Disney has released a huge wave of new construction permits, with 15 new Notice of Commencement filings released today for areas all across Walt Disney World.
New Construction Permits
The 15 new permits were all filed today with the Orange County Register. All of the permits list Buena Vista Construction Company, also known as Disney’s construction team, as the contractor.
Similarly, the permits all list the description of improvement as “provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction.” These permits are usually generic without much detail, but they do provide some insight into the areas where Disney is either continuing or planning to start new construction, as each permit has a unique address.
The first permit lists the address of the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom. No official closures of the Haunted Mansion have been scheduled as of yet, so this could be for basic maintenance work.
It could also potentially be related to the wooden boards in the place of some lifted cobblestones in the ride’s exit queue, which have been there for over a year.
The second permit is similar, providing the address of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, but no further details. This permit may have something to do with the recent early closure dates Disney announced for the attraction in January and February.
The following construction permit cites the location of the old Siemens VIP Lounge, which is located behind Spaceship Earth in EPCOT. Disney announced last year that this space, which has been largely empty since Siemens stopped sponsoring Spaceship Earth, would be transformed into a new guest lounge location. The new lounge is supposed to be open before this summer, so it is likely crew members are working on getting this new area ready for guests.
Three more of the permits also listed locations in EPCOT. The first permit hints at some possible construction at the WDI office located behind Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
The other EPCOT permit lists an address of 1442 Avenue of the Stars. This address no longer appears on modern maps, but it possibly refers to the old Pin Central location near the center of what was formerly Future World. Pin Central closed in early 2020 to make way for the new World Celebration area behind Spaceship Earth. If this is the case, this permit could be for some changes or repairs, as the lighting fixtures in World Celebration were fixed recently. The third permit has the address of the Disney Traders store near World Showcase.
The final EPCOT permit includes the address for Test Track, which comes as no surprise due to the attraction’s current closure. Test Track 2.0 closed in June 2024 to make way for an entirely new version of the ride, dubbed Test Track 3.0, which will once again be sponsored by General Motors. Other recent permits regarding the attraction have included a Notice of Commencement for the installation of signage earlier this month. Test Track is scheduled to reopen sometime in 2025, though no dates have been announced.
The next construction permit is for the overlook observation deck in Disney’s Animal Kingdom that guests visit as a part of the Wild Africa Trek VIP experience. The Wild Africa Trek is a privately guided tour through the Harambe Reserve into areas that are not normally visible from the regular Kilimanjaro Safari attraction path. During the experience, guests stop for a meal on a large patio area overlooking the savanna. No major announcements have been made concerning the Wild Africa Trek, and the experience is still available for booking through all of the currently-released website calendar.
The main lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has also received a new construction permit. This comes after work has been all but quiet on the resort’s controversial lobby remodeling project, which was reportedly delayed to 2024 but no movement took place that year. Recently, the Courtyard Pool just outside the lobby closed for a routine refurbishment that will last through most of February 2025.
The new construction permits were not all for locations in guest-visible areas. Some Cast Member areas with permits filed include a backstage road behind Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a monorail parking station.
The remaining construction permits are all for general work on more backstage buildings, including an animal facility building behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a Holiday Services building, and two buildings that are believed to be Textile Services. Textile Services are the facilities responsible for handling linens and cast member costumes. Holiday Services usually handle decorations and events for seasons like Christmas or Halloween.
We will have to wait and see if these permits are the first of a large wave of construction across Walt Disney World. Are you excited for any of the new projects? Let us know in the comments.
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