Port Disney winning city. Formal negotiations for financial responsibility between Disney and Long Beach were scheduled to begin on September 12, 1990, after the city reviewed Disney's plans. Several independent analysts gave the edge to Port Disney, citing the uniqueness of the project and the lack of a similar nautical/ocean theme park in Los Angeles County since the 1987 closure of Marineland. In February 1991, Disney disclosed that it had been buying large tracts of land near Disneyland in Anaheim, although Disney vice-president of development David Malmuth said the land acquisition would not affect the decision between Anaheim and Long Beach, which
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts pens opened on April 8, 1974, renamed Discovery Island in 1977. On , the WEDway PeopleMover opened in the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland. The first water park, River Country, opened on at Disney World. EPCOT Center's groundbreaking occurred at Walt Disney World in May 1979. In 1979, Oriental Land and Disney agreed to build a Japanese theme park. Tokyo Disneyland opened on on in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. With the June 3, 1980, retirement of Donn Tatum as Walt Disney Productions' Chairman and CEO, three divisions were formed, including the Walt Disney Outdoor Recreation Division, of which Nunis was named division president.