Walt Disney World aims to add one new major theme park and two minor parks to its already sprawling footprint in the next 20 years, which could see attendance at the Florida resort almost double by 94 per cent to 99.3 million visitors by 2045.
Around 51.2 million people visited Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks and two water parks in 2023.
According to planning documents released by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, Disney also aims to develop new resort hotels, shopping and dining precincts, plus an 18-hole golf course for the Walt Disney World Resort site in Orlando.
The total prospective area to be developed is around 1,064ha in total with the major theme park estimated at 202ha and the two minor parks at around 121ha.
A “major” theme park would be similar in size and scope to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT at the Orlando resort, while a “minor” theme park is described as a water park or sports complex.
Walt Disney World’s last major theme park addition was Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 1998, so these plans represent a significant step.
The tourism district agency shared projections to add a minor theme park by 2030 and a second minor theme park by 2035 with the major park estimated by 2035–2045.
The tourism district also projects Walt Disney World will add 8,000 hotel rooms and 11,000 employees over the next two decades to keep up with the growth.
While the new plans won’t eventuate for a while – until 2045 to be precise, the Orlando resort announced a raft of confirmed additions at D23 – the annual Disney Experiences showcase.
These include a Monsters Inc. land for Disney’s Hollywood Studios that includes Disney’s first suspended coaster.
A Disney Villains Land is also coming to the Magic Kingdom with two major attractions, dining and shopping.
Disney Imagineers previously announced plans to create a Tropical Americas-themed expansion of Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, which will replace the Dino-Land U.S.A. area.
Earlier this year, Disney announced plans for its first-ever theme park resort for the Middle East.
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