One question has interested Walt Disney World visitors for years: Will Disney ever build a fifth theme park in Orlando? There’s already plenty to fill a vacation with Disney’s existing four theme parks, two water parks, resort recreational activities, and hundreds of restaurants. All the same, the question of a fifth park has loomed in the background for a long time, especially as Universal Orlando opened its third theme park, Universal Epic Universe, in 2025.
As fans ponder Disney World’s possible plans for a fifth theme park (there is not one currently announced), another question likely never even crosses their minds: Is Disney allowed to build a fifth park? A Florida governing body took the next steps toward a fifth Disney World theme park becoming a reality. We have details on what may be coming, what’s not on the table, and a timeline for future expansion. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including every Disney World “value”-tier resort ranked and our pick for a great Disney waterfront bar with fireworks views.
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Florida District Paves Way for Disney World Expansions
Before we get deep into this article. We need to explicitly state that there is not currently a fifth theme park that has been announced by Disney, but in the past year they have received the government approval. We have all those details and the update that just happened.
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To call Walt Disney World massive would be an understatement. The 43-square-mile property encompasses four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach), a dining/shopping complex (Disney Springs), and over 20 resort hotels, among other attractions.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), formerly the Reedy Creek Improvement District, is a government body that assesses the land use of the huge Disney World property.
Disney cannot move forward with certain large-scale projects without the CFTOD’s approval, as the district determines how specific plots of land across the Disney property can be utilized. Specifically, the district categorizes parcels as “suitable,” “marginally suitable,” “marginally unsuitable,” or “unsuitable” for development.
When the CFTOD determines certain land as “suitable” for development, that doesn’t necessarily mean the land will be developed, just that Disney legally can develop it if they choose to do so.
The CFTOD compiled a 406-page document entitled Comprehensive Plan 2045 in an effort to “provide the basis for future decisions regarding land use, development, conservation, and infrastructure” in September 2025.
The document covers a lot of ground, but for the purposes of discussing potential theme park expansions, there are a few points we’d like to highlight, followed by an update from a new document made public in July 2026.
Comprehensive Plan 2045 deemed several currently undeveloped locations as “suitable” for development across Walt Disney World property, designated by the salmon color on the map above. These include the following locations that are physically connected to existing Disney World theme parks:
- the spot at Magic Kingdom that will become Villains Land
- a small sliver north of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom
- west of the EPCOT parking lot
- north of Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney has been on a kick of large-scale expansions to existing parks, with active construction sites present for Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom, Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Comprehensive Plan 2045 indicates where additional expansions could be headed next.
Fifth Disney World Theme Park Possibility
The Comprehensive Plan 2045 document also noted that, if Disney wants to, it can build a maximum of one new “major theme park” and one new “minor theme park” by 2035, with an additional “minor theme park” allotted by 2045.
CFTOD defines Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom as “major theme parks.” It defines Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Disney’s Blizzard Beach, and ESPN Wide World of Sports as “minor theme parks,” even if guests generally don’t perceive those entities with that verbiage.
Comprehensive Plan 2045 emphasized that there were “no plans under review” for any new major or minor theme parks as of September 2025.
Providing some possibilities of where potential future parks could be located, Comprehensive Plan 2045 deemed the following undeveloped spots that are not currently connected to any Disney theme park as “suitable” or “marginally suitable” for development:
- west of Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- between World Drive and I-4
- between Osceola Parkway and US 192
- north of Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course
- near Lake Mable
- east of Magic Kingdom’s parking lot
- west of Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Comprehensive Plan 2045 noted that 50% of Walt Disney World’s land will remain undeveloped, with most of that “designated as Conservation to acknowledge and preserve its sensitive environmental features.”
The 2026 Verdict on Disney’s Expansion Possibilities
Moving on from the above information, all of which was made public in September 2025, the CFTOD Planning Board met on July 24, 2026, to vote on the amendments required of the district Land Development Regulations (LDR) for the designations laid out in Comprehensive Plan 2045 to take effect, described in a 162-page LDR document.
The district unanimously approved this legislation, according to Blog Mickey, who was in attendance at the board meeting.
The LDR document noted that two new “minor theme parks” are allowed by 2035, not just one as previously stated, but the total number of new minor theme parks by 2045 remains at two. The number of new “major theme parks” allowed by 2035 remains at one, and it does not change through 2045.
This means that if Disney wants to, it is allowed to build one new theme park any time between now and 2045. The most important word in that sentence is “if,” and it’s a big if. Disney has not announced any intentions to build another theme park in Florida.
The documentation also permits Disney to build up to two concepts in the same category as a water park or sports complex by that time.
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Why Disney World is Not Planning Another Theme Park Right Now
Despite Disney World legally being able to build one new theme park by 2045, there are no announced plans for a fifth gate, and we don’t expect that to change anytime soon.
While some might see the opening of Universal Epic Universe, Orlando’s first new theme park in 26 years, as a challenge that Disney must inevitably answer with a new theme park of its own, it seems Disney is more interested in strengthening its existing four theme parks rather than adding another park to the mix. However, Disney’s future interests do share a common trait with Epic Universe: a continued focus on large-scale lands tied to mega-franchise fandoms.
It’s with projects of this nature that we see Disney continuing to prioritize in full force, but its approach differs by allocating those assets toward existing theme parks rather than grouping them as part of a hypothetical fifth Disney World theme park. Major projects in this category include Villains Land and Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom, Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In turn, these projects are all partially replacing areas of those parks that Disney deemed as underperforming in guest traffic and ratings. The priority is strengthening parks rather than adding parks. Right now, the Animal Kingdom theme park for instance is the least visited of the four Walt Disney World parks and there is room for more future expansions there vs building a fifth theme park that also needs to be developed.
As evidenced by this, Disney doesn’t always turn toward undeveloped land to expand its parks. This is important when considering the CFTOD’s decisions on which areas of undeveloped land are “suitable” for Disney to build new theme park areas adjacent to existing parks. Of the major expansions under construction right now, Villains Land is the only project being built partially on previously undeveloped property. Monstropolis and Tropical Americas are being constructed on plots that were previously other theme park areas that closed and backstage spaces.
Therefore, in considering future large-scale projects at existing Disney World theme parks, building on undeveloped land is not the only option.
We may also be seeing Disney focus on the existing four theme parks because they feel that they have already matched with the average length of a vacation for an American family. Without an increase in vacation days, it would be difficult to prioritize a fifth theme park.
If guests typically want to spend one day per park, then Disneyland Resort, which currently has two theme parks, could be a contender to get a new park before Disney World, based on Disney trying to extend the amount of time guests spend at that destination.
Disneyland fans may recognize Disney World’s reliance on the CFTOD’s jurisdiction as similar to the relationship Disney has with the city of Anaheim, particularly regarding Anaheim’s approval of DisneylandForward in 2024. That approval granted Disney the legal right to develop sections of the Disneyland property as potential future theme park space, should it choose to do so.
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