Disneyland Project/Rumor Tracker [BETA, need your feedback!]

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BasiltheBatLord

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I decided to take a crack at putting a DLR tracker together as I've felt for a while now that this forum deserves one, despite the relatively smaller amount of information compared to the WDW forums. This thread is of course based off of/inspired by @MisterPenguin's stickied thread in the WDW forums (I asked him for permission to make this thread and he agreed).

I want to be clear that this thread is considered to be in "beta" at the moment, in other words this thread is a work in progress. I am well aware that there are other members of this forum who have been around much longer than I have, are more well-connected than I am and are generally more knowledgeable on the DLR and its history than me. Therefore, I would really appreciate everybody's feedback in adding to and correcting this thread as it stands now. If there's anything that you feel is missing from this tracker, anything that does not deserve to be here, or anything that is factually incorrect, please let me know (you can post in this thread or PM me, I don't care). In particular, I think we could use more info on the current parking structure/transport and DTD hotel projects.

Worth noting that there are some longstanding DLR rumors that are not mentioned here because they have simply gone silent (ex. Monstropolis at DCA, Frozen FL expansion etc.) I tried to structure this around only current rumors/projects. I also tried to take sources for rumors strictly from this forum as much as possible so as to avoid debates over what sites do or do not constitute a credible source.

Disneyland Park
  • Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (under construction)
    • Opening Summer 2019 [official]
    • Same 2 E-tickets (Battle Escape and Millenium Falcon) as DHS [official]
    • Oga's Cantina will break park's 64 year prohibition [official]
      • Alcohol coming to other park table service restaurants over next few years [source]
    • Star Tours is staying for the foreseeable future, might get replaced eventually. Iron Man simulator is NOT coming to DLR. [source]
  • Toontown Overhaul/Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (planned)
    • Plans exist for an overhaul & expansion of Toontown, the headliner of which being a clone of Runaway Railway from Florida. [source]
    • Project is on-hold until at least 2019 in order to gauge future relations with City of Anaheim (November elections matter), but project may be complete before Superhero Land in DCA [source 1] [source 2]
    • Plans are for backstage areas to be demolished for expansion, Roger Rabbit does NOT seem to be in danger at this point. [source 1][source 2]
    • Runaway Railway was originally planned for DCA, moved to DL due to death of Eastern Gateway project [source]
  • Fantasyland Expansion
    • A major Fantasyland expansion may be the next big project after SW:GE and Toontown, not much word yet though [rumor]
    • Fantasyland Theater could be demolished for new E-ticket. Likely years away [rumor]
  • Matterhorn queue overhaul (under construction)
    • Queue is currently being re-built and re-routed to help with crowd control [source]
      • More crowd control projects coming parkwide before SW:GE opening [source]
  • Tropical Hideaway (under construction)
    • New quick service (?) restaurant/lounge opening late 2018, replacing Aladdin's Oasis [official 1] [official 2]
  • Parades
    • Soundsational returning January 2019 [confirmed]
    • New night parade may be coming in the 2020's, but nothing for the foreseeable future [source 1] [source 2]
    • MSEP not currently planned to return to DL (or anywhere) [source]
  • Nighttime Entertainment
    • New non-IP based fireworks show coming 2019 [source]
Disney California Adventure
  • Unnamed Superhero Land (under construction)
    • Opening 2020 [official]
    • At least 1, maybe 2 E-tickets, replacing Bugs Land theater and maybe Timon lot [rumor]
      • Spider-Man dark ride using new pendulum ride-system [rumor]
        • Could be just a C-ticket spinner ride instead [source]
      • Avengers coaster (cancelled?) [rumor]
        • Allegedly axed completely due to capacity issues [source]
      • E-tickets have been sent back to the drawing board due to capacity issues and will miss land opening, pushed back to 2021/2022 [source]
        • All attractions in land will be unique (i.e. no clones of Paris or Hong Kong's Marvel attractions, nor Epcot's GotG coaster) [source ]
  • Pixar Pier Delayed Additions (under construction)
    • Jessie's Critter Carousel opening 2019 [official]
    • Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind opening 2019 (very likely re-skinned Flik's Flyers) [official] [source]
    • Bing Bong statue still behind construction wall in Bing Bong's Confectionaries #BingBongWatch [source]
    • Luxo lamp AA still M.I.A. Delayed or cancelled? [original concept art]
  • World of Color
    • WoC encountered a major issue during a refurb in May and is currently on hiatus, returning late 2018 at earliest, if not early 2019 [source 1] [source 2]
    • Halloween show "Villainous" debuting this Halloween season? (Hasn't been mentioned by any official sources) [rumor 1] [rumor 2]
  • Paint the Night
    • PtN is staying at DCA for the foreseeable future, going seasonal in early 2019 [source 1] [source 2]
Downtown Disney
  • New Hotel (on hold)
    • The 4th hotel, announced to open in Downtown Disney in 2021 is on hold following a tax feud between Disney and City of Anaheim. [source (L.A. Times)]
      • Disney is waiting for future elections to see how relations with the City will pan out. [source 1] [source 2]
    • Despite the hotel not moving forward, work will continue on the site to clean up contaminated soil as well as pathway construction for the rest of the resort. [source]
  • New Restaurants (under construction)
    • The following restaurants are all scheduled to open late 2018
Resort-wide/Hotels
  • "Cleo" Parking Structure (under construction)
    • New, 6,500-space parking garage opening 2019 [official]
    • Current tram boarding area will also be "reconfigured" [official]
  • Annual Pass System Reform
    • The AP system is being overhauled starting June 2019, blockout dates will become park-specific depending on AP tier [source (O.C. Register)]
  • New Hotel Food/Beverage (under construction)
    • Disneyland Hotel
      • Tangaroa Terrace restaurant opening 2019, replacing South Seas Hideaway [official]
    • Grand Californian
      • White Water Snacks getting re-designed, re-opening late 2018 [official]
      • New pool bar opening Spring 2019 [official]
  • Eastern Gateway (cancelled/on hold?)
    • Plans for the famous Eastern Gateway project were officially shelved in October 2017. Could it ever make a comeback? [source (O.C. Register)]
    • Plans had called for... [planned blueprint]
      • New parking garage
      • Bus/rideshare drop off point relocation
      • Security checkpoint moved east
      • Pedestrian bridge over Harbor Blvd.
    • May not be dead yet... Coming back from the dead late 2019? [source]
Timeline

