The final week has seen a flurry of filings for Walt Disney World development permits–by my depend, there have been not less than 40 over the past week of January 2025 (most likely over 50 by the point the day is over). This put up combs by means of the paperwork submitted by Disney to the Orange County, Florida Comptroller with particulars concerning the Notices of Graduation for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios that caught our consideration.
It must be unsurprising that there’s a sudden surge of development permits. Walt Disney World is starting a brand new growth cycle that can end in $17 billion of spending on new lands, rides, eating places, and resorts. On high of Walt Disney World’s 5-year plan laid out at D23, there has additionally been a rise in routine refurbishments as Disney is lastly doing deferred upkeep on sights and extra.
Permits being filed each day is nothing new and definitely not cease the presses information. It’s been taking place for years, and most permits are wholly uninteresting and uneventful. Stuff like new signage, electrical work, and different ‘housekeeping’ tasks not necessitating protection. That is still true in 2025. However with a mix of standard refurbishments and floor lastly being damaged on development tasks in Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom (perhaps? nonetheless no updates on the water administration back-and-forth), we’re additionally beginning to see extra permits–and extra attention-grabbing ones.
With that out of the way in which, let’s focus on some fundamentals about Walt Disney World development permits that can apply throughout the board. Notices of Commencements are usually filed by Walt Disney World Resort, Facility Asset Administration (FAM), or Walt Disney Imagineering. The “higher” tasks are usually helmed by WDI, in order that’s who to search for because the grantor identify.
The grantee can also be necessary. Disney largely with lots of third events contractors, and the identical ones typically come up repeatedly. Clearly, completely different contractors are able to dealing with tasks of differing scope and scale. One factor that’s notable about this week’s spherical of permits is that Disney’s in-house Buena Vista Development Firm is listed because the grantee on lots of them. They usually deal with smaller-scale tasks of generalized nature, whereas large common contractors and people with specialised experience work on new lands and sights.
Many if not most permits would not have include a satisfying quantity of specificity. Within the common description of the advance, you’re going to see lots of “common development” or “present labor, materials, and/or electrical for development.” That is true even of tasks which can be bigger in scale and scope. I assume that is carried out for ease and effectivity (it’s a single line on the shape), but in addition as a result of Disney is aware of bloggers are watching these items they usually don’t all the time need to tip their hand. In different instances, there’s extra element supplied, however it’s inconsequential, like “set up signage.”
The ultimate element of import is the expiration date. Except in any other case specified, the default expiration is one-year from the date filed. The default 1-year timeline is rarely noteworthy, however shorter or longer ones all the time are, as they’re prolonged or diminished purposefully. Extensions happen on tasks like new lands or sights, that can take greater than a 12 months to construct. Or tasks just like the Massive Thunder re-track. Others are shortened within the case of a journey reimagining or refurbishment that Disney needs to clarify is being carried out on a decent timeline. Then again, the set up of signage is likely to be left to the one-year default, regardless of it not even taking the federal government that lengthy to put in an indication.
With all of that out of the way in which, let’s dig into the possibly attention-grabbing permits which have been filed within the final week of January 2025…
Haunted Mansion – The primary allow lists the scope of the work as “present labor, materials, and/or electrical for development,” has the default one-year expiration, and is assigned to Buena Vista Development Firm. The triple-whammy of non-noteworthiness, and to make certain, we wouldn’t even draw consideration to this usually.
Nonetheless, an nearly similar allow was filed in June 2023, and that laid the groundwork for the eventual set up of Hatbox Ghost within the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World. That Audio Animatronics was initially developed for Disneyland, and was added to Magic Kingdom a number of years after the actual fact, in a far much less logical location.
Noteworthy right here is that Haunted Mansion at Disneyland simply obtained main updates, essentially the most notable of which is a brand new bride within the attic. Not like Hatbox Ghost, there could be no must shoehorn this Audio Animatronics into the Magic Kingdom model of the journey. It could merely exchange the present bride, which might make sense to do, because the tech has not aged properly.
Whereas Hatbox Ghost got here out of the blue, we frankly count on Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion to get a brand new bride sooner fairly than later. The one query is whether or not Walt Disney World is keen to take one other main journey down at Magic Kingdom, or in the event that they’ll wait till 2026. Or maybe the work might be carried out within the in a single day hours and the AA swapped out with minimal downtime. It’s additionally attainable this allow is for one thing else completely, and is inconsequential. Both means, we’ll be watching to see whether or not a Haunted Mansion refurbishment is added to the calendar!
Tiana’s Bayou Journey – Very same setup right here with the outline, grantor/grantee, and default expiration.
