FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Central Florida Tourism & Business Press Desk Date: April 15, 2026
The Most Magical Expansion in a Generation: Walt Disney World Transforms Its Florida Kingdom With a Season of Openings, Record Investment, and a Multi-Year Construction Wave That Is Reshaping Central Florida
With five new experiences opening this summer, three major construction projects going vertical simultaneously, and a multi-billion-dollar economic footprint that touches one in every 32 Florida jobs, Walt Disney World enters 2026 as the engine driving Central Florida’s most ambitious tourism renaissance in decades
A Company Mid-Transformation — And Florida Is Where It All Begins
ORLANDO, FL — Something is different about Walt Disney World right now, and guests arriving at the resort this spring can feel it even before they pass through the gates. Construction walls that once bordered stretches of park real estate are coming down. New facades are rising. A sorcerer’s hat crown was installed overnight on April 13 onto the roof of a brand-new building at Hollywood Studios. Cranes are visible above the former footprint of DinoLand at Animal Kingdom. Steel support beams are ascending at the former site of Muppets Courtyard. And across the resort’s 25,000 acres, the largest coordinated expansion in the property’s modern history is moving — simultaneously — through three of its four theme parks.
Walt Disney World Resort, the Orlando-area institution that has defined Central Florida’s identity since it opened its gates in October 1971, is not resting on its legacy. It is rebuilding it — attraction by attraction, land by land, experience by experience — in a generational reinvestment that will keep the resort at the center of American family travel for the next two decades.
This summer alone, Florida families, tourists, and the businesses that serve them will witness the opening of a reimagined Hollywood Studios neighborhood inspired by the legendary Burbank animation campus, a rethemed coaster starring one of entertainment’s most beloved ensembles, a new live show celebrating the art of animation, an updated Star Wars cockpit adventure, and the Florida debut of a national treasure that feels more timely than ever. And behind all of it, steel and concrete are rising on three expansion projects that will deliver entirely new themed worlds to three separate parks by 2027.
What Is Opening Right Now: Hollywood Studios Leads the Summer
The Walt Disney Studios Arrives at Hollywood Studios — May 26, 2026
In a matter of weeks, the area that stood as Animation Courtyard — quiet, underutilized, and long overdue for transformation — will reopen as something entirely new. On May 26, 2026, Disney’s Hollywood Studios begins its phased debut of The Walt Disney Studios, an outdoor land inspired by the iconic studio lot at The Walt Disney Company’s real headquarters in Burbank, California.
The reimagined courtyard will transport guests onto a version of the famous Burbank campus, complete with architecture mirroring the company’s legendary studio buildings, shaded park-like gathering spaces, and one of the most charming new additions to any Disney park in recent memory: a Disney Animated Character Walk of Fame, where beloved characters have pressed their handprints, footprints, and signatures into cement slabs installed throughout the courtyard pavement. Characters already confirmed include Ursula, Yen Sid, Moana, Maui, and dozens more — a direct and loving nod to the celebrity handprint tradition Hollywood Studios carried since its opening day in 1989, now reimagined entirely for the Disney animated universe.
The new outdoor courtyard is expected to partially open in mid-to-late April 2026, with the full May 26 debut bringing the Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! stage show to the park’s reimagined soundstage. This energetic preschool-friendly live production, already beloved at Disneyland in California, makes its Florida debut as part of the summer season.
The Magic of Disney Animation — Late Summer 2026
The headline attraction of The Walt Disney Studios arrives in late summer 2026. The Magic of Disney Animation takes over the former Star Wars: Launch Bay building, capped by a new full-size Sorcerer Mickey hat — reinstating an icon that generations of Hollywood Studios guests remember from the park’s most celebrated era.
Inside, guests step into a playful, character-inhabited version of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, where the animators have stepped away and the characters themselves have taken over. Six distinct character meet-and-greet areas walk guests through different stages of the filmmaking process. An audio-animatronic Olaf leads interactive drawing classes. A short film experience connects the space to the Emmy Award-winning “Once Upon a Studio.” A whimsical Drawn to Wonderland Playground — featuring an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area inspired by Alice in Wonderland’s original Mary Blair concept art — gives the youngest guests their own dedicated play world.
This is not a passive walkthrough. It is an interactive, layered experience designed to hold families for an extended stay — the kind of attraction Disney calls a “land anchor,” capable of pulling guests toward a section of the park they might otherwise skip.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets — Summer 2026
One of Walt Disney World’s most beloved thrill rides gets a complete creative overhaul this summer. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets replaces the longtime Aerosmith-themed attraction with a Muppets universe adventure featuring the Electric Mayhem band on a high-speed VIP road trip to their biggest concert ever.
The transformation includes a revamped outdoor guitar courtyard, penguin audio engineers, and entirely new on-ride audio and visuals built around Kermit, Miss Piggy, Animal, Fozzie, and the rest of the gang. The high-speed launch coaster format remains — making it one of the few rides in any Disney park that delivers genuine acceleration — while the new creative direction brings the attraction into alignment with a franchise that resonates strongly across generations of park guests. New songs and ride sequences have already been previewed publicly, generating significant enthusiasm from the Disney community.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run — Mandalorian Edition — May 22, 2026
Star Wars fans have one more reason to celebrate before the summer even officially begins. On May 22, 2026 — four days before the broader Hollywood Studios debut events — Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run receives its most significant upgrade since opening, incorporating The Mandalorian and Grogu into the mission narrative.
New scenes featuring Mando and Grogu are integrated throughout the experience, using real-time rendering technology that makes each flight feel distinctly interactive. The engineer position — historically the least engaging cockpit role — receives enhanced functionality, and the mission destination becomes a player-selectable variable, adding genuine replayability for frequent guests. The upgrade launches simultaneously at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in California, signaling the scale of the investment.
Soarin’ Across America — May 26, 2026
In one of the most thematically significant debut decisions in EPCOT’s recent history, Soarin’ Across America — a brand-new version of the beloved Soarin’ attraction — opens at Walt Disney World on May 26, 2026, in direct celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The new film replaces the global tour format with a sweeping, majestic flight across the American landscape, offering a gift to domestic guests and international visitors alike that lands with particular resonance in a milestone year for the nation. The simultaneous California launch reinforces the scope of the investment.
What Is Under Construction: Three Parks, Three New Worlds
Monstropolis — Hollywood Studios
Construction crews broke ground, and as of this week vertical construction has officially begun on the Monsters, Inc.-inspired land that will eventually fill the south side of Hollywood Studios. Monstropolis replaces the former Muppets Courtyard — which closed in 2025 — and expands the park’s footprint into what was previously a portion of its parking infrastructure.
At its center will be a suspended roller coaster inspired by the climactic doors-chase sequence from the original 2001 Pixar film — a design that will make it the first suspended coaster ever built at a Disney theme park. The coaster will run entirely indoors, surrounding guests in the kinetic, screaming-door energy of the film’s most iconic sequence. Supporting the coaster will be immersive dining, shopping, and a new live theater show whose details remain under wraps. Disney has confirmed that Monstropolis will also incorporate a vertical lift mechanism, a second first for the company’s domestic parks.
No opening date has been announced, but the pace of vertical construction signals a late 2027 or 2028 target.
Tropical Americas — Animal Kingdom
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the transformation of the former DinoLand, U.S.A. into Tropical Americas is well underway. The 11-acre replacement land introduces guests to Pueblo Esperanza — a fictional “village of hope” set at the heart of a lush Central American rainforest — designed with the layered cultural architecture and landscaping that has become the signature of Animal Kingdom’s most celebrated experiences.
Tropical Americas will house three distinct mini-areas. The most anticipated anchor is the first-ever Encanto ride-through attraction, which immerses guests in the Madrigal family’s magical Casita from the moment Antonio receives his gift and transforms his room into a rainforest. A second major attraction brings Indiana Jones to the park for the first time in Florida in a brand-new storyline. A character carousel at the village center will let riders mount playful sculptures of beloved Disney animal companions — Timon and Pumbaa, Abu, Squirt, Eeyore, and others. A grand hacienda housing one of the largest quick-service restaurants on Walt Disney World property will anchor the dining landscape.
Construction is active across the site. The target opening is 2027.
Piston Peak National Park — Magic Kingdom
The most geographically dramatic expansion project currently underway at Walt Disney World is transforming a significant portion of Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. Piston Peak National Park — themed to Pixar’s Cars universe and inspired by the aesthetic of America’s great national park lodges — replaces the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to create a sweeping new park-within-a-park experience.
As of late March 2026, vertical construction has officially begun at Piston Peak — a milestone reached after nearly a year of demolition and site preparation. The land will host two Cars-themed rides: one described as an “off-road” thrill experience, and a second family-friendly attraction. A visitor lodge and ranger headquarters will anchor the dining and retail experience, built with heavy wooden beams, scenic overlooks, and the immersive architectural storytelling that defines Disney’s best land design.
The sheer scale of the Magic Kingdom expansion is remarkable even by Disney standards. Behind Piston Peak, construction walls also delineate the footprint of the future Villains Land — a dedicated expansion between Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion that will give Disney’s iconic antagonists their first dedicated home in the parks. No opening date has been confirmed for Villains Land, but the property has been formally cleared and planning is active.
The Coolest Summer Ever — And What It Means for Florida Tourism
Walt Disney World has officially branded summer 2026 the “Coolest Summer Ever” — a marketing framework built around the cascade of new experiences opening between May and September. New attractions, the return of beloved programming, and special seasonal pricing structures including an After 2 p.m. discounted ticket starting at $235 are designed to drive attendance across the broadest demographic range the resort has targeted in years.
The resort is also offering complimentary water park admission on check-in day for guests staying at Disney Resort hotels from May 26 through September 8. Both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach will be operating during the season. Disney+ subscribers are receiving exclusive resort rate promotions, integrating the streaming platform’s subscriber base directly into the parks’ revenue ecosystem.
For the hotel industry, food and beverage operators, transportation providers, and retail businesses that surround Walt Disney World’s 25,000-acre property in Orange, Osceola, and Lake counties, a summer of this volume represents enormous economic opportunity. When Disney drives attendance — and a summer with five significant new openings will drive attendance — the ripple effect reaches every corner of the Central Florida economy.
The Numbers Behind the Magic: Disney’s Florida Footprint
Florida’s Largest Single-Site Employer
Walt Disney World Resort employs approximately 80,000 cast members across its theme parks, resort hotels, water parks, and administrative operations — making it the largest single-site employer in the state of Florida. That workforce is 78 percent full-time, 15 percent part-time, and 7 percent seasonal, drawing from communities across Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, and Lake counties. Cast members earn an average of $18 to $25 per hour plus benefits, generating direct wage income that circulates throughout Central Florida neighborhoods and local businesses.
$40 Billion in Annual Economic Impact
An Oxford Economics study commissioned by Disney documented that Walt Disney World Resort generated $40 billion in total economic impact across Florida in fiscal year 2022 — a figure that represents a combination of direct spending, supply chain activity, and the economic output generated by Disney-supported employees. The same study identified 263,000 total Florida jobs — direct and indirect — attributable to Disney’s presence. That is one in every 32 jobs in the state of Florida.
The resort also generated $6.6 billion in tax revenue in 2022, including $3.1 billion in state and local taxes that fund public services across the region. As Disney’s investment activity accelerates in 2025 and 2026, those figures are trending upward.
2,500 Florida Small Businesses in Disney’s Supply Chain
Walt Disney World works with more than 2,500 Florida small businesses to deliver the guest experiences visible across its parks, hotels, and dining venues. From specialty food suppliers to construction subcontractors, costume fabricators to entertainment production houses, the resort’s operational footprint creates a supplier ecosystem that reaches small and mid-sized Florida companies across dozens of industries. For those businesses, a period of major expansion at the resort — like the current multi-park construction wave — translates directly into contracts, employment, and revenue.
Disney Lakeshore Lodge: A New Florida Resort on the Horizon
While the park expansions command the largest headlines, Walt Disney World’s resort hotel development pipeline is also generating activity. Disney Lakeshore Lodge, a brand-new resort hotel in development on the property, is currently projected to open in 2027. Following the successful December 2024 debut of the Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows, Lakeshore Lodge represents the next chapter in the resort’s ongoing effort to add premium accommodation capacity ahead of rising demand.
The hotel will join a Disney resort portfolio that already operates dozens of on-site hotels across multiple price tiers, keeping tens of thousands of guests within Disney’s ecosystem from arrival to departure — and feeding billions of dollars in accommodation spending into the resort’s own revenue base while supporting thousands of hospitality jobs on the property.
Looking Ahead: The Decade Disney Is Building
The current wave of expansion at Walt Disney World is not the entirety of what Disney is building in Florida. It is the first phase.
Disney has publicly described a five-year investment plan in which spending is “backloaded” into the second half of the decade — meaning the years from 2030 to 2035 represent even more intensive capital deployment than what is currently visible. The projects currently under construction at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom are, in Disney’s own framing, the near-term foundation for what comes next.
The construction discipline on display in 2026 — three parks building simultaneously, major openings staggered across a single summer season, a new resort hotel rising in parallel — signals that the company is executing a long-range plan with unusual precision. For Florida, that means the economic benefit of Disney’s expansion is not a one-time event. It is a sustained, multi-year stimulus flowing through construction employment, hospitality jobs, supply chain contracts, tax revenue, and the millions of visitors whose Walt Disney World trips anchor Central Florida’s position as one of the world’s most visited tourism destinations.
About Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort is located in Orange and Osceola counties in Central Florida, spanning approximately 25,000 acres near Orlando. The resort encompasses four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom — two water parks, dozens of resort hotels, Disney Springs, and a wide range of entertainment and dining experiences. Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, and today serves tens of millions of domestic and international guests annually. The resort is operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), whose parks and experiences division generated $9.1 billion in revenue in Q3 2025 alone. For more information, visit disneyworld.com.
Media and Press Inquiries
Walt Disney World Communications Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 disneyexperiences.com
Visit Orlando 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821 visitorlando.com
Orlando Economic Partnership 20 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, Florida 32801 orlando.org
This press release was independently researched and written using publicly verified sources including official Disney Parks Blog announcements, Disney Experiences official expansion pages, Fantasy Land News, WDW News Today, MickeyVisit, Oxford Economics research, and current local Florida news coverage. All facts reflect publicly available information verified as of April 15, 2026. Economic figures are sourced from the Oxford Economics study commissioned by Disney and released in November 2023. This release is not affiliated with or authorized by The Walt Disney Company.
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