Dubbed "DisneylandForward," the Walt Disney Company's roughly $2 billion project re-imagines its Anaheim, California theme park complex with new attractions, shops, restaurants and hotels.
The company says the updated theme park will create "new magic" for the city of Anaheim, promising new jobs and more than $202 million in additional tax revenue. In exchange, the House of Mouse isn't asking for public funds or even an expansion in the city, but relaxed zoning rules and a proposal to privatize roads near the park.
"We've set the gold standard, I think, in collaboration and outreach," said Joe Haupt, consultant for the DisneylandForward project at a public hearing earlier this year with Anaheim City Council.
Disney says its investments would go towards more than 13,000 new jobs, $85 million for traffic and road improvements, $8 million to improve city parks, and more than $30 million to fund affordable housing projects.
While many residents in Anaheim are excited for the investments into the community, others have been leery of Disney's promises.
"I'm very concerned about the claims that the project will not displace significant numbers of people, or that the $30 million investment to housing is sufficient to address the adverse effects presented by this project," said Anaheim resident Carolina Mendez at a public hearing in February.
For tourists, Disneyland hasn't yet announced specific plans or renderings, but the company has used examples of its theme parks around the world as possibilities. The company also told reporters recently that cutting edge developments like the HoloTile — which allows for people to walk through virtual reality settings — may be a part of the updated theme park.
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