Disney Proposes Building 350-Room Tower Within Disneyland Hotel Footprint

The Walt Disney Co.'s Disneyland Resort has filed preliminary paperwork with the City of Anaheim to develop a new tower.

The new building would be within the Disneyland Hotel footprint for the company's Disney Vacation Club members. Disney Vacation Club Senior Vice President Terri Schultz said vacation club, Disney's timeshare program, members have been asking for new accommodations.

If approved, Disney officials estimate the project could generate an estimated 550 construction jobs. Upon completion, an estimated 100 operational jobs would be created.

The new tower, not-yet-themed, would be Disney's 17th Disney Vacation Club resort, and its second in Anaheim. Disney has 71 vacation club rooms for members called The Villas at the the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

“Today, we took the first step toward providing the additional accommodations they have been asking for at the Disneyland Resort,” Schultz said in a statement.

Rather than a fixed-week timeshare model, Disney Vacation Club uses an intricate point-based system. Members pay an upfront fee or receive a loan to be allocated a certain amount of points annually — between 100 and 300 — to stay at any one of the Disney Vacation Club resorts, Disney cruise lines or other partner destinations.

The cost of a membership can range from $19K to $57K, according to the Disney Vacation Club website. Members also pay dues ranging from $65 to $200 a month. There are more than 220,000 vacation club members. 

“We look forward to working closely with the Disneyland Resort, the City of Anaheim and engaging our neighbors on this project, which would also create new jobs and spending in the community, as well as generate additional revenue for the city,” Schultz said. 

No timeline was given as to when the project would begin.