The Reedy Creek Improvement District held a public planning meeting. These meetings are generally somewhat routine, but in what could be called a continuing streak of potentially great news for Walt Disney World, there were several big updates. The long-term land use plan was updated with several items. Each of them individually could have a major impact on the resort in upcoming years.
More Hotel Rooms
In what is probably the least surprising and most “normal” update, RCID was allowed to add additional hotel rooms to the plan. This needs to happen any time new resorts are built, or existing resorts are expanded. I don’t think any of us expect Disney to be done building resorts in Orlando, and this gives them the capacity to plan and announce new projects or expansions.
Two Additional Minor Parks
Here’s where things start to get interesting. The long-term land use plan was updated to allow for the addition of two more minor parks. What are minor parks? Our very own detail-oriented Len Testa asked that question just to be sure, and he was told “like water parks”. This doesn’t mean that Walt Disney World will certainly and suddenly be doubling the number of water parks it offers. Obviously, they operated their water parks at half capacity for most of the years following the pandemic closure, so they don’t think they have a capacity problem.
But it will be interesting to see if they take these additions and come up with something totally new and very different from what we expect. This was probably my most-surprising update, and I’m excited to see if things get planned and announced in the coming months (or years …)
One More Major Theme Park
Okay, I saved the best for last. As a reminder, before you get all hyped up and start planning a Lord of the Rings theme park in your head (no? just me?), this doesn’t guarantee that anything is going to happen or get announced any time soon. But it means that the possibility is there. So Reedy Creek Improvement District has allowed for the potential of an additional major theme park. Think, fifth gate.