News of a possible expansion of Disneyland into surrounding portions of Anaheim have hit the newsfeeds. All of this follows Disney's ongoing battle to prevent poor people from populating a nearby Anaheim neighborhood, which we've been following off and on. The goal, some say, is to create Orlando in Anaheim - DisneyWorld West.
Disneyland President Ed Grier acknowledges that changes are "around the corner" but won't discuss specifics. The company has given sneak previews to city officials behind closed doors. "It is very, very important for us," Grier said. "I don't think that can be underestimated. ... There's much more of an opportunity for us here." The company has been buying up nearby land, sources told the newspaper, because it wants to build time-share units, luxury hotels and cruise options -- in addition to new rides and other attractions to the West Coast theme park. Reports claim that Disney has been quietly accumulating land in Anaheim for what may be a third resort park - after the original Disneyland and the California Adventure - to lure high-end travelers. The rest of us riff raff can continue riding the tea cups and paying $10 for a Coke.
· Is Disney ready to make big thunder? [LA Times]
· Disney to expand Disneyland [UPI]