Disney parks haven't been a stranger to the news in recent weeks, particularly for their costume ban on visitors over 14 and another possible ban on paper straws. Now, a new topic has emerged that has many fans disappointed. The company has shut down rumors about plans for a complete refurbishment of Tomorrowland at its Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

Disney parks haven't been a stranger to the news in recent weeks, particularly for their costume ban on visitors over 14 and another possible ban on paper straws. Now, a new topic has emerged that has many fans disappointed. The company has shut down rumors about plans for a complete refurbishment of Tomorrowland at its Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

A recent Wall Street Journal feature piece on Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) revealed that, while there was indeed an initial plan to update this area, the project was eventually abandoned, much to Disneyland fans' dismay. Here's a closer look at why Disney has decided not to refurbish Tomorrowland, and how the rumors spread in the first place.

Disneyland Has Shot Down A Rumor About Tomorrowland's Refurbishment

Disney has recently shut down rumors about a possible refurbishment of Tomorrowland. While there was a plan to refurbish the area, proving that rumors weren’t entirely unfounded, company executives decided it wasn't worth the investment because attendance wasn’t forecast to increase enough to justify the costs.

The plans emerged during the tenure of CEO Bob Chapek. During this period, senior parks executives lost trust in Imagineering as workers faced budget cuts and a limited workforce.

Tomorrowland is an area inside Disneyland described as a “timeless vision of the future featuring exciting attractions, space-themed dining, and space-age shopping.”

Here, visitors can find attractions such as Space Mountain and the Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, as well as The Star Tours: The Adventures Continue 3D motion simulator ride, among others. In addition, Tomorrowland offers several dining options and shopping venues.

This area has been in steady decline for years. For instance, the tracks on which both the PeopleMover and Rocket Rods ran years ago are still located over the entrance of Tomorrowland, even though they haven’t been used for over twenty years.

In addition, the Tomorrowland Theater appears to be permanently closed, having last been used in 2020. Another example is the Observatron. This structure used to come to life every fifteen minutes, by spinning around and playing music. Yet it hasn’t been operational for the last twenty years.

So, when did rumors about a possible refurbishment start?

Rumors About A Possible Tomorrowland Refurbishment Started In 2019

Disney's Tomorrowland refurbishment rumors began in 2019, as people started discussing a multi-year, $600 million project which was supposed to be completed by 2025 or 2026. The belief persisted for the following years, and in 2022 rumors spread about an overhaul announcement during the D23 Expo, Disney’s official fan convention held every two years. But this never occurred.

Tomorrowland has already undergone several refurbishments. For example, in 1998, the area underwent a steampunk retheme during which Space Mountain was painted brown. In addition, several attractions have been shut down and removed over the years, including Adventure Thru Inner Space, Rocket Jets, and Flying Saucers.

Despite the rumors, it is now evident that Disney has no plans to refurbish the area for now. However, another massive project is currently underway at Disneyland.

Disney Has Recently Filed Permits For A Massive Parking Structure, Which Some Say May Lead To The Creation Of A New Theme Park

As rumors about a possible refurbishment of Tomorrowland slowly die, those concerning a potential new park in Disneyland are still going strong.

Disney has recently filed permits for a massive parking structure. Officially, the area is set to serve Disneyland Forward; however, some are speculating it may also serve visitors to a hypothetical Disney third park in Anaheim. According to the City of Anaheim’s website, the project was approved in 2024 and allowed for:

“Theme park attractions alongside hotels on the west side of Disneyland Drive and theme park attractions alongside new shopping, dining, and entertainment to the southeast on what is today the Toy Story Parking Area.”

At the moment, these are only rumors, since Disney has not officially announced a third theme park in California. Hopefully, this time, the speculations will prove accurate.