August 2024 is shaping up to be a MASSIVE month for Disney.
D23
D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will be held this year on August 9th through the 11th in Anaheim, California, and we are incredibly eager to attend! The fan expo draws crowds from all over the world and features appearances from Disney execs, celebrities, Imagineers, and more as the company dishes on upcoming entertainment, theme park developments, and more. This event sheds a ton of light on Disney’s plans and, with Disneyland Resort’s expansion already in its infancy, we’re curious to learn more about a different expansion at Disney World.
One of the major questions we’ve been seeing from Disney fans all over the world is, “What’s going on with Magic Kingdom’s expansion?”
Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
Right now, we’re circling Saturday, August 10th, 2024 at 7PM on our calendars, as that’s the Disney Experiences Showcase at Honda Center. This D23 event is when we’re expecting to hear MAJOR parks news. Covering every single Disney Park, Disney Parks Chair Josh D’Amaro will lead this event and it’s likely he’ll give us some big reveals. We’re hoping one of those big reveals is what comes next with Magic Kingdom’s proposed expansion.
Possible Land Expansion in Magic Kingdom ©Disney
In April, Disney confirmed filing a permit for its Magic Kingdom expansion, so at the very least we know this expansion is tangible and in the works. In the past, Disney gave a few updates about the plans, including possible Coco, Encanto, and/or Disney Villains-themed lands and attractions coming to Magic Kingdom. We’ve even heard the expansion called “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” because it will likely take place behind the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
While the specifics have yet to be confirmed, we’re hoping to get some juicy details in August. Disney executive Bruce Vaughn has teased that the expansion plans for Magic Kingdom are the “largest ever” and on a similar scale to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Pandora – The World of Avatar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Disney hasn’t confirmed the land themes yet, but it has tossed around some attraction ideas. Two years ago at this event, the idea of Encanto coming to Magic Kingdom was publicly brought up. Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios Jennifer Lee said, “What if you could walk into the Madrigals’ casita…What if Mirabel is your guide…What if you could step up to a door and discover your own magical gift?” While certainly tantalizing, rumors have picked up that Encanto will actually be part of a different expansion at Animal Kingdom instead.
Expansion plan with designated markers
More expansion clues were found earlier this year when some possible details were discovered in the 2023 Reedy Creek Improvement District’s long-term land use plan. The plan outlined changes from its last land use plan in 2020 and included a new designation for “marginally unsuitable” land — land, such as wetlands, that has constraints for development. In the 2023, over 1,700 acres of land fit that description.
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Disney World would need permits from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District that allow construction in those areas to develop marginally unsuitable land. Not-so-subtly, the area north of Frontierland in Magic Kingdom — the same area where expansion would likely happen — has been declared marginally unsuitable.
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While that may seem like a bad thing, it’s actually a vast improvement. Previously, the area was labeled “land considered unavailable for development.” It seems now the land, with approval from the District, is permitted to pursue development.
Possible Villain Land Expansion Coming to Magic Kingdom
All of these permits and speculations tie into Disney’s planned $60 billion towards the Parks, Experiences, and Products sector of the company over the next decade. Included in that commitment, of course, is the Magic Kingdom expansion. While we’re still largely in the speculation stage, Disney can move fast when it wants to and we’re hoping that means D’Amaro and company give us some concrete details about the future of Magic Kingdom when they speak in Anaheim in August.
Josh D’Amaro at Destination D23, 2023 ©Disney
We’ll be covering D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event live in August and will be sure to give you all the latest breaking news. In the meantime, stay tuned here at DFB for the latest Disney Parks news, tips, reviews, and more!
Did Disney Quietly REMOVE Something from the Magic Kingdom Expansion Plans?
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What news are you hoping to hear at this year’s D23 Expo? Let us know in the comments!