Disney closed their most recent parks panel at D23 Expo with some huge “What Ifs” offering a glimpse inside the minds of the Imagineers who are currently working on what’s next for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
The ‘announcement’ saw three exciting new lands suggested for the park, all set to exist beyond the towering rock work of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Presented by Disney parks chairman Josh D’Amaro, who prefaced them as plans that would likely scare the heads of the Disney company, it was revealed that early concepts have been conceived for Encanto, Coco and Villians themed lands.
These interesting ideas were accompanied by some fairly vague concept art, which can be viewed below, that glimpsed the Madrigal’s casita from Encanto, as well as a Coco-themed area, while some dark villainous looking shadows can also be seen in the far distance. These plans were revealed to be in their earliest possible stages of development, confirming that, even if Disney were to officially decide to move forward with them, it would be a long time before guests actually get to experience them for themselves.
Should these plans come to fruition, it could mark one of Walt Disney World’s biggest expansions at the Magic Kingdom. Perhaps the most exciting part is that their debut shouldn’t come at the cost of another major Magic Kingdom attraction, as these early plans see the new lands placed behind Big Thunder Mountain, where there are currently no attractions, or even guest access.
Given the scale of this proposed expansion, it’s understandable why D’Amaro presented them as more like “suggestions” for now, as it’s likely that Disney may even be hoping to gauge guests reactions before moving forward. For now though, parks fans can only hope for more details on this proposed expansion in the near future as it will certainly be interesting to see what sort of attractions and experiences would be present within each of the unique areas.
What do you think of this new Magic Kingdom expansion? Do you like the three properties Disney have proposed?