It is difficult to add stuff to Disneyland. TP2000's statement :
is entirely incorrect, as space that was used as valuable back of the house and about 1/3 of an existing attraction cannot be considered - under any definition of the word - "unused." Of course, Star Wars space is in fact replacing something old - as it is replacing parts of Rivers of America - for something new.
But back to the current point. Disneyland can logistically only grow west, into land that is currently asphalt parking lots. Again, if they were hell-bent on glomming Star Wars land to Disneyland (Mistake #1), this parking lot was their smartest choice. That way, if future generations wanted to expand another land into Disneyland, they could ring entrances to each land around the Rivers of America (kind of like how Hong Kong Disneyland designed multiple lands around their big river).
Instead, TDA/Burbank/Idiot Planner decided to cut off all expansion by having Star Wars land and their show buildings take up the entire distance between Critter Country and Big Thunder Ranch, thereby cutting off the ability for any future lands to be accessed off a central route (Mistake #2). They then announced the west lot would be taken up by a gargantuan hotel, thus taking the land that could have been Disneyland's (Mistake #3). And then they announced the building of an undersized parking structure on the Sybron/Pumbaa lot, instead of considering turning car access for the entire resort around and having all day parking concentrated in Sybron/Pumbaa. Since that plot abuts the 5 Freeway, all cars could then come directly on and off the freeway without having to navigate side streets like they currently do (Mistake #4). In addition, having that lot maximally built out now will save money in the future, because it will be ready-made for when they open a 3rd gate (Pumbaa is the only lot that has easy access to the Strawberry Field site) and clears the way for a Mickey and Friends demolition, which would have given Disneyland further expansion room if they had gone with a "Lands' Branched Around Rivers Of America" site plan.
But no: in a single, ill-conceived stroke, Iger managed to take out a pretty historical part of the current Disneyland and simultaneously block any ability for his successors to add on without exorbitant cost (essentially, leveling Star Wars land sometime in the future), despite the fact that a good masterplan could have avoided both. He's not a very bright one, that guy.
