The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) has requested a 60-day extension for the ongoing discussions between the state and Walt Disney World over a permit that would be the first step in the demolition and area development for the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom. The extension request came after the state’s water management district notified Disney that they had 10 days to correct a permit application or face a denial of the permit.
Extension Requested for Rivers of America Permit
While the permit encompasses the Rivers of America, it’s more than that. As you can see in the screenshot below, the permit calls for the creation of three laydown yards. In construction, a laydown yard is typically a space where staging of equipment and materials can occur. The laydown yards would be significant in size and scope. They would require the demolition of forested areas along the northwestern section of Magic Kingdom and nearby backstage areas.
We first called out the permit hiccups back in September, and Disney World has not filed any updates to the permit application since then. The original permit was filed back in August, shortly after the projects were announced at the D23 Expo.
Back in August, Walt Disney World announced that the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island would be replaced by the previously-announced Cars-themed expansion to Frontierland.
It’s time to leave Radiator Springs and head west into exciting new locations. To make way for this completely new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world’s most iconic racers.
While the first phase of this project will very likely be focused on just the Cars-themed attractions, the second half of this area development will be for the Villains-themed land that should sit in the northwestern corner of Magic Kingdom, past Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion. Walt Disney World has not released any concept art showing the exact location of the land, but best estimates put it north of the Cars-themed expansion to Frontierland.
The back-and-fourth between the state’s water management district and Walt Disney World is not necessarily uncommon, but the scope of the SFWMD’s request for additional information is substantial. The extensive request will obviously take Disney more time to address, and it could delay the construction project for the Cars-themed area, which was originally announced to begin in “early 2025”.
It would seem unlikely that Walt Disney World could begin construction without the approval of this permit. A 60-day extension would be February 1, 2025, and that’s just for Disney’s response. The response will take some amount of time for the water management district to read through and approve. Should there be more incomplete information, this permitting process could easily slip into Spring or beyond.
Regardless, Walt Disney World will move forward with this project, but it might just be on a longer timeline than previously announced. That’s frustrating for fans who have watched Walt Disney World get lapped time and again by the construction pace of Universal Orlando down the road, and it puts Disney in a bad spot when it comes to keeping its theme parks competitive in a difficult tourism landscape.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