2018
  • Late: Matterhorn reopens with new queue
  • Late: Tropical Hideaway opens in DL
  • Late: World of Color returns to DCA (?)
  • Late: Ballast Point opens at DTD
  • Late: Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer opens at DTD
  • Late: Salt & Straw opens at DTD
  • Late: White Water Snacks re-opens at Grand Californian
2019
  • Early: World of Color returns (?)
  • Early: Paint the Night goes seasonal at DCA
  • January: Soundsational Parade returns to DL
  • Spring: New pool bar opens at Grand Californian
  • Before SW:GE: "Cleo" parking structure opens
  • June: AP system overhauled
  • Summer: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens in DL
  • TBA: Jessie's Critter Carousel opens at DCA
  • TBA: Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind opens at DCA
  • TBA: Tangaroa Terrace restaurant opens at Disneyland Hotel
  • TBA: New fireworks show at DL
2020
  • TBA: Superhero Land opens in DCA
???
  • New night parade to DL (?)
  • Toontown overhaul/Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway in DL
  • E-tickets open in Superhero Land at DCA
  • Downtown Disney hotel opens
  • Fantasyland expansion (?)
  • Eastern Gateway revived (?)
 
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nevol

Well-Known Member
In Cred ib LE!

I would add to the list the following:
changes to tomorrowland Peoplemover tracks planters, as well as hub planters in frontierland and adventureland entrances. Planters in New Orleans Square and in front of Haunted Mansion (all ongoing). (Following on the heels of space mountain indoor queue addition (just completed, summer), small world queue addition (spring), dumbo shaded queue addition, and shrunken planters in fantasyland outside of pinocchio. This is, overall, a capacity/crowd control and queue comfort/capacity reconfiguration project spanning 18 months. Unrelated to the bricks/ track replacement on main street, which I'm just recalling now. Wow, what a year.)

