Turbocharged: Walt Disney World Files Record Number of Construction Permits to Start 2025

After our report from last week saying that Disney announced a $3 billion increase in capital expenditure spending up to $8 billion this year, we dive into permit data to try and quantify the increase.

A few caveats before we jump in. First, the $8 billion in capital expenditures is across the entire Disney company – not just the theme parks. In 2024, domestic theme park investments accounted for 50% of Disney’s total capital expenditure spend. Furthermore, domestic capital expenditure theme park spending includes Walt Disney World and Disneyland (and likely Disney Cruise Line).

With some significant caveats, and with data that isn’t granular enough to reveal the exact Walt Disney World spending, we have to get a little bit creative when trying to quantify spending at Disney’s Orlando theme parks. Enter: Notice of Commencement permits.

Record Number of Permits Filed to Start 2025

We took a look at 25 years of data, dating back to 2000, and found that Walt Disney World has filed a record number of permits in January 2025. According to data from the Orange County Comptroller, Disney filed a whopping 213 Notice of Commencement permits in January 2025. This is a 44% increase over 2024, and a 12% increase over the next-closest year when Dinsey filed 190 permits in 2022.

According to Orange County, Florida’s Construction Lien Law FS§713. requires the recording of a Notice of Commencement (NOC) for real property improvements greater than $5,000. We typically track NOC permits to get some insight into improvements that Walt Disney World makes to its theme parks and resorts.

Of those 213 Notice of Commencement permits, Walt Disney Imagineering was responsible for 20 permits. That is the largest number of WDI permits filed in January since 2020 – just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the theme parks.

While the topline number of permits is a record, Imagineering has filed more than 20 permits in January on two occasions – 2020 and 2018. Other than those two years, 20 permits is the highest number of permits for WDI in January going back to 2000 (at least).

Of course, the next question is: are these permits covering new construction projects or maintenance? The answer is a bit of both. Walt Disney World is not only embarking on a number of new projects this year such as an all-new Encanto ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or a Monsters Inc. land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or a Cars-themed expansion at Magic Kingdom, but they also have a number of refurbishment projects happening at the parks as well. Some of the most notable refurbishments include a full rebuild of two attractions at Magic Kingdom – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Astro Orbiter. Other lengthy refurbishments include the Gran Fiesta Tour at EPCOT.

Astro Orbiter ride removed at Magic Kingdom during refurbishment

The Walt Disney Company will have an earnings call this Wednesday, February 5th, and we’re hoping that they provide some more insight into just how much investing they’ll be making in the theme parks over the next 8-10 years.

Back in April 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Walt Disney World would receive $17 billion in capital expenditures over the next decade. So far, it is believed by many that the projects announced so far for Walt Disney World represent the first phase of projects during that decade of growth. It is likely that the Villains land for Magic Kingdom represents the furthest out that Walt Disney World has forecasted, and that more investment will be on the way.

Disney D23 will host the Destination D23 event at Walt Disney World this August. With the event more than doubling in size, we’re hopeful that Disney will have new information about future projects for Walt Disney World!

For now, we’ll go back to watching permits and keeping tally as to just how much construction is taking place around Walt Disney World.

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!

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