Disney says permits will soon be filed to begin work on Magic Kingdom's 'Beyond Big Thunder Mountain' expansion

Apr 04, 2024 in "Magic Kingdom"

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Beyond Big Thunder Mountain Blue Sky concept art

Posted: Thursday April 4, 2024 11:00am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

In a recent presentation to invited reporters at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California, earlier this week, the company confirmed that plans are moving forward with the 'Beyond Big Thunder Mountain' expansion at Magic Kingdom.

Specifically, Michael Hundgen, VP, Walt Disney World Portfolio at Walt Disney Imagineering said that permits would soon be filed for preliminary work on the site. The plans will likely be Water Management District permits, typically required before large projects break ground.

The yellow area indicates the approximate area of the project

According to the Blue Sky concept unveiled by Parks head Josh D'Amaro, the new land behind Big Thunder Mountain at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom would include Disney animation IPs, including Coco, Encanto, and villains.

Beyond Big Thunder Mountain Blue Sky concept