The Sunshine State is welcoming remarkable new milestones in its theme park story, but scientists warn that climate change could ultimately decide the fate of the region.
In May 2025, Universal Orlando Resort officially opened Epic Universe, marking the company’s first brand-new theme park gate in decades. Over at Walt Disney World Resort, an expansive multiyear development is underway, with new lands such as the Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Piston Peak National Park alongside a Villains-themed area at Magic Kingdom Park. Disney Experiences President Josh D’Amaro has emphasized the importance of developing these attractions for “the next generation.”
But a study highlighted by Click Orlando suggests that the Florida of tomorrow could look very different. The report projects that much of the state’s coastline—including areas near the Everglades National Park and Florida Keys—could be underwater in the next century due to rising sea levels. Central Florida, home to the theme park corridor, may also experience flooding in low-lying regions such as Lake Jesup and Lake Monroe. Volusia and Brevard counties, including land around the Kennedy Space Center, are projected to be heavily affected by 2120.
Dr. Joseph Donoghue, Professor Emeritus of Planetary Sciences, explained the scale of the challenge in an interview with News 6: “A 1-meter rise inundates about 10% of Florida, and as you said, that’s mostly in the South and Southwest.” He further noted how the situation is already shaping everyday life. “Even the insurance companies are starting to realize that. It’s going to be harder and harder to get a mortgage and insurance on a coastal property.”
Though the theme parks are located inland, nearby communities are vulnerable to these long-term shifts. As construction cranes rise and groundbreaking projects take shape, the industry presses forward with optimism—yet the question lingers of what Florida’s landscape will mean for future guests a hundred years from now.
