After 42 Years, Disney World Demolishing Popular Land

There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow at Walt Disney World Resort, and there always has been.

Though Disney World fans are fond of nostalgia and reliving childhood experiences, many attractions, areas, and entertainment offerings have to say goodbye after a while. While iconic attractions like Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Space Mountain continue to be mainstays, others like Stitch’s Great Escape!, Maelstrom, and Splash Mountain must say goodbye.

This has been especially of note at EPCOT, which is continuing to see an entire facelift.

Twitter account @bioreconstruct recently posted photos of a construction project that now has the full attention of Walt Disney World Resort in EPCOT.

Current work at a project next to the Imagination pavilion. pic.twitter.com/Rga1dpj4TL

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) February 11, 2024

As you can see in the photo, Disney is demolishing the land outside of the Imagination! Pavilion. This is the first major redo of the land since the Imagination! Pavilion opened in 1982. The pavilion currently houses Journey Into Imagination with Figment, ImageWorks: The What-If Labs, Disney & Pixar Short Film Festivals, and the Disney Vacation Club lounge. It’s also a sneaky meet and greet area where you can find Figment, Joy from Inside Out (2015), and characters from Wreck-It Ralph (2012), as well as Mickey Mouse next door in the lobby outside of the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festivals.

While the construction will not affect the current attractions and entertainment offerings in the pavilion, it will be interesting to see what the expansion looks like when it’s completed.

Though there is demolition work happening right now, the expectation is that construction will soon ramp up in this particular area, and it will be a courtyard-type area with topiaries and rest spots.

Just live the pavilion; this area of land will be a part of the World Celebration Neighborhood when it reopens to Disney World guests. World Celebration just opened its centerpiece located behind Spaceship Earth. The area features synching lights and a statue of Walt Disney. Though more construction continues at the Disney World park, it was the last major piece to open in EPCOT with Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, also opening last year in World Nature.

Expansions coming to Walt Disney World Resort

Magic Kingdom

Of all the Disney World theme parks, the one that fans have their eyes on most currently is Magic Kingdom Park. The popular Disney park, which is known for its iconic attractions and nostalgia, is about to get a lot bigger, particularly in the next few years.

The most forthcoming project is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which replaced Splash Mountain. The attraction is set to open later this year, but Disney has not announced an official date at this time. Disney shares that guests will “join Princess Tiana and jazz-loving alligator Louis on their journey through a shimmering bayou as they prepare for a spirited celebration during Mardi Gras season.” The water flume ride will have a height requirement of 40 inches, which is the same as Splash Mountain.

In addition, Country Bear Jamboree just closed down to make way for major updates.

This is just the beginning, though.

After the attraction is built, Disney World has teased major plans to expand Magic Kingdom with a project called “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain.” Though Tiana’s Bayou Adventure may bring a new land, titled New Orleans Square, this new land would bring new attractions and be dedicated to another intellectual property (IP). Disney previously teased multiple IPs– including Encanto, Coco, and Disney Villains– but none of these have been confirmed. We expect to hear more about the project this coming summer at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

It’s almost time for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park to get a major redo, and we’re inching closer to that day.

First, Disney World has already confirmed that It’s Tough to be a Bug! will be closing down permanently. The entertainment offering, which opened with Disney’s Animal Kingdom back in 1998, will be replaced with a Zootopia-themed attraction. Though the attraction will close down permanently, the Disney calendar does not give an official date and is scheduled to be open through April.

Of course, the biggest news with Disney’s Animal Kingdom is another Blue Sky teaser from Disney that will replace DinoLand, U.S.A. A portion of DinoLand, U.S.A., has already closed down, and the expectation is that the entire area will shut down to make way for new offerings in the future. Disney recently teased a land that could be split with Encanto and Indiana Jones, but it’s important to note that these are just ideas and not confirmations from the company.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

At this time, no major expansion plans have been revealed for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In the past five years, Disney opened three new attractions, including one major land, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which include Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which houses Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

There are rumors that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser could become part of Galaxy’s Edge in some kind of expansion, but nothing has been confirmed about the failed hotel experience at this time.

What area should be expanded at Walt Disney World Resort? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!

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