As beforehand reported, Tiana’s Bayou Journey at Magic Kingdom is Closing Early all through Winter 2025. That discusses how the journey is probably going receiving in a single day upkeep resulting from its ongoing downtime and reliability woes, and it’s secure to imagine this allow pertains to that.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, however I want Disney would simply rip the band-aid off and announce a correct refurbishment for Tiana’s Bayou Journey. The window of alternative (colder climate) is closing, and if the after hours work isn’t in a position to deal with the problem, we could possibly be caught with the attraction being affected by issues–and a digital queue–till January 2026.
Spaceship Earth – Over at EPCOT, one other allow has been filed with the very same mixture because the Magic Kingdom permits above. Earlier than you get too excited, that is not the lengthy overdue reimagining of Spaceship Earth we mentioned final week. Nonetheless no information on that.
The deal with right here corresponds with the situation of the defunct Siemens company lounge, which is behind Spaceship Earth and above the post-show overlooking World Celebration. This has been utilized in restricted capability (we’ve heard Make A Want) within the years since SSE misplaced its sponsor.
Nonetheless, Walt Disney World introduced {that a} new Spaceship Earth lounge will open in Late Spring 2025. Development partitions simply went up across the exterior of the post-show exit that we assume are associated to the lounge. The idea artwork suggests a reasonably simple trendy search for the lounge, so crews ought to be capable of have this carried out previous to Memorial Day.
Check Monitor – Yet one more allow has been filed for the Check Monitor 3.0 reimagining. Not a lot to debate right here. There have been a number of permits, lots of that are extra consequential than this one and supply intrigue concerning the inside present scenes.
Check Monitor 3.0 is slated to reopen in Late Summer time 2025. As we’ve talked about elsewhere, that is the kind of timeframe that would simply slip to October 1, 2025. One model of the announcement initially mentioned “Late 2025” for the reopening, and if the journey isn’t prepared by July, there’s actually no rush to reopen in August or September.
The park’s anniversary then turns into essentially the most logical possibility, which additionally precedes Fall Break. If it by some means can’t hit that focus on, Veterans Day or Thanksgiving are subsequent up. Whereas I can’t wait to expertise the brand new Check Monitor, I additionally need Imagineering to take its time and get it proper. Phrases I beforehand wrote about Tiana’s Bayou Journey when suggesting a delay could be higher than a fast-tracking. Secure to say that viewpoint has been vindicated.
Canada Pavilion – This one is somewhat over per week outdated, however I wished to attract consideration to it right here since we haven’t lined the thriller venture within the Canada pavilion besides in passing. (It most likely deserves its personal put up, however I’ve felt like an announcement has been imminent for just like the final 12 months.)
In the event you’ve visited EPCOT within the final ~18 months, there’s a good likelihood you’ve seen this work–or not less than encountered partitions blocking your path on the higher degree of the pavilion. Partitions have been up close to the totem poles resulting from work on Lodge du Canada. This began as a repainting, however it turned clear final summer time that one thing substantive was taking place.
In the previous couple of months, it’s been attainable to see seen work on the decrease degree of Lodge du Canada. The inside is turning into one thing with a guest-facing goal, as evidenced by the newest allow for the set up of signage. As for what, who is aware of. By no means guess in opposition to one other bar or Disney Trip Membership gross sales middle.
Personally, I’m hoping for a maple syrup taste-testing counter, moose calf petting zoo, or Dan Flashes Flannel Outpost, with the Canada’s most intricate patterns ever. Anticipate an official announcement any day now (or so we’ve been considering for some time).
Villains Unfairly Ever After – Over at Hollywood Studios, one other allow has been filed with the identical mixture because the others.
The deal with right here corresponds to Sundown Showcase, particularly the courtyard space the place there was once parked Vehicles for meet & greets exterior the now-extinct Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. As with the Lightning McQueen AA inside, it’s secure to imagine these ancillary Vehicles are racing over to Magic Kingdom to be repurposed in Vehicles Land.
It’s additionally secure to imagine that one thing villains-related will exchange them for Villains Unfairly Ever After. The flex constructing that’ll home the present is an in any other case boring blue field, and Walt Disney World doubtless will need to draw eyes away from that with meet & greets and different photograph ops. May I recommend Muppet makeovers of the villains to supply a thematic transition between Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster and Villains Unfairly Ever After? Who wouldn’t love to satisfy Miss Maleficent Piggy or Gonzo the Nice Gaston?!
The Little Mermaid Musical Journey – This one is completely different! It’s assigned to a 3rd occasion contractor, MLC Theming, which makes a speciality of work on scenic portray, fabricating facades, and extra.
