The Walt Disney Co. has purchased three parcels of land near its Anaheim resort, sparking speculation that the property would free up land for a future park expansion involving Disney’s Star Wars or Marvel’s superhero characters..
Disney acquired the Marvel and Star Wars characters through purchases of Marvel Entertainment Inc. in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012.
But resort officials are not commenting on a future park expansion, except to say that any expansion will remain within the resort’s current footprint.
Property records show that an arm of the Walt Disney Co. bought in March the Carousel Inn and Suites at 1530 S. Harbor Blvd. in Anaheim. Last year, the company purchased two large office buildings at 1515 S. Manchester Ave. and 1585 S. Manchester Ave. in Anaheim.
All three parcels, a total of about 14.7 acres, are connected and sit across Harbor Boulevard from Disney California Adventure. Disney would not disclose how much it paid for the three parcels but property records say the total value of the land is about $60 million.
All the expansion speculation is not just wishful thinking. Disney officials have committed to the city of Anaheim that they will invest at least $1 billion in the park by 2024 under an agreement that ensures the city will not impose an entertainment tax on the resort for the next 30 years.
