ANAHEIM, Calif. — Theme park experts expect The Walt Disney Company's upcoming D23 Expo Disney fan convention this summer to be full of announcements.
The biggest question: What new land or ride is coming to Walt's original theme park? "Avatar" land, "Frozen's" Arrendelle Kingdom, "Zootopia" or "Coco's" spirit world — the possibilities are endless, experts said.
After the Anaheim City Council passed the company's much-anticipated $1.9 billion DisneylandForward rezoning project, fans are clamoring to know what Disney Imagineers plans to build at Disneyland Resort in the next 5, 10, 30, and 40 years.
"The first drop of information, presumably at D23, will help provide clues to those answers," said Robert Niles, the editor at Theme Park Insider, to Spectrum News.
"I hope we hear more about this at the D23 Expo," said Jessica Sanders, writer at the Happiest Blog on Earth, Disneyland planning website. "They've expanded seating and space for the event. I'm expecting them to share some big news with us and impress the home crowd in Anaheim."
"This is a really big moment for DisneylandForward," she added.
After three and a half hours of public comment last week, the city council unanimously approved DisneylandForward at around 12:30 a.m. last Wednesday. This zoning initiative will reshape how attractions, hotels and other projects are built at the 490-acre Disneyland Resort in the heart of Anaheim for the next 40 years.
For the past couple of years, Disney has asked the city to update its 1990s masterplan agreement and rezone its existing properties as mixed-use, melding attractions, hotels, shopping, dining, and entertainment together rather than in specifically independently designed zoning areas.
Disney officials had not asked for additional square footage, hotel rooms or public money.
Opponents of Disney claimed the plan would remove important roadways residents use to circumvent the busy resort district, such as Magic Way.
However, Disney and city officials said Disneyland Hotel guests mainly use Magic Way.
Disney will pay the city $40 million to buy Magic Way along a pair of other small streets adjacent to the theme park.
As part of the deal, Disney is also giving the city $30 million for an affordable housing trust, $8 million to build more public parks and $10 million to improve sewer lines next to Disneyland.
Niles, the editor at Theme Park Insider, said that with the passage of DisneylandForward, which becomes official with another vote at the next Anaheim City Council meeting, now comes the rampant speculation.
According to the Orange County Register, citing DisneylandForward's Environmental Impact Report, the expansion would include 16 new rides — five thrill rides, nine family rides, and two other types of attractions. There are plans to create a new outdoor show. Disney plans to sink as much as $2.5 billion in their expansion plan.
Additionally, Disney will build a 17,600-space garage on the resort's east side, alleviating the traffic to Mickey and Friend's parking garage.
"We know that Disneyland will be getting 'Avatar,' since Bob Iger has announced that already," said Niles. "The only question was whether it would be part of the DisneylandForward expansion or a replacement for something now existing in the parks. The approval of DisneylandForward probably ensures that land will be part of the expansion."
Niles said that beyond "Avatar," Disney has teased lands coming to Disneyland based on its popular "Frozen" franchise and "Zootopia." Last year, Disney opened Arendelle: The World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland and a Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai Disneyland, so it's not farfetched that a version of those themed land could come to Anaheim.
"'Frozen' is the sure bet," said Niles. 'Zootopia's ride in Shanghai has a similar ride system and pathway to Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, so I suspect Disney might consider an alternative to duplicating that land in Anaheim. The other possibility that Disney has suggested is Wakanda from 'Black Panther.' That would be an all-new land, but as such, I think it has the highest potential to drive attendance from fans around the world."
Sanders, the Disney writer at the Happiest Blog on Earth, said she's excited about all the possibilities.
"We've been waiting for something like this for so long," she told Spectrum News. "We've been seeing Disney invest in their other theme park resorts around the world, and now, we want to see what's coming for the original Disneyland."
Sanders expects Disney to build inclusive immersive districts, hotels, retail, theme parks and entertainment.
"We're going to see more cohesiveness with all of those things together," she said. "We're going to be in that Disney bubble that we feel at Disney World."
While some of the company's new intellectual properties get a lot of publicity, Sanders would like to see some lands based on Disney's classics, such as "Peter Pan." The ride is one of the most popular at Disneyland.
"I know they probably won't touch the [Sleeping Beauty] castle, but I'd love to see them build it out," she said. "If you look at other Disney theme parks, they have elaborate castles where visitors can go into them, explore, dine in, and have other experiences."
Another big question with DisneylandForward is whether Disney will build a third theme park in Anaheim to house these new hotels and attractions, perhaps on the Toy Story parking lot.
"In addition to the specific IP Disneyland will be using, we still haven't learned whether this will all be part of a new gate or just expansions of the current two parks," said Niles. "Also, will the new stuff open all at once or in phases?"
Overall, Niles said the DisneylandForward plan will guide Disneyland and Anaheim's future growth.
A Cal State Fullerton economist said the expansion could generate an additional $244 million in economic impact for the city.
It's a win-win, Niles noted.
"It allows Disney to create more attractions that will bring more visitors and more tax revenue to the city," he said. "All at zero up-front tax cost to the community. That's a rare win for a community dealing with a big corporation like Disney."