Nearly 3.5 years after it was first announced, Walt Disney World is closing in on a project start date for the planned affordable housing project near the theme park complex. In this article, we’re going to take a look at the recently filed plans and the history of the project, as it appears that a groundbreaking date could slip into 2026. Here’s the latest!
Walt Disney World Files Plans to Begin Affordable Housing Project Construction
Before we take a look at a brief history of the affordable housing project, let’s get the key points of the new news. Walt Disney World and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) have filed a joint submission with the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) for construction activities related to the previously announced affordable housing project.
This new filing starts the countdown to groundbreaking. The SFWMD has a month to review the application and then make any requests for additional information. In the past, we’ve seen the SFWMD take the entire month before making a request or giving the plans a thumbs up.
We’ll take a closer look at the plans in a minute, but in order to understand where we’re going, let’s take a look at where we’ve been.
Back in April 2022, Walt Disney World announced its intention to donate 80 acres of land for an affordable housing project near Flamingo Crossings on the west side of Walt Disney World property.
By November of that same year, Walt Disney World shared more details about the project, including an official announcement revealing the project site. Disney also announced that it selected The Michaels Organization as the developer for the project. Disney said that a final agreement was still being negotiated with The Michaels Organization.
By June 2023, Walt Disney Imagineering filed a rezoning request to get the ball rolling on the affordable housing project. The rezoning request meant that plans would go in front of Orange County officials, opening the project up to public comments from area residents. As BlogMickey.com covered extensively, local residents speaking at the public meetings were largely opposed to the project.
Early 2024 saw new concept art released for the project, and continued community engagement by Disney, and pushback from area residents. Also in early 2024, the project narrowly passed a vote from the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission by a 4-3 margin.
Disney continued to engage with the community as it modified plans based on feedback. A March 2024 vote by the Orange County Commissioners effectively ended the public opposition as Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings limited public comments and rolled past a recommendation from other council members to postpone a vote. Disney’s affordable housing plans passed 4-2 during the first reading.
In October 2024, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-1 in favor of the development. At the time, a webpage for the project said that groundbreaking was scheduled for late 2024, with the first residents planned to be moved in sometime in 2026. The groundbreaking timeframe came and went.
Our most recent update on the project came in late May 2025, when the project still hadn’t received final approval for the rezoning request. By that time, Walt Disney World had updated its project webpage to indicate that groundbreaking was now scheduled for sometime in 2025. Any mention of a move-in timeframe was removed from the webpage.
It’s possible that the move-in date will also be pushed back, perhaps into 2027. Walt Disney World has previously said that a full buildout would take five years.
That brings us to today, when CFTOD and Disney filed a new set of plans with the SFWMD to move the project forward. The plans appear to be substantially consistent with previously announced plans. Most notably, the construction will take place in four phases, with a fifth and sixth phase possible for roadway improvements following the full housing buildout. Plans call for 1,369 units and some 2,200 parking spots for a multifamily development and supporting infrastructure.
As we understand it, this latest submission signals an intent to begin development. Whereas the previous requests were for rezoning, this request essentially tells the South Florida Water Management District that crews are ready to begin work and that they’re seeking approval to begin construction activities that would impact water management in the area. With all other rezoning and construction permits approved, this appears to be the final request for a green light to begin construction.
Similar to how Disney was able to move forward with the draining of the Rivers of America (and upcoming demolition), a SFWMD green light would allow Disney to move forward with the affordable housing project.
If Disney doesn’t face any significant hurdles, it’s possible that they could receive a green light as soon as next month. If there is any back-and-forth between Disney and the SFWMD, it’s possible that a groundbreaking would be delayed until 2026.
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!