Could Disney World be in store for a MASSIVE expansion?
Disney World
Last year, Disney announced that $60 billion would be allocated toward expansion over a decade and experts have been speculating what that massive budget could yield. From new themed lands to larger-scale expansions, the Disney Parks have the opportunity to grow exponentially, especially at Disney World. In fact, it’s possible we could see a fifth Disney theme park show up in Florida!
Speculation about a fifth Disney World park has been prevalent for decades now and has only gotten stronger due to the pressure applied by the nearby Universal Orlando Resort’s expansion. Disney World is legitimately being challenged for Central Florida theme park supremacy and will need more than just land changes and ride refurbishments to maintain its stature as king of theme park resorts.
©Universal
In early 2023, Disney confirmed that a fifth Disney World theme park was in play, and, according to WFLA, 70% of the $60 billion will be invested in incremental capacity, “referencing growing attractions.” During Disney’s Q1 earnings call on February 7th, 2024, The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger danced around the idea of a fifth Disney World park but didn’t deny it.
“We’re already hard at work, basically determining where we’re going to place our new investments and what they will be,” said Iger. He then alluded to upgrades being made at every Disney location worldwide, including the Disney Cruise Line. With Disney World being a major focus for Disney, we can assume the Florida theme park resort will get some TLC, perhaps in the form of a new park.
So what could we see at this fifth park? Let’s speculate!
D23 Clues
Concept art for DinoLand expansion ©Disney
In 2022, Disney teased possible Magic Kingdom expansions at D23 Expo and the conversation came up a year later at Destination D23, with Disney doubling down on the Magic Kingdom plans. During a panel, Disney executives described the plans as something akin to the scale of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with new attractions, shopping, and restaurants. If those expansion plans moved to a fifth park, what could they look like?
Possible Land Expansion in Magic Kingdom ©Disney
Disney previously confirmed a retheme of Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to a Tropical Americas land. Some possible options for the land have centered around Zootopia, Encanto, Moana, and Indiana Jones. Those Magic Kingdom expansion plans have included talk of a Coco and a Disney villain-themed land, so we could see one or multiple of these ideas come to fruition at a fifth park.
DisneylandForward Clues
Concept Art ©Disney
The reality of it all is that we’re too far out from the full conceptualization of a fifth park to accurately speculate what we could see in said park. However, it’s also fair to assume Disney has been leaving breadcrumbs. Disneyland is currently in the process of trying to get planned expansion — DisneylandForward — approved, and they have listed some concrete examples as to what might be included in that expansion.
©Disney
Over at Disneyland Park, Disney has teased Tangled and Peter Pan-themed lands and attractions, while Disney California Adventure could include Frozen, Zootopia, Toy Story, and Tron attractions and lands. DisneylandForward also includes new hotels, shops, and restaurants that could all be installed if the plan is improved.
So why does California’s DisneylandForward matter for a fifth theme park at Florida’s Walt Disney World? DisneylandForward has taken a lot of inspiration from the latest developments at Disney Parks in Europe, Asia, and, yes, Disney World. This indicates that Disney could be looking to duplicate or expand upon existing lands, attractions, and ideas into its newest parks and expansions.
NEW Intellectual Property?
©21st Century Fox
The Walt Disney Company looks A LOT Different today than it did back in 1998 when Disney World opened its fourth theme park, Animal Kingdom. For starters, Disney now owns Pixar, 21st Century Fox, Lucasfilm, and Marvel Studios. Disney has already played with Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, and Marvel’s Avengers-themed lands and rides, it’s likely Disney keeps collecting and using different intellectual property like Thanos collecting infinity stones.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Just this month, Disney partnered with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery to make a joint sports streaming platform. As Disney continues to work with other companies outside of the Disney bubble, it only further heightens the possibility that Disney expands its IP collection either through partnerships or purchases.
The possibility of a fifth Disney World park is incredibly exciting and while nothing is concrete as of now, we can’t wait to bring you any and all future updates — so stay tuned here at DFB for all the latest!
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I’m not sure what experts you were talking about, but there is no chance of the 5th gate. None.
The idea for higher profit for investment is for guests to stay longer and more often. It is much less expensive to do that by expanding what you have than creating something new that needs additional infrastructure for guests to get to, park, enter, eat, and then the same for employees. A new park makes no sense.
That said, there is plenty of room for expansion in all the parks, especially the Magic Kingdom, where they can expand that park alone by 40% just by building in the open area behind Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, and a Small World. (look at Satelite view) And Epcot, there is so much room, and it’s crazy.
There are SIX open spaces in World Showcase alone, plus all the space in “Future World, including one completly unused pavilion.
And while Hollywood Htudios is not going to expand and will only refresh Rockin’ Rollercoaster… the Animal Kingdom room could easily double that capacity and make it a park where people would come back for a second day. The already leaked renovation to Dino Land, which is quite large, will be just as popular as Pandora as well as the changeover from Its tough to be a Bug” to “Zootopia”.
Disney World IS going to expand and add lots of popular IP like Coco, Encanto, Arendelle (Frozen), Zootopia, Indiana Jones Aladin, and a lot more in various locations, but not in a new park.