The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has approved an application from Walt Disney World to add two new buildings, likely to be utilized by Walt Disney Imagineering, near Magic Kingdom. The construction area is on the north end of the STOLport site, near the Magic Kingdom parking lot. This area has previously been utilized by Walt Disney Imagineering and third-party contractors for offices related to projects in the area. The recent permit approval gives Disney the green light to substantially expand the use of the area as a massive Magic Kingdom expansion project gets underway. Here’s the latest.
Imagineering Expands Offices Near Magic Kingdom
The SFWMD has approved “Project K”, a construction project that will impact 12.5 acres on the north end of the STOLport site near Magic Kingdom. In the past, this area has been used by Walt Disney Imagineering for trailer offices, but it looks like Disney is implementing a more “permanent” pair of structures on this site.
As you can see in the permit screenshot below, the project location is at the north end of STOLport, a long-abandoned small aircraft airstrip. It is right next to the Magic Kingdom parking lot and just south of the Magic Kingdom theme park.
Here’s a look at the old use of the site. For years, there were a few trailers scattered around the perimeter of a slab parking lot. More recently, additional trailers have arrived, but it has always been a sort of permanent/temporary setup.
According to the permit, Project K proposes infrastructure to support the addition of two buildings in a developed area of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S., Inc. property known as STOLport. Infrastructure includes parking, sidewalks, utilities, and drainage collection/conveyance systems. Two existing dry retention ponds onsite will be modified, one to a dry detention pond and the other to a wet detention pond. The existing control structures will remain, and orifices and a weir will be added to support the new design.
The project comprises of roughly 12.5 acres of impact, and the permit was approved by the SFWMD just a couple of days before Thanksgiving.
Here’s a look at the planned modifications to the area. We’ve overlaid the permit screenshot with a Google Maps screenshot to give you an idea of the scope of the work. We’ve also included a screenshot of just the permit, showcasing the changes.
Back in 2019, Disney filed permits to create roadways between STOLport and the upcoming Disney Lakeshore Lodge construction site. With most of the big construction on the site some 80% complete, it looks like Disney is turning its sights onto new projects in the area with these new buildings.
Walt Disney World has not returned a request for comment on the use of these new buildings, so we assume that they’ll still be utilized by Walt Disney Imagineering. If that’s the case, they are likely additional support buildings for work in and around Magic Kingdom.
With some Walt Disney Imagineering project team trailers already installed near Magic Kingdom for the Villains Land and Cars-themed Frontierland expansion projects, the increased presence of Imagineering in this area is interesting. While I think it’s very likely that this expansion is to support the projects underway, it is possible that there is a more long-term play here as well.
For everything we know about the upcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, check out our dedicated Villains Land page below!
For everything we know about the Cars-themed expansion to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, check out our dedicated project page below!
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!
