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Credit: Inside The MagicAccording to a new quote from one of the Walt Disney Company’s top executives during a recent Disney townhall, a secondary Disneyland could be coming to Southern California soon.
The Disney Townhall and What Was Said
Disney CEO Bob Iger held a virtual town hall for all staff on November 28, 2023. The event focused on Hulu and Disney’s theme parks. Iger and other executives emphasized quality over quantity and the company’s “building” phase. Iger also told employees he was looking forward to “building again.”
Iger also mentioned how the company was on track to reach $7.5 billion in cost reductions, a few billion higher than previously desired. The biggest news of this town hall was how Disney CEO Bob Iger mentioned the interview that went viral in July after sitting down with CNBC. He said how things were misinterpreted and taken out of context.
Iger also said how no official word has been given on the future of Disney’s entertainment assets, but did say that “we’re trying to migrate these businesses onto the new business model.” Iger was also quoted saying the following:
As is the case with all of our businesses, which we must do in order to basically serve shareholders, is we look at the future of all of our business with an eye toward, ‘Are these businesses going to grow?
Bob Iger and Josh D’Amaro Discuss Parks Investments – A Second Disneyland Coming?
But from this town hall, Josh D’Amaro, the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairperson, made the most notable quote. D’Amaro joined Disney in 1998 and, after 22 years, has provided insights into Parks and experiences throughout Disney World, Disneyland, and other Resorts around the globe.
D’Amaro mentioned the recent $60 billion parks investment announcement a few months ago. In September 2023, Disney announced it would invest $60 billion in its parks division over the next ten years. This is nearly double the amount that Disney spent on its parks in the previous decade. The investment will go towards Theme parks, Cruises, and Products.
The investment will also include international parks and the Disney Cruise Line. Disney has 1,000 acres at existing sites that are ready for development. Disney is confident in its plans, citing growth after previous investment periods. Some of these investments include:
- Cars Land at Disney California Adventure
- Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland
- Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World
According to the Hollywood Reporter, D’Amaro mentioned how a “second Disneyland” could happen if this was a route the House of Mouse wanted to take in the future. D’Amaro discussed the land Walt left behind before his passing in Southern California.
The idea of building a second Disneyland next to the original one is something Disney will not likely pursue but was more likely meant to indicate that Disney has tons of land to build more lands, rides, shopping, and dining experiences for guests to enjoy in the near or distant future.
The full quote about the second Disneyland said by Josh D’Amaro says this:
We stood up on the stage just several weeks back in front of an investor community and said we are going to invest $60 billion in the next 10 years into this business because we believe in it.
We’ve seen what it’s done. We see the impact that it has on our guests and fans around the world. We’ve got so much space to play with. Disneyland for example, Walt’s original theme park, we still have enough room to build another Disneyland there if we choose to do that.
So many stories to continue to tell, so many new places to go. So, we’ve come a long way in the last few years but incredibly excited about the future.
– Josh D’Amaro, Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
What are your thoughts on the Disney townhall?