Downtown Disney:
Ballast Point,
Salt & Straw,
Black Tap

Disney Hotels: Bar & Grill Expansion at Disneyland Hotel,
Bar Expansion at Grand Californian Hotel Pool (announced)

Pixar Pier: Lamp Animatronic atop land entrance marquee.
Neon signage working at Lamplight Lounge.

Eastern Gateway (parking garage, bus/rideshare dropoff relocated, security moved east, bridge over harbor, rerouted monorail running closer to disneyland to free up everything south for marvel expansion. Image of new monorail line layout below within larger site plan. see the skinny black line, dotted in some areas. The return trip is featured in the satellite imagery, represented by the gray concrete monorail tracking backstage. via disney tourist blog: disneyland-eastern-gateway-plans.jpg ): On hold/cancelled
disneyland-eastern-gateway-plans.jpg

Marvel/DCA: Phase 2, hollywoodland and north into the bus / rideshare drop off. Rerouting of monorail to run parallel the return track north of DCA. On hold/cancelled because of Eastern Gateway

Hotel Parking structure for 2000 cars: On hold/cancelled
 
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BasiltheBatLord

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks all for your comments. I've added suggested things that I was able to find good sources for. Sourcing things here may become kind of difficult because I'm trying to pull from this forum as much as possible to avoid the endless debates about which Disney sites/blogs are or are not credible. But in a lot of cases that just sort of means waiting for an insider to conveniently let something slip.
I hear there is a rumor that POTC Fastpass has been put on hold. I hope this is true and it's not really ever going to get it?
I also read this recently, but the only source afaik is the "uncitable site".
 

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Looks great! You can upgrade Soundsational to confirmed though - auditions have been posted and the audition notice states that performances will begin in January 2019.

Even though I loved it I was in favour of replacing Soundsational with something new, but if Pixar Play Parade was the best they could come up with than I'm glad they're bringing it back.
 

Darkbeer1

Well-Known Member
Downtown Disney
  • New Hotel (on hold)
    • The 4th hotel, announced to open in Downtown Disney in 2021 is on hold following a tax feud between Disney and City of Anaheim. [source (L.A. Times)]
      • Disney is waiting until November's elections to see if they can renegotiate with the incoming council, if not then hotel blueprints will be re-designed to fit original proposed address to please City of Anaheim. [source]
    • Despite the hotel not moving forward, work will continue on the site to clean up contaminated soil as well as pathway construction for the rest of the resort. [source]

OK, since Disney and the City has officially cancelled the potential TOT Rebate for the 4th Hotel, there is no need for the hotel to be re-designed. Disney can build it anywhere in the Disneyland Resort Specific Plan. Also the number of rooms or quality of the Hotel can now be modified. All official, disclosed info.

Now, whether Disney decides to build is partially effect by the November Election. But also the 2020 election has a key property tax initiative that could have Disney not moving forward until after that election's results.
 

nevol

Well-Known Member
Thanks all for your comments. I've added suggested things that I was able to find good sources for.

I updated my post where it relates to marvel moving north and the rerouted monorail. All of that was enabled by eastern gateway. If you want to itemize the...
relocated bus drop off,
relocated security,
pedestrian bridge over harbor,
parking garage,
and the rerouted monorail,
they all make sense as sub-items of the eastern gateway project overall. I think the pdf has been pulled from the webs since the project is no longer active, but I saved a copy if you want! cheers :)
disneyland-eastern-gateway-plans.jpg

This my new favorite thread. I can't believe we didn't have one before!
 
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mickEblu

Well-Known Member
I updated my post where it relates to marvel moving north and the rerouted monorail. All of that was enabled by eastern gateway. If you want to itemize the relocated bus drop off, security, pedestrian bridge over harbor, and the rerouted monorail, they all make sense as sub-items of the eastern gateway project overall. I think the pdf has been pulled from the webs since the project is no longer active, but I saved a copy if you want! cheers :)
View attachment 310680
This my new favorite thread. I can't believe we didn't have one before!

Cool. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this. So if understand what I’m looking at... the parking structure would have had escalators going down to the level with security and the new bus transportation area AND that would still be the second level above ground as that bridge crosses over harbor? Would have been cool.
 
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