Disneyland theme park expansion envisions 16 rides and an outdoor show
Plans released for a massive Disneyland theme park expansion imagine thrill rides like Radiator Springs Racers, family attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania and shows like “Fantasmic” filling themed lands based on “Frozen,” “Tron,” and “Zootopia.”
Maps included in the 17,000-page Environmental Impact Report released by Anaheim in mid-September for the proposed DisneylandForward project show 16 rides and an outdoor show envisioned for the project.
The Immersive Theme Park westside expansion envisions a theme park on the Downtown Disney and Lilo and Stitch parking lots woven amid the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel — currently undergoing a transformation into the Pixar Place Hotel.
Maps of the westside site bounded by Katella Avenue, Walnut Street, Magic Way and Disneyland Drive show plans for five thrill rides, nine family rides, two round rides and an outdoor show.
The two outdoor thrill rides would be similar to Big Thunder Mountain and Incredicoaster while the three indoor thrill rides would be like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or Space Mountain, according to the DisneylandForward EIR.
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The five outdoor family rides would be similar to Autopia and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree while the four indoor family rides would be like Soarin’ Around the World and Haunted Mansion.
The two round rides would be similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant and King Arthur’s Carrousel.
The EIR compares the outdoor show to “World of Color” and “Fantasmic.”
The 16 rides and attractions proposed for the Immersive Theme Park westside expansion would be far fewer than the approximately 40 rides and attractions at Disneyland and the 25 or so rides and attractions at Disney California Adventure.
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Disneyland’s proposed theme park plans cluster outdoor thrill rides near the center of the expansion area and indoor attractions along the edge of the property. A noise study in the EIR estimates levels could reach 80 decibels near outdoor thrill rides. The expansion area would be surrounded by 12-foot-tall noise barriers to dampen the sound.
Concept art of the westside site shows a central mountain surrounded by water with buildings interspersed on the south end of the property. A mountain ridge to the west separates the theme park from nearby neighborhoods.
The westside site links up with Downtown Disney near the former AMC Theater and shuttered ESPN Zone.
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Concept art of the northern end of the westside site includes an Autopia-like car course and a Dumbo-like spinning ride.
The long-term planning proposal dangles six possible projects based on “Frozen,” “Tangled,” “Peter Pan,” “Zootopia,” “Toy Story” and “Tron” as the types of lands and attractions Anaheim is missing out on under current city planning and zoning guidelines.
Concept art for DisneylandForward features Disney theme park projects around the globe intended to provide a “flavor” of what future expansion could look like at the Disneyland resort. The projects presented included the Tangled, Frozen and Peter Pan themed lands at Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, the Zootopia themed land, Disneytown retail district and the Tron roller coaster at Shanghai Disneyland in China and Toy Story Land and Disney Springs shopping district at Walt Disney World in Florida.
