A new visual icon in the tradition of Los Angeles, California's great entertainment palaces will draw guests into the heart of the attractions. This new facility, which was inspired by Los Angeles' historic Carthay Circle Theatre that premiered SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS in 1937, will house a next-generation Walt Disney Story featuring an interactive tribute to Walt's California experiences, and his entertainment legacy that continues worldwide today. Red Car trolleys reminiscent of the old Pacific Electric Railway will travel up and down the main street. New dining and shopping experiences and a slate of unique, live entertainment will bring energy to the Walt Disney Plaza.

Hollywood Pictures Backlot will be a new home for a slate of special ticketed events and chances to hear first-hand from innovative directors, writers and animators. An update of the popular family show PLAYHOUSE DISNEY will provide an experience for younger children.

The "Golden State" area of the park will see the addition of numerous new dining opportunities tied to the bounty of California's farmland and its rich ethnically diverse food heritage. Food and wine festivals that celebrate the seasons, tastes and cultures of the dynamic communities of the Golden State will entertain guests, bringing unique one-of-a-kind experiences.

A Preview Center located on San Francisco Street in the Golden State region of the park will feature models of Imagineering concepts -- giving park guests a sneak peek at what lies ahead. The Preview Center is scheduled to open in late 2008.

"Our Disneyland guests have a deep emotional connection with Walt Disney, whose life story really captures the pioneering spirit of California in the 1920s," said Rasulo. "The creative evolution of Disney's California Adventure will connect guests to Walt's own California adventure and reflect the place that he found when he first arrived with a cardboard suitcase in his hand and a head full of dreams."

This announcement follows Disney's ground breaking last month for a 250-room expansion of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, including 50 rooms dedicated to the West Coast debut of Disney Vacation Club, the company's growing time-share business.

The proposed expansion builds upon the transformation of the Disneyland park into a multi-day destination resort that began in 2001 with the creation of the Disneyland Resort and the opening of Disney's California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Located on approximately 500 acres in Anaheim, the Disneyland Resort includes the Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Parks, three hotels with approximately 2,200 rooms and the 310,000 square foot retail, restaurant and entertainment Downtown Disney District. With 20,000 employees, the Disneyland Resort is Orange County's largest single-site employer and a $3.6 billion annual contributor to the local economy. In January 2004, the Resort welcomed its 500 millionth guest since opening on July 17, 1955.