Disney Scrapped $1 Billion Tomorrowland Overhaul Under Chapek, Favoring Projects With Clearer Returns

Overview

• Wall Street Journal reporting details how a comprehensive Walt Disney Imagineering plan to restore a mid‑century Space‑Age look for Tomorrowland was rejected during Bob Chapek’s tenure.
• The proposal, estimated at about $1 billion, would have addressed aging infrastructure and resolved the long‑dormant PeopleMover tracks by either revitalizing the system or removing the structure.
• Chapek reportedly argued the overhaul would not drive incremental attendance or revenue, viewing it as expensive maintenance rather than growth.
• Coverage notes Disney’s multi‑year capital program has steered substantial funds to Disney Cruise Line and franchise‑linked lands seen as easier to monetize.
• The PeopleMover tracks remain in place, and there is no public indication the discarded Tomorrowland plan has been revived under current leadership.