Walt Disney has not opened a new full-size theme park at Florida’s Disney World since adding Animal Kingdom in 1998. You could even argue that DAK, as it’s known to fans, wasn’t even a traditional full-day park until it opened the “Pandora: The World of Avatar” land in 2017.
The company has not simply sat back on its heels since 1998, though. It has significantly expanded Disney’s Hollywood Studios by adding Star Wars and Pixar-themed lands as well as numerous rides, and by overhauling an entire section of Magic Kingdom.
It has not, however, made any moves to build a fifth theme park on the property, even after rival Universal Studios opened its third full-size theme park, Epic Universe, in May, 2025 as part of an effort to give visitors more reasons to spend their entire vacation on-property.
Walt Disney executives have even openly talked about expanding their four existing Disney World parks rather than opening another. But while the company has not shared plans for a fifth gate, it did secure permission from the Florida board that governs its property to build one.
Disney World has steadily added and revamped its parks
At the time of Epic Universe’s opening, speculation ran high that Walt Disney would build a fifth Florida theme park, and some experts even saw it as inevitable.
“Disney and Universal are in the greatest boxing match they’ve ever been in at this point in time, and it’s a slug fest,” Dennis Speigel, owner and founder of consulting firm International Theme Park Services, told Disney Tourist Blog. “I believe that within 12 to 16 months, Disney will announce its fifth gate theme park, because it’s necessary.”
And although we’re still a few months away from that deadline, the company has not done or said anything to suggest it will meet that timeline. In fact, Disney executives have actively discussed expanding the existing parks.
Disney’s CFO spoke about adding new lands and attractions to the company’s parks during May’s MoffettNathanson’s Media, Internet & Communications Conference.
“Without expansion, we don’t necessarily have the ability to grow attendance massively because it’s already filled up. Now we could jam more people into the park, but then the guest experience declines, and that’s actually bad for the brand. So you don’t want us to do that, and we don’t think it’s a good idea either,” he said.
He also shared that new attractions help the company keep ticket prices high.
“When you put in a big new attraction, you actually see a surge in demand for it as well. So we tend to fill those things up really, really quickly without having to discount,” he added. “And in fact, it actually offers some ability to charge more because essentially, you’re offering something new that wasn’t there before.”
Tabitha Heath, a travel agent with Postcard Travel Planning who serves as the company’s Disney expert, thinks it’s more important for the theme park giant to keep evolving rather than adding a new park.
“With the new expansions and theme plans at Disney World, they will excite new customers and old ones, too,” she told TheStreet. “A lot of the new changes across all the parks will encompass multiple generations and bring back some of the old rides and themes.”
Disney World expansions since Animal Kingdom opened (1998)
While Disney hasn’t built a fifth gate, it has steadily expanded its existing parks with new lands and attractions over the past 27 years.
- Asia (Animal Kingdom), 1999: New land added with “Kali River Rapids” and “Maharajah Jungle Trek.”
- “Expedition Everest” (Animal Kingdom), 2006: Major roller coaster added to the Asia section.
- New Fantasyland (Magic Kingdom), 2012: Largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, adding areas themed around “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid,” and more.
- “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train” (Magic Kingdom), 2014: Family coaster added as part of New Fantasyland.
- Pandora: The World of Avatar (Animal Kingdom), 2017: New land featuring “Avatar Flight of Passage” and “Na’vi River Journey.”
- Toy Story Land (Hollywood Studios), 2018: Pixar-themed land featuring “Slinky Dog Dash,” “Toy Story Midway Mania,” and “Alien Swirling Saucers.”
- Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (Hollywood Studios), 2019: New Star Wars land featuring “Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run” and “Rise of the Resistance.”
- “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway” (Hollywood Studios), 2020: New attraction replacing “The Great Movie Ride.”
- “Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure” (EPCOT), 2021: New attraction added to the France pavilion.
- “Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind” (EPCOT), 2022: Epcot’s first roller coaster.
- “TRON Lightcycle / Run” (Magic Kingdom), 2023: New Tomorrowland roller coaster.
- “Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana” (EPCOT), 2023: Interactive water attraction added during Epcot’s transformation.
- “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” (Magic Kingdom), 2024: Replaced “Splash Mountain” with a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction.
- “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” (Animal Kingdom), 2025: New 4D show replacing the former “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” experience.
Sources: All items sourced from the Disney World website
Disney World clears way for 5th theme park
Disney World used to govern itself under the former Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is now known as the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD).
Instead of Walt Disney controlling the district where its parks sit, it’s now governed by the CFTOD, which is appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been a vocal Disney critic.
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Still, after multiple lawsuits were dropped by both sides, the CFTOD and Walt Disney have, at least to outward appearances, worked together on the future of the 43-square-mile Disney World property.
That massive area consists of four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach), a dining/shopping complex (Disney Springs), and more than 20 resort hotels, among other attractions.
The CFTOD marks unbuilt land inside the property as “suitable,” “marginally suitable,” “marginally unsuitable,” or “unsuitable” for development.
A “suitable” ranking does not mean that Disney will build something on the site; it just means that it could.
The CFTOD compiled a 406-page document entitled Comprehensive Plan 2045 in an effort to “provide the basis for future decisions regarding land use, development, conservation, and infrastructure” in September 2025.
While the plan does not authorize construction, it establishes where future development could legally occur.
An update to that plan was released in July, containing language that clears the way for a fifth gate at Disney World, while indicating that the project not underway.
“Although Table 2-1 (Maximum Development 2025- 2045) allows for development of one major and two minor theme parks there are no plans under review. Approximately 850 acres would be required for these uses,” Plan 2045 shared.
Daniel Kline/TravelHost
DIsney World has big expansion plans
New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro openly talked about expanding Disney World’s existing parks for years in his previous role as Parks Chairman. He did address those plans during the company’s third-quarter earnings call.
“As always, we’re being disciplined in our capital allocation with a focus on expanding our capacity around the world and driving incremental demand. The pipeline includes major attractions at every site, including Villains Land in Orlando and the Avengers Campus expansion in Anaheim, amongst others in the U.S. and our previously announced cruise ship expansion,” he said.
As a Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando passholder who has covered the industry for decades, I actually prefer this approach. Disney’s parks can get very crowded, and any added attractions, as long as they continue to cap attendance, should help deliver a better experience.
Epic Universe does make Universal Studios a property that now takes more than two days to completely experience, but Disney World still has a massive advantage with each park in the complex deserving at least one full day.
I have been able to do most of the rides at Universal Studios and Island of Adventure in one long day, but a day and a half is more realistic. Add in a day for Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Orlando is still a long weekend park, while Disney World can fill up a weeklong vacation.
That will only improve for Disney World as it keeps rolling out new attractions.
Here’s what’s coming to Disney World
Disney World’s upcoming lands and opening timelines:
- Tropical Americas (Animal Kingdom), 2027: A new rainforest-themed land featuring attractions based on “Encanto” and the “Indiana Jones” franchise.
- Monstropolis (Hollywood Studios), date not announced: A “Monsters, Inc.” themed land featuring a suspended coaster, dining, shopping, and new experiences.
- Piston Peak National Park (Magic Kingdom), date not announced: A “Cars”-themed Frontierland expansion with two new attractions.
- Villains Land (Magic Kingdom), date not announced: A new land focused on Disney villains with attractions, dining, and shopping.
Source: Walt Disney
