Okay, buckle up folks — more CHANGES could be hitting Disney World soon.
We’re constantly on the lookout for permits and other clues that could signal what work Disney is looking to start soon. We’ve seen permits that hint at updates at major Disney World rides, hotel changes, and more. And now we’ve spotted a few more you’ll want to know about!
Just as a quick note — technically what we look at are called Notices of Commencement. These generally could indicate that work on projects at these addresses may start soon. Here’s what we’ve seen lately!
A Magic Kingdom Attraction Update…Potentially?
Disney had previously announced a major change for one Magic Kingdom attraction. Specifically, Mirabel from Encanto is set to soon get her own meet-and-greet in Magic Kingdom. She will meet guests in Fairytale Garden, which is currently home to Merida’s meet-and-greet.
Thus far, Disney has only said that the experience is set to open sometime in the fall of 2023 and that the space will be “transformed with whimsical decor inspired by La Familia Madrigal.”
We’ve kept a close eye on this spot lately and haven’t really seen any major updates with it, but that could change soon.
A permit filed on June 15th seems to indicate that some “general construction” could start soon at the address tied to Fairytale Garden — 1396 Magic Kingdom Dr #D.
The permit lists Adena Corporation as the contractor, who we’ve seen listed on other permits related to work at the Cambodian Ruins on The Jungle Cruise and more. Based on their website, Adena has done work on a number of things, including amusement parks like SeaWorld. They’ve worked on rides, waterparks, lazy rivers, and more.
Now, there’s no guarantee that this permit is specifically for the transformation of this space into the Mirabel-themed meet-and-greet, but it is interesting to see a permit filed for some work at this spot.
The permit isn’t set to expire until June 14th, 2024, so that really doesn’t give us too much of an idea in terms of when the work might be done (and could signal that this work is for something else since the expiration date is further than this fall). We’ll be sure to watch this area closely for any updates!
A New Sign in Frontierland
Also in Magic Kingdom, it looks like Disney could be installing a new sign soon near the old Splash Mountain, which is being converted to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
The permit we’re talking about was filed on June 21st and says it is for work to “install [a] sign” at an address that appears to be linked to the Frontierland Train Station. That is very close to the work being done at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Walt Disney Imagineering is listed as the “owner” of the property for this project, and the contractor is Kentavo. We’ve actually seen them listed on another Imagineering-related permit also to install signs but that seemed to line up with an address in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The permit is set to expire 1 year from the date it was filed, so we could see some changes before then. It’ll be interesting to see just what kind of new sign hits this area — keep those eyes peeled!
New Things in EPCOT!
And finally, our last permit for this post takes us over to EPCOT. This new permit, filed June 23rd, 2023, indicates that it is to “install planter elements.” So the changes might not be all that big in terms of work being done, but it’s something to watch for.
Imagineering is listed as the owner on the permit, and Sign Producers, Inc. is the contractor. According to their website, it looks like they focus on themed construction and have worked on everything from the Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando to Shrek 4-D.
The permit lists 2 addresses that’ll be impacted by this work — one is the “East Gate” at the front of EPCOT (which is all the way at the front of the park, on the left-hand side if you’re facing Spaceship Earth), another is the restrooms located near Refreshment Port.
So it seems that some “planter elements” could be installed near both of those spots soon. We’ve seen some construction walls up near this area lately so we’ll keep watching to see if this permit could be related to any of that work.
And that’s a look at some of the bigger permits filed recently! Of course, other permits have been filed too. Those other ones seem to indicate some potential general construction by an electrical company in DinoLand U.S.A., electrical work at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, work at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Resort, the construction of an “office building” near Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, and more!
We’ll keep watching for more updates in terms of permits and other clues to future changes in the parks, so stay tuned for that. For more news, click here to see a little hack that’ll CHANGE the way you do Hollywood Studios, and see the critical change made on the Disney World app.
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What do you think about this work? Tell us in the comments!
Andrew Baker says
Yikes, not the most exciting of developments. WDW needs to up its game or I just won’t want to go back for years. Universal on the other hand, just wow. You can go every other year and there is always lots of new things to experience.
Jabroniville says
Oh, interesting! Merida’s been in that spot for an eternity! Crazy to see it finally go… though I can see her fitting in just fine in the Princess Fairytale Hall anyways. It’s not the most convenient spot to visit someone (it’s right next to the castle, so you get distracted by castle shows and parades frequently), but it’s a pretty central location!