That checks out. The outdated marquee above the theater for the previous Voyage of The Little Mermaid present was lately eliminated, and that is additionally a boring blue field (like so many at Disney’s Hollywood Studios). It’s secure to imagine the constructing will obtain a recent coat of (blue!) paint and new posters…maybe one in all Bluey to go together with all of the blue (and to promote the Bluey meet & greet that’s doubtless coming to Animation Courtyard). A brand new marquee can also be a given.
“The Little Mermaid — A Musical Journey” is a reimagining of the earlier puppet-heavy stage present at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This venue has been empty for ~5 years, and it’s by some means taking Disney nearly two years from announcement to opening of the up to date present, which was already delayed as soon as. A really reassuring signal about their potential to construct total lands on cheap timelines!
Monstropolis – Okay, so that is an attention-grabbing and odd one. Once more, it’s the identical Buena Vista Development, description, and expiration combo as many of the different permits. Usually, you wouldn’t count on to see that with an precise enlargement, because it’ll take longer than a 12 months and be helmed by a bigger contractor.
The twist right here is that there’s an odd metal construction by what’ll develop into the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster entrance that has obtained some consideration recently, getting a brand new coat of blend-in blue paint. This implies that Walt Disney World intends to repurpose the construction for Monstropolis.
This would possibly sound odd, however it wouldn’t be the primary time Disney retained parts of current constructions in development tasks. The identical factor occurred with New Fantasyland repurposing a few the partitions (if I recall appropriately) from 20,000 Leagues Underneath the Sea regardless of the latter having been closed for over a decade earlier than work on New Fantasyland started.
One other equally doubtless risk is that one hand doesn’t know what the opposite is doing–or doesn’t care. It wouldn’t be the primary time that Disney did work on constructions or inside venues shortly earlier than their demolition. So whereas I’d love for this to be a constructive signal that Monstropolis has been fast-tracked, I’ll imagine it as soon as we begin seeing “meatier” permits from Imagineering with main third occasion contractors.
Grand Floridian Resort – Walt Disney World has additionally filed a brand new Discover of Graduation that corresponds with the deal with of the principle constructing of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Once more, similar obscure and generalized combo because the above permits.
This one is attention-grabbing as a result of Walt Disney World seemingly deserted the foyer transforming venture. As you would possibly recall, Disney introduced an ‘Enchanted Gardens’ reimagining of the resort two years in the past, and accomplished that overhaul of the outlying buildings, from the visitor rooms to the lobbies by late 2023.
Timing-wise, work was slated to proceed to the principle foyer across the busy vacation season. Our assumption was that the venture was paused, as is commonly the case, round Christmas because it’s such a preferred and high-occupancy vacation. We figured work would resume early final 12 months, as crews had been nonetheless doing exterior work. They by no means returned to the inside, although.
Apparently, it’s been an analogous story at BoardWalk Inn and Modern Resort. Each of these had introduced large-scale reimaginings that had been anticipated to embody their primary lobbies or atriums. In each instances, that by no means actually occurred. Each had been controversial in numerous methods, and we’re completely satisfied that Disney didn’t contact BoardWalk’s foyer (don’t repair what isn’t damaged). Then again, the Grand Canyon Concourse is such a hideous hodgepodge that there’s solely room for enchancment–particularly in the event that they observe by means of on the mid-century and Mary Blair look of the foyer (and new BLT rooms).
Again to the Grand Floridian, the result might go both means. The Victorian fashion and a spotlight to element is incredible, however it’s truthful to say that the foyer isn’t purely Victorian–it’s Victorian as seen by means of a Nineteen Nineties lens. I like the result of the ‘Enchanted Gardens’ overhaul of the outlying buildings, however I’m additionally involved it wouldn’t translate to the principle foyer. On stability, I’d choose that Disney depart properly sufficient alone at Grand Floridian and as a substitute concentrate on the Modern. Decrease threat, a lot larger reward.
Clearly, these aren’t the one permits to have been filed during the last week, however the overwhelming majority are pedestrian or pertain to backstage areas and amenities (there have been some attention-grabbing permits for parade storage at Magic Kingdom, presumably for Starlight).
If you wish to seek for Walt Disney World development permits your self, you are able to do so (freely) on the Orange County Comptroller web site (the preface above ought to help with parameters to enter to assist slim your search). Suffice to say, it’s secure to count on that 2025 can be a busy 12 months within the permits division–we’ll maintain you posted as intriguing Notices of Graduation are filed!
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Your Ideas
What do you consider these development permits? Do you assume these permits recommend tasks on the horizon in Haunted Mansion, Grand Floridian, or elsewhere? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Do you agree or disagree with our recommendation? Any questions we will 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 under within the feedback!
