out there we haven\u2019t told yet, like \u2018Wakanda\u2019 or \u2018Coco\u2019 or \u2018Frozen\u2019 or \u2018Zootopia\u2019,\u201d said Rachel Alde, Disney\u2019s senior vice president of global development and finance. \u201cWe know what kind of stories we would love to tell. We need to get the guidance on what we can build there so we can understand how.\u201d<\/p>\n The city of Anaheim\u2019s planning commission is scheduled Monday to review the proposal for Disneyland, dubbed the \u201chappiest place on Earth.\u201d The project \u2014 which would require Disney to invest at least $1.9 billion in the theme park, lodging, entertainment and related uses over the next decade \u2014 still must be approved by the city council before taking effect.<\/p>\n Disney\u2019s goal is to create what it calls more immersive experiences for tourists, similar to the attraction Star Wars: Galaxy\u2019s Edge, which\u00a0opened in California in 2019<\/a>. The company said it doesn\u2019t yet know which stories would be central to the new developments, but the idea is to create areas like \u201cZootopia\u201d in Shanghai Disneyland, where animal characters walk through a vibrant cityscape that resembles the setting of the film.<\/p>\n Right now, there isn\u2019t enough room in the original Disneyland in California to build something on a large scale without affecting existing attractions, which are relished by loyal, long-time visitors to the company\u2019s oldest theme park, Alde said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the first time Disney has sought a major change to its California theme parks since the 1990s, when the company obtained approvals to turn its first park into a resort hub. It later added a second park, Disney California Adventure Park, and a shopping and entertainment area called Downtown Disney.<\/p>\n Disneyland, which dates back to 1955, was the\u00a0second-most visited<\/a>\u00a0theme park in the world in 2022 with 16.8 million people coming through the gates, according to a report by the Themed Entertainment Association and AECOM<\/a>.<\/p>\n Disney\u2019s parks are a tourism magnet for Southern California and especially for Anaheim, which is Orange County\u2019s most populous city and home to more than 345,000 people as well as a major league baseball team and national hockey league team. Hotel revenue typically makes up about half of Anaheim\u2019s revenue, and is expected to climb to $236 million this year, according to city estimates.<\/p>\n \u201cVisitors generate a tremendous amount of revenue for our city that allows us to invest in our neighborhoods,\u201d said Erin Ryan, a spokesperson for the city of Anaheim. \u201cDisney brings a lot of tourists here.\u201d<\/p>\n The plan also would require the company to invest tens of millions of dollars in street improvements, affordable housing and other infrastructure in the city. Disney has held workshops to address residents\u2019 questions about the proposal, including concerns about the company\u2019s plan to absorb a local road into the theme park.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSubscribe to the CFO Daily newsletter to keep up with the trends, issues, and executives shaping corporate finance. Sign up<\/a> for free.<\/div>\n