The Disneyland Resort has announced more details about the 700 room Four-Diamond hotel that was approved for an economic assistance program from the Anaheim City Council last year. The hotel will be positioned in a way that connects the other 3 Disneyland Resort hotels while creating a new Western Gateway for the Resort. It also appears that the AMC Theatres, ESPN Zone, Earl of Sandwich, Starbucks, Rainforest Cafe, would be displaced as part of the project. This makes the early decision to replace some retail offerings with dining options clearer as they will be removing two large dining establishments and two other popular ones. According to the Orange County Register, Disney says it will be contacting the affected tenants with the possibility of some operating within the hotel.
This new hotel will generate approximately $25 million in new taxes in its first five years of operation that go directly to Anaheim’s general fund. It also will create thousands of additional construction and permanent jobs and attract new hotel guests to the resort area.
Construction is scheduled to start in summer 2018, with a grand opening slated for 2021. The Anaheim City Council, which has seen major changes, has become critical of the program that moved the hotel forward. Despite this, last night Council Member Moreno’s proposal to have participants in the program return part of the economic assistance program to help fund an emergency homeless initiative was voted down.