Yesterday I took a trip down to Anaheim City Hall to be in the audience for my third DisneylandForward public workshop with the Anaheim Planning Commission. Below is a recap of my experience.
- Like the other two meetings I have attended, this one began with some background information on Disneyland Resort and a basic overview of the DisneylandForward project, which requires amendments to land use elements, specific plans, and zoning amendments to the existing and proposed districts within Disney property.
- Disneyland Resort is divided into theme park districts, hotel districts, and parking districts. Basically the resort wants the freedom to develop new themed areas on existing parking lots. A new parking structure would also be built on the Pumbaa lot.
- The proposal would also amend the height regulations on theme park space near residential areas. The highest part of any building would be spaced away from residences, and these structures themselves would be set back from nearby homes as well.
- A sizable portion of this meeting was spent discussing one of the main sticking points of this new proposal: the abandonment of Magic Way (a short road just to the south of the Pixar Pals parking structure) to public access from Walnut Street to the west. DisneylandForward would also add a crosswalk across Walnut into the Disneyland Resort, and that entrance would continue to grant free public access to pedestrians during the day.
- Some residents expressed disapproval of this change because they use Magic Way as a shortcut from Walnut to Disneyland Drive in order to access the 5 freeway to the north or Katella Avenue to the south. A representative from Disney says the company conducted a “traffic count” of that shortcut and found that only 30 cars used it per day, which accounts for 1% of the traffic on Magic Way– the remaining 99% being Disneyland Resort guests and “users.”
- The remainder of this meeting covered familiar territory, but I’ll enumerate some of the more important points that were reiterated about DisneylandForward.
- Harbor Boulevard to the east of Disneyland Resort would receive several new pedestrian bridges to provide access to the new parking structure and other hotels in that area.
- Disney would commit $1.9 billion dollars to building new theme park and lodging experiences across the first ten years of the project, while an additional $30 million would go toward affordable housing in Anaheim and $8 million would go to public parks.
- $85 million will be put toward transportation improvements, and Disney would commit to continue the company’s successful mentorship program. The first phase of DisneylandForward would create over 4500 new jobs starting at the minimum of $19.50 per hour.
- The Disney representative also went over the company’s 2030 environment goals concerning emissions, waste, and water. Disney is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2030 by developing energy-efficient programs and other initiatives. The company is also aiming for zero waste to landfill by 2030 by using responsible sourcing for food and feeding hungry people and animals.
- When it came time for questions and statements from the Anaheim Planning Commissioners and the public in attendance, many of them were regarding the closure of Magic Way to public vehicle access. Other concerns included the amount of money going toward affordable housing, noise from the parks and their fireworks, Cast Member wages, and traffic. A transportation expert speaking on behalf of Disney clarified that Magic Way was not intended for use as a shortcut.
- We also learned a little bit more about the police and fire substations and satellite offices planned for Disneyland Resort as part of this project. These would include parking spots for emergency vehicles, plus restrooms, showers, and locker rooms. The fire substation would be staffed during park hours.
- As usual though there were a number of dissenters, the majority of public comments were from those who supported the project, including hotel owners, union construction workers, and some neighborhood residents.
- We even heard from some Disneyland Resort Cast Members like Disney California Adventure General Manager Gary Maggetti, who joked, “You know what side I’m on” and was asked by a commissioner what his favorite attraction is. “When I go to the park with my family, I will never not go on Pirates of the Caribbean.”
- There were also a few of the usual accusations of corruption and bribery at the Planning Commission, but most commenters remained civil. You can watch this full Disneyland Forward public workshop below:
Watch Anaheim Planning Commission Meeting 2-26-24:
The next DisneylandForward public workshop will be held in March at Anaheim City Hall. For additional information be sure to visit Anaheim’s official website for the project.