I'm a Disney expert who's visited 50 times – what to expect from their new Florida theme park from Fortnite to Frozen
WALT Disney World have filed plans to add a fifth theme park to their Florida resort - which is major news for families heading to Orlando.
Disney is already big business in Florida, heavily contributing to the
Advertisement
7
Helen is a Disney expert and content creator at @passportstampsuk who has been to Orlando over 50 times
Credit: Helen Wright
7
The iconic Disney castle has been the icon of Walt Disney World since 1971, but live-action films and computer games could dominate the new park
Credit: Helen Wright
As someone who has visited the theme parks in Florida more than 50 times, this is exciting news and could potentially change everything when it comes to theme park holidays - especially for Brits.
Heading to Florida is not a cheap trip, with many families I speak to through my website
For some, a potential new theme park opening is brilliant news, as once you've booked and paid to get to the US, you'll be getting even more for your money.
Advertisement
But, in reality, this means your Disney holiday will cost you even more, as a new theme park will likely mean a longer trip is necessary and even more cash needed for food, drinks and hotels.
Ultimately, this is what Disney really wants - to welcome guests and keep them
Walt Disney World is already Florida's unofficial city, bigger in size than Miami.
So first-timers to the resort often have no idea what to expect and it
A whole new world
As someone who first went to Walt Disney World at the age of eight and has returned almost every year since, I have seen
Advertisement
With Disney acquiring franchises like Pixar, Lucasfilm, The Chronicles of Narnia and National Geographic, the potential for this new theme park is endless.
With Universal Orlando Resort opening the new
However, it's unlikely that we'll see the impact of that change for another
Some reports are suggesting the 'fifth gate', an insider name for a completely new theme park, won't open until 2045!
7
Helen's children, pictured with partner, Simon, will be almost grown up by the time the new Disney park opens in Florida
Credit: Helen Wright
Advertisement
7
Disney has made an application, pictured, to build a whole new theme park in Orlando
Credit: Central Florida Tourism Oversight District'
My children are now five and eight, meaning they could be in their mid-twenties by the time it opens. I will be 60!
However, I think things will move a lot faster.
Epic Universe, which opened in May 2025, is now the
However, Disney still have some magic up their sleeve, with the announcement of the new
Advertisement
This land, based on Disney baddies such as Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty and Hades from Hercules, will add a new dynamic to the existing park and change the pace from cute characters and pretty princesses to a darker, more mischievous vibe.
After first being announced in 2019, Universal Orlando officially
Using this as a guide, realistically, we won't see the gates open to the new Disney park until at least 2035.
Disney fans can, however, look forward to a new area of the Magic Kingdom Park
This will happen much sooner, rumoured to be opening in 2027.
Advertisement
This expansion itself will be the largest in
Like many other theme park enthusiasts and Disney fans, I have some ideas on what the new Disney park will feature.
From cutting-edge tech and immersive, live-action encounters, these are my predictions on what we might get to experience at Walt
Live-Action Land
7
Live-action movies have made over $7bn at the box office, so Disney will want to capitalise on the popularity
Credit: Helen Wright
The original
Advertisement
Fast forward 70 years, and both the movies and the theme parks have come a very long way.
Disney's live-action movies have made over $7bn at the box office since 2010, and franchises like
So, it makes sense that Disney will want to have a modern, high-tech theme park, based on the most popular live-action Disney films, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.
Attractions are likely to be similar in style to the new, jaw-dropping Harry Potter and
I expect the attractions to be fully immersive, featuring state-of-the-art video projections that use the original actors, an animated queue line and a physical ride.
Advertisement
Fortnite and Interactive Gaming
One entertainment space that Disney Parks have not yet fully explored is the concept of
This is a dedicated theme park land, based on a video game, or games, that incorporates a gaming element into the lands, projections and rides.
Think
In 2024, Disney announced they were collaborating with Epic Games, who own the worldwide phenomenon, Fortnite.
At the time, Robert A. Iger, Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company, said: "This marks Disney's biggest entry ever into the world of games and offers significant opportunities for growth and expansion.
Advertisement
"We can't wait for fans to experience the
Epic Games already works with Unreal Engine, a software developer, and Disney has hinted they will collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe.
Unreal Engine was used in the creation of more than 15 Disney Parks attractions, including
Star Wars:
Galaxy's Edge. So watch this space.
Moana Water Park
In the new development plans, Disney have requested space for the new theme park as well as two 'small' theme park spaces, which could very well be used for a new water park.
Disney currently has two water parks,
Advertisement
The film, which is set on a fictional Polynesian island, would be ideal to create a water park around, but incorporating modern elements like a water coaster, as seen on
DisneySEA Florida
7
DisneySEA in Tokyo is one of the most unique Disney parks in the world, so a version could be created in the US
One of the most unique Disney parks in the world is Japan's
This is an entire theme park, which sits alongside Japan's other Disney park,
Advertisement
This would be ideal after the success of Disney's live-action
Plus, Florida DisneySEA would be a
None of the existing parks have a specially-themed water area, so this would be a perfect addition.
Plus, the plans include requests for an underground basement level. Could this be to build a lake and river that would need to be below ground, for visual effect and purification?
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel is a hotly debated topic in the realm of Florida theme parks, with Disney's biggest rival in Orlando currently holding the rights to original comic book brands, such as
Advertisement
While Disney now own Marvel and can create commercial properties with the brand in Europe, Asia and on the US's West Coast, they are not permitted to use the Marvel brand in the east of the US, where Walt Disney World is located.
However, since Disney's acquisition with Marvel in 2009, there are some
Marvel movies and characters that didn't exist when the intellectual rights were drawn up, are free to be
That led to the opening of
Advertisement
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
There is no doubt Disney will want to create a modern theme park with this theme, which lends itself perfectly to the modern lands and attractions we have come to expect in the digital age.
Rumours have been circulating for years that Universal will sell the Marvel brand back to Disney and re-brand their space at
This could lead to an entire
Animation World Showcase
7
Disney's most beloved movies could be celebrated around a large lake, just like at Japan's DisneySEA, pictured here
Advertisement
Finally, the size of the proposed theme park at Walt Disney World could make way for a new version of
This classic area of Disney's EPCOT park features pavilions themed on 11 different countries around the world.
With diversity at the forefront of Disney's movie projects, this could lead to an animated
The most obvious franchise would be
Advertisement
The picturesque, snow-covered fictional kingdom would be perfect if set around an
Other animated film pavilions could include a Mexican-themed Encanto, Italian-inspired Luca, Machu Picchu from The Emperor's New Groove and San Francisco from Inside-Out - another huge, yet under represented Disney movie across the parks.
Disney has yet to comment on the new plans but, like
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Olivia Rodrigo sends fans wild as she brings out Ed Sheeran at huge sold out BST gig ahead of Glastonbury slot
OLIVIA Rodrigo sent her fans wild tonight when she surprised them by bringing out Ed Sheeran at her sold out BST gig in Hyde Park. Just two days before she closes Glastonbury Festival, Olivia proved why she's one of the best pop stars on the planet with a set jam-packed with catchy, angsty anthems. 5 Olivia Rodrigo performed a powerful set at BST tonight Credit: AP 5 The singer had a special guest waiting in the wings 5 Ed and Olivia performed his hit The A Team Credit: The Sun And superstar Ed's cameo was the icing on the cake of a glorious sunny day in the capital. Drivers License singer Olivia, 22, dressed to impress for her huge headline show, kicking off in a black sequined leotard. Ahead of the performance, she was able to unwind in her own private sanctuary with organisers adapting the backstage area with wildflower planters. And it was much needed as Olivia used up every ounce of energy in a lively set split into three parts. READ MORE ON OLIVIA RODRIGO It was in the final part that Ed came out for a rendition of his early hit The A Team, having watched the show from the side of the stage. Olivia introduced him as "one of the best songwriters of all time". There were famous faces in the crowd including James Corden, who stood beside Olivia's boyfriend Louis Partridge, and Sabrina Carpenter, who will perform on the same stage next week. Ed's no stranger to guest appearances, having stepped on stage with everyone from Limp Bizkit to Stormzy and Taylor Swift. Most read in Music And his acoustic anthem lent itself perfectly to Disney Channel starlet to 46million monthly listeners on Spotify , 14 Grammy nominations and collaborations with David Byrne and . Olivia Rodrigo praised for her 'iconic' FireAid performance - but fans all have the same complaint In 2016, Olivia was cast in Disney's Bizaardvark and three years later she starred in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a mockumentary that sees a bunch of teens putting on a stage production of the hit. Between High School Musical takes, the young actress worked away on her guitar, writing more music, until eventually Disney bosses invited her to create an original song for her character to sing in the show. The piano ballad that emerged — All I Want — went viral, and she was soon in line for a record deal. But unlike others who went from Disney favourite to superstar, such as Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez, Olivia shunned the in-house label and decided to do things her own way. Everything changed overnight in January 2021 when Olivia released her debut single Drivers License in the middle of winter lockdown. It became the first song on Spotify to hit 80million streams in just seven days. The tune also shot straight to No1 on charts globally and propelled her into what she called a 'crash course in adulthood'. 'That was the craziest time of my life,' she said back then. 'I was sitting in a grocery store parking lot, and I called my A&R guy. 'It had just gone No 1 on Apple music, which is hard for a pop act to do. 'We were looking at each other on FaceTime, speechless. 'That was the moment I knew that it was going to be something bigger than I expected.' Her second single, Deja Vu, was certified four times platinum in the States, then May 2021 saw the release of her debut album Sour, with pop-punk hit Good 4 U going six times platinum in the US. She earned rave reviews from critics, while artists including Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne heaped praise upon her. Her first live performance in the UK was at the Brit awards in 2021, while her festival debut here was at Glastonbury the following year. In just a few short years, she's now at the very top of the pile, holding her own beside fellow headliners The 1975 and Neil Young. 5 Ed loves collaborating with artists from all genres Credit: The Mega Agency 5 Olivia says she'd prefer to be known as a great songwriter than a pop star Credit: Getty
Irish Daily Star
6 hours ago
- Irish Daily Star
That's So Raven star pregnant and determinedly says child 'will be a feminist'
Anneliese van der Pol is pregnant with her first child with husband Johnno Wilson . The That's So Raven actress is expecting her first child with her actor husband, who played her ex-husband on Disney sitcom sequel Raven's Home. A rep for the 40-year-old couple confirmed the news to PEOPLE . They also confirmed that the Anneliese and Johnno will be having a baby girl who is to arrive later in October. "We're having a girl! I have two sisters and I could not be happier to bring another girl into the sisterhood," Anneliese told the outlet, while disclosing they found out the gender when Johnno hit a golf ball that erupted into pink powder. "I didn't realize how much I wanted a girl until he swung and it went pink." Read More Related Articles Orlando Bloom seen leaving his hotel as he heads to Jeff Bezos' wedding alone Read More Related Articles Bruce Springsteen's most political songs as he releases Tracks II: The Lost Albums "Of course, you just want a healthy child, and a boy would've been exciting too, but there's something about a girl in this time that I'm just so proud of," she continued. "I don't want her to be a performer or care if she's a she WILL be a feminist." The couple is pregnant with their first child (Image: anneliesevanderpol/Instagram) We'll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story. Please check back regularly for updates on this developing story HERE. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion, and video on the stories that matter to you by following Irish Star every time you see our name.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Unique Portugal beach named one of Europe's best with orange cliffs and nearby UK royal house
THERE is a beautiful beach in Europe where you might bump into a royal couple. Galé Fontainhas Beach, called one of the most beautiful in Europe, is in the 4 Galé Fontainhas Beach has a huge beach and towering orange cliffs Credit: Alamy 4 Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack split time between London and Portugal Credit: Instagram Galé Fontainhas Beach is a lesser-known spot on the coast with ancient fossil cliffs that are approximately five million years old and has been called one the most beautiful by The cliffs Portugal are orange due to the rock formation, which is primarily sandstone and clay. The materials contain iron oxide, which gives them their distinctive reddish-orange colour. The beach cliffs, reaching over 50 metres in height, and the waters are often clear. Read More on Beaches One visitor wrote on a Swimmers have reported deep waters and potential strong currents. Just minutes away from the beach is the luxury golf and ocean club that The royal couple split their time between Portugal and London because of Most read in Beach holidays He works in marketing and sales at a private resort near the village on the Jack works for the Hidden Spot in Melides Portugal That Not Many Brits Know About 4 The royal couple stay at the exclusive beach club Credit: The area is often called the " Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are said to have It was then reported a year later that they had bought their own place on the resort. When one There are also harming village streets without a single tourist and, perhaps best of all, stunning secret beaches only the locals knew about From Speaking of Portugal, Deputy Travel Editor Plus, the stunning but 4 The unique beach has orange cliffs and big waves Credit:
