Disney to Test the Water With Anaheim Plan

ANAHEIM — A key element of a $1-billion expansion plan that the Walt Disney Co. will unveil today is expected to transform Disneyland’s 100-acre asphalt parking lot into a verdant entertainment complex, heavily dependent on water-based landscape design and capable of pumping at least $10 million more each year into a tourist-based economy recently stricken by recession.

Officials familiar with the proposal, details of which have been kept secret for months, say part of the water-themed landscaping planned for the present parking area next to Disneyland will be sprinkled with entertainment and other attractions.

“From what I know, it (the water) is expected to provide a serene, soothing atmosphere, with the entertainment all around it,” a source familiar with the project said.

“They have certainly used water effectively in other projects,” another source said, referring to the company’s vast complex near Orlando, Fla., “and I’m sure they will be capitalizing on what they’ve been successful with.”

A briefing on the project is scheduled today. Government and civic officials have been invited to a ceremonial unveiling of plans Thursday morning at Disneyland.

City Councilman William D. Ehrle said the project, which is also expected to include new hotels, could provide momentum for unrelated multimillion-dollar construction plans in the city--if Disney officials elect to build the project in Anaheim.

The firm says it has not decided whether it will build the company’s second Southern California attraction in Anaheim or Long Beach, where Disney has proposed a $2.8-billion ocean theme park called “Port Disney.”

Ehrle said Anaheim’s selection would greatly enhance the city’s reputation as a tourist destination and could aid talks aimed at attracting professional basketball and hockey franchises to the city’s new sports arena, scheduled for completion in 1993.

On another front, the councilman said a Disneyland expansion could bring more convention business and help accelerate a council plan for a fourth expansion of Anaheim Convention Center.

Based on estimates of hotel tax revenue alone, Ehrle said, a successful expansion could provide the city with at least $10 million yearly in added revenue.

“When you look at what could happen with the arena, the interest in conventions, Disney brings an added element to that and certainly a boost economically,” Ehrle said. “We will be a destination point where people could stay more than one or two days, perhaps as long as a week.”

City officials said they believe that Anaheim has the upper hand over Long Beach, because plans for Disneyland’s expansion would not require much more governmental approval than three votes on the City Council. In Long Beach, Disney would need not only municipal approvals but also clearance from various state coastal authorities.

In preparation for the presentation of Disney’s proposal, a team of Anaheim administrators and consultants traveled to Disney World in Florida last week, where they spent five days meeting privately with Disney executives, Orlando city officials and officials with Orange County, Fla.

Anaheim Deputy City Manager Tom Wood said Tuesday that it will not be possible to duplicate a Disney World project in Anaheim because available land is limited and expensive in the Disneyland area. The Florida visit did help the Anaheim team prepare for sensitive talks with Disney on transportation systems and freeway access.

During their stay, Wood said, Anaheim’s team studied both Disney’s extensive monorail, which links hotels with attractions inside the park, and Orlando International Airport’s people-mover.

Consultants working for Anaheim are reviewing plans to build an inner-city, people-mover system that would link such major destinations as Anaheim Stadium, the convention complex, major existing and proposed hotels, the new arena and Disneyland.

Bob Haven, Orlando’s chief administrative officer, said he told the Anaheim group of an ongoing “excellent relationship” between Orlando and Disney.

While the park has generated some traffic congestion, Haven said, the economic benefits from hotels, restaurants and other businesses supporting the park have been good for Orlando. “You just can’t quantify the (economic) impact,” he said. “I can only say we’re happy to have them.”