After a very tense battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, there’s hope that reconciliation is on the way. At least on the part of the district where the Disney property is located. There’s an upcoming vote that could heavily shape the future of Walt Disney World in Orlando. If this new agreement passes, there’s a good chance that we may even see a 5th Disney park within the resort in the next ten years.
According to local news outlets, this new agreement would allow Disney to develop more land to create the aforementioned 5th park. It would also include the creation of 2 more small parks. These can be similar to the water parks that already exist on property. This expansion would also bring the construction of 14,000 new hotel rooms. Of course, everything would be accompanied by extra shopping and dining facilities. It could drastically change the outlook of the resort within the next decade.
Part of the agreement that will be voted on would see Disney spend $8 billion on its parks within a decade and up to $17 billion in the next 20 years. The company would also have to put up the bill for an affordable housing project that the city is looking to complete. That is the deal that’s in place as part of the lobbying that’s gone on between the politicians and The Mouse House. This expansion would extend Disney’s dominance as the largest single employer in the state as well. The expansion is set to add thousands more jobs.
On the part of local authorities, one of the projects that they would be concerned with involves helping reduce traffic around the entrance to Disney Springs. One of the proposals currently on the table is to upgrade the I-4 ramps around Disney and build bypass lanes to keep cars flowing. This can help cars who are not going to the park not to have to deal with the lines that are forming on the roads around the resort from people who are trying to enter the happiest place on earth.
A few years back, this development was certainly not something that anyone had expected. Disney and the Governor’s office were locked in a legal battle that made it to Federal Courts over control of the district. At the end of the day, it seems that this compromise will be beneficial to both sides. Disney will be granted the opportunity to develop more land in the region to continue being the main attraction within Orlando. On the government side, job creation is one of the big wins that the Governor is likely going to be able to hang his hat on. Of course, this whole project can also end up helping anyone who has to drive near the parks on their way to work.
