Walt Disney World is rumored to quickly begin development on Villains Land, the Magic Kingdom growth ‘past Huge Thunder’ that may change a portion of the Rivers of America. This particulars the event concerning the challenge, sheds new gentle on what the ‘darkish kingdom’ land will entail, together with what nonetheless stands in the best way of this rumor changing into actuality.
Let’s begin with that final level, as there’s nonetheless one main hurdle for Walt Disney Imagineering to clear earlier than work can start on Villains Land or Automobiles Land in Magic Kingdom. As you would possibly recall from final weekend’s put up, Indiana Jones & Encanto Enlargement at Animal Kingdom Clears Last Florida Allow Hurdle, the most important obstacle to those initiatives starting in earnest–and the one permits that aren’t principally rubber stamped–are these from the South Florida Water Administration District (SFWMD).
The SFWMD allow encompassing this challenge is the “407 Basin Stormwater Modifications” challenge–often known as changing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island for Automobiles and Villains lands in Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney World filed its newest response to the SFWMD’s request for added data on that challenge again in late December, and remains to be awaiting remaining phrase from SFWMD.
On the time, followers have been stunned that Imagineering was nonetheless continuing full steam forward on that, as there have been “rumors” of the challenge being deserted. For our half, we had by no means heard these. In the event you want additional reinforcing that Disney plans to proceed with the Rivers of America alternative, this mid-February 2025 replace also needs to operate as that.
There’s been backwards and forwards between Disney and the SFWMD on the Rivers of America alternative challenge, which is unsurprising given the dimensions and scope of the work. There was a little bit of this with Tropical Americas, and that’s largely a reimagining that Disney felt was grandfathered in to present functions. The 407 Basin Stormwater modifications proposal is far more formidable and, impactful to stormwater displacement (SFWMD’s major concern).
The wanting the back-and-forth is that Disney filed its first allow with SFWMD again in August, and the district responded with a Request for Extra Info (RAI) that sought adjustments, clarifications and different solutions or modifications to the plan. After getting an extension on the RAI deadline, Walt Disney World offered an intensive packet of knowledge on December 19, 2024, which included a 23-page letter together with numerous extra pages of maps, plans, appendices, and updates to previously-filed paperwork.
In the event you’re actually inquisitive about all of this, head to the SFWMD ePermitting web page and enter “407 Basin Stormwater Modifications” because the challenge identify within the search. From there, try the RAI Info drop-down. There’s a bunch of stuff there, together with the aforementioned 23-page letter, in addition to the unique proposal. The underside line, although, is that that is the place issues at the moment stand–the Rivers of America alternative challenge is in allow purgatory, with Disney in a holding sample till the district points approval or hits the ball again in Disney’s court docket with one more RAI.
It wouldn’t be in the least stunning if there’s extra backwards and forwards on the Magic Kingdom growth challenge between Florida and Disney. In studying the entire SFWMD correspondence on varied initiatives through the years, the better scale and scope of the 407 Basin Stormwater Modifications is instantly apparent, as is SFWMD’s better scrutiny of the MK proposal. Since we’ve been protecting Walt Disney World, that is the most important challenge we’ve seen. Undoubtedly from a stormwater displacement perspective, however in all probability interval.
This isn’t to say we expect the Rivers of America alternative allow will probably be denied (we don’t!), however we additionally wouldn’t be stunned if the following step isn’t a remaining approval. Which may not come till later this spring. The perfect case state of affairs, if the applying course of follows comparable timelines to Tropical Americas, it will be authorized in late February or early March 2025.
Not like with Dino-Rama, which closed previous to this allow being issued, nothing can occur on the Automobiles and Villains initiatives till there’s approval from SFWMD. The challenge is in improvement limbo till then. Based mostly on in the present day’s new improvement, it will appear that Walt Disney Imagineering is anticipating approval earlier than early March 2025. There’s probability they know one thing we all know, as we’d assume there’s an open line of communication between Disney and SFWMD past what the official file displays.
Orlando actual property knowledgeable Ken Pozek uncovered a projected on a development bidding website titled “Disney Magic Kingdom Enlargement – Villains Land.” Work will begin on this challenge March 1, 2025 in response to the web page.
If Pozek’s identify sounds vaguely acquainted to longtime Walt Disney World followers, that’s in all probability as a result of he’s the one who first uncovered plans to construct an In-Park Lodge at EPCOT’s Entrance. A number of years in the past, he shared the shock discover of an inventory for “EPCOT Future World Lodge” within the planning schematics stage of design with a $50 to $75 million challenge valuation.
The overview confirmed Walt Disney Parks & Resorts listed as proprietor, with Imagineering and Gensler as architects. This was first printed in 2018, then republished in 2021, with one other rumor resurfacing in 2023. As might be apparent, there’s no resort on the entrance entrance to EPCOT (but?), which is exactly why we’re submitting this Villains Land challenge beneath rumor, even when it seems to be stronger than that (possibly rumor/leak is extra correct?).
Clearly past the scope of this put up, however I’m pretty assured we’ll see in-park motels at EPCOT and Magic Kingdom inside the subsequent 15 years. Or no less than one of many two. Walt Disney World isn’t finished constructing resorts, and there’s prime actual property in each places–or will probably be, as soon as ‘past Huge Thunder’ progresses additional.
Again to the subject at hand, Pozek revealed particulars concerning the Villains Land bidding on YouTube:
That is primarily based on development bid data Mr. Pozek found on Dodge Information & Analytics, an trade website that tracks the development trade and permits bidding on initiatives by contractors. It doesn’t have a public-facing portal, so we now have no means of verifying the veracity of what he’s presenting.
The bid web page notes that the development website for Villains Land will cowl 14 acres, which is anticipated to be simply the Villains Land–not the mixed Automobiles and Villains Lands. For context, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the very same dimension and Magic Kingdom as a complete is 107 acres.
If Villains Land alone is 14 acres–and we certain hope it’s–that in all probability means the darkish journey present constructing (or one thing important) finally ends up being constructed past the berm/outdoors the Walt Disney World Railroad tracks. As beforehand mentioned, we count on intensive downtime for the prepare but once more resulting from this challenge.
The aforementioned SFWMD allow encompasses a a lot bigger space, 300 acres in whole. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of that’s wholly unrelated to the development itself, because it additionally covers the place the displaced water from the Rivers of America will go. (Simply underscoring how a lot bigger-picture of a allow that’s.)
The development bidding platform lists an estimated funds of $25 to $50 million. This may solely cowl preliminary website prep work, like clearing the land and infill. Building of the rides, eating places and retail will probably be a lot, a lot extra. Whereas Disney hasn’t launched any numbers (and possibly gained’t anytime quickly), I’d totally count on this land to price round $2 billion.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reportedly eclipsed $1 billion, and that was with defrayed improvement prices throughout the coasts and earlier than inflation and labor prices made costs soar. Plus, nothing Imagineering does is affordable–they’ll barely ‘develop’ new signage for lower than $25 million. Slight exaggeration, however the level is that this challenge scope very clearly doesn’t cowl something substantive.
Frankly, $50 million looks like it’s on the low finish only for website prep, which will probably be intensive for the ‘past Huge Thunder’ initiatives. I’m guessing there are extra bids like this that we haven’t seen but for the laydown yards, infill of Rivers of America, Automobiles Land prep, and so on–and that these alone will put this challenge above $100 million earlier than something is even constructed.
Getting again to the meat of the Villains Land development bid, the proposal lists the land as containing a curler coaster and an indoor journey.
This traces up with what Disney beforehand introduced again at D23 Expo. Throughout that presentation, Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro stated that Villains Land will probably be dwelling to 2 main points of interest, eating, and buying on an extremely twisted grand scale.
In line with Disney, the chances are countless for the tales that may be informed — and guests to the darkish and thorny land must be ready for no matter chaos would possibly come their means. The brand new land will embody all of your nightmares.
D’Amaro additional declared that “preparation is already underway” at Magic Kingdom for Villains Land.
As we identified on the time, “preparation” is a obscure and nebulous time period. Technically, preparations are already underway for me to have a huge T-Rex fossil. By that, I imply I take into consideration dinosaur fossils whereas within the bathe, however since I’m neither a paleontologist nor a billionaire, it will appear my preparations are pretty hole and superficial.
In equity, D’Amaro did say extra just lately that Imagineering can be breaking floor on Villains Land “very, very quickly.” That was again on the D23 Brazil occasion in November. Frankly, it’s arduous to know what to consider of Disney’s claims, as they’ve made quite a lot of statements about earth shifting, preparations being underway, and so on. The surest signal is once we truly see shovels within the soil. Or on this case, shovels filling soil into the Rivers of America.
The underside line is that Villains Land seems to be on the precipice of shifting ahead, with energetic development beginning quickly.
March 1, 2025 might be the goal date. I wouldn’t sit on pins and needles ready for a groundbreaking ceremony or photograph on that particular date. It might occur then, a pair weeks later, or someday in between. If allow approval occurs subsequent week, possibly Villains Land breaks floor late this month!
The purpose isn’t that particular date, it’s that Disney is getting the ball rolling on this, anticipating approval from SFWMD very quickly, and commencing development nearly instantly thereafter. Which means that that is not going to be a type of initiatives Disney drags its toes on for months or years–even when it does take a very long time from groundbreaking to opening.
From a sensible, guest-facing perspective, we’d nonetheless count on minimal impacts for no less than the following a number of months. This work goes to essentially begin outdoors the present boundaries of Magic Kingdom and work its means in.
Even as soon as it will get to the purpose that the waterfront space of the Rivers of America in Frontierland may very well be impacted, it’s totally potential that Disney will use coffer dams and different methods to protect the aesthetics. Hopefully, it gained’t appear like the above photograph till someday in 2026.
That is going to be a protracted and concerned challenge, and possibly entail one other phased closure. What we’ve beforehand mentioned in When Will Rivers of America & Tom Sawyer Island Shut at Magic Kingdom? seemingly stays correct.
This shouldn’t be a shock. As mentioned in our newest version of Walt Disney World’s 5-Yr Building Plan, Villains Land might be the final challenge to open of these which were introduced, and we’d estimate it’ll debut in 2030–one yr after Automobiles Land.
Clearly, the aforementioned website prep work must be finished lengthy earlier than then–hopefully by the primary half of 2026 for essentially the most half, tying no less than partially to the Huge Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment challenge. It must be an thrilling challenge to look at take form (properly, not over the following couple of years until you’re a giant fan of dirt-moving), and we’ll preserve you posted about the entire Villains Land rumors and official information!
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Your Ideas
Ideas on the Walt Disney Imagineering probably beginning land clearing and website prep for Villains Land on March 1, 2025? Anticipate that that is simply an estimate, or does Disney already know SFWMD is approving its 407 Basin challenge allow within the subsequent couple weeks? Hoping that there’s nonetheless an opportunity of fixing the plans if Florida doesn’t approve? Excited or underwhelmed by the plan to interchange Rivers of America with Automobiles land? Or, are you in wait and see mode with this? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we might help you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even if you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!