Speculation on Disneyland expansion grows amid political battle
Today’s big news comes from Anaheim, where a ongoing political battle between Disney and the city has forced Disney to show their hand, to a certain degree, about expansion plans for the Disneyland Resort. Today’s LA Times has a great story on this.
Disney won’t say what the latest plan is for Anaheim, but sources familiar with the planning process said Disney wants to mimic its Florida blueprint in Anaheim: add time-share units, bring its popular cruise line to the West Coast and zero in on high-end consumers with boutique hotels. New attractions for its lackluster California Adventure are in the works, and Disney is giving fresh consideration to its long-promised third theme park.
This is all about an affordable housing project near the resort that the company is trying to block. Without getting too immersed in the politics of Anaheim, it seems as though Disney is floating the idea of a massive expansion in Anaheim to politicians in an attempt to keep them from developing the area….
The Walt Disney Co. sued the city last month to protect zoning in the 2.2-square-mile Resort District and block construction of a residential project that includes affordable housing. This week, it joined business leaders in seeking a ballot initiative that would lock in the resort-themed zoning it desired and require a citywide vote before changes could be made.
Corporate attorneys succeeded in forcing a councilwoman to abstain from voting on the housing proposal. And it held confidential meetings with city officials, presenting to council members a preview of some of their closely guarded plans.
So what does this all mean? Well, if you ask the city of Orlando, it may mean nothing. Disney has a long history of offering up “blue sky” ideas as a way to leverage political gains, especially in Florida. Also, we must remember that Disney has always been unhappy with the development around Disneyland, which had an enormous influence on the Florida plans. But that may not be what is at work here. Disney obviously has some opportunity in California…
In Anaheim, there’s no shortage of demand. Disney’s three hotels — the original Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier and the Grand Californian — are operating at an extraordinary 93% occupancy. Citywide occupancy rates hover around 72%.
But Disney won’t simply make their plans public, and that invites skepticism. The natural conclusion is that they don’t want to be publicly obligated to a plan. Councilwomen Lucille Kring is quoted as saying, “If that’s what this is all about, then why don’t they let the world know about it?” At best, Disney does not have plans they like enough to commit to. At worst, they simply don’t want affordable housing to intrude on the resort, and are playing a political game. Either way, this fight is far from over.