Home
Contact Us
Login
Register
Store
Exchange
Browse The Scrapyard
Forum
Donate
ANAHEIM ??? The Walt Disney Co. is seriously considering a $1 billion expansion of the Disneyland Resort with new attractions, a 5,000-slot parking structure and improvements to streets surrounding the massive theme park complex.
Disney officials said Thursday they don???t know whether the expansion would be an addition to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, or perhaps both parks. But they said there are no plans for a third theme park in Anaheim.
In exchange for the major investment, Disney wants the city of Anaheim to not levy taxes on admission tickets at the theme parks for another 30 years, according to a public notice released Thursday by the city.
On July 7, the City Council will hold a public hearing to consider extending the current entertainment tax exemption for Disney that started in 1996 and expires June 30, 2016.
???Anaheim has been an economic success story thanks to its policies and initiatives that allow businesses to invest and thrive,??? said Michael Colglazier, president of Disneyland Resort.
???We are asking city leaders to continue with a policy set two decades ago that has driven unprecedented job creation, growth, and prosperity, and enabled the city to invest in vital services that benefit every Anaheim resident.???
At least one Anaheim City Council member supports Disney???s expansion plans and withholding a ticket tax for the theme park giant.
???History has shown us that a $1 billion investment by Disney will create thousands of new jobs in Anaheim, and millions in new revenue for our neighborhoods and vital city services, all without increasing taxes for our residents or creating costs for the city,??? said Anaheim Councilwoman Kris Murray said Thursday.
Disney officials said they don???t know potential rides, themed lands and other details yet, but said construction would begin no later than the of 2017. But the company now owns the Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar franchises and has plenty of new options.
Any possible expansion of the parks is contingent on the approval of the ticket-tax exemption, Disney officials said.
Earlier this year, Disney Chairman Bob Iger told shareholders that the company plans to expand the Disneyland Resort. In other shareholder calls, Iger previously had mentioned that Disney Imagineers are working on ???Star Wars??? attractions for Disney theme parks.
The expansion of Disney California Adventure, completed in 2012, cost $1 billion-plus.
Negotiations on how to frame a proposed theme park expansion began last month, said Anaheim Interim Assistant City Manager Kristine Ridge.
The city???s tax-pact dates back to when California Adventure was on the drawing board. As a condition to get that park built, the City Council in 1996 unanimously agreed to pay up to $546 million for a new parking garage on Disney property, repaved streets, landscaping and renovated utilities.
At the time, city officials also agreed not to levy an entertainment tax on tickets sold at either of the Disney theme parks for 20 years.
Charging admission taxes to Disneyland has been debated for decades.
A proposed 5 percent tax on Anaheim???s entertainment venues gained momentum in 1975, but the City Council changed course after facing heavy opposition from Disneyland and the Angels.
The idea came up again in 1991, when Anaheim officials suggested that revenue generated by an admissions tax could help pay for building Disney???s second theme park. At the time, Disney officials threatened to kill the project if a tax was imposed.
No Disney park in the world currently has an admission???s tax.
???We???ve had a 60-year partnership with Disney, and I was very excited when they shared that they were contemplating this type of investment,??? Ridge said. ???Disney is a global company and can choose any of their five locations to make this type of capital enhancement, so we???re feeling lucky.???
source OC Register
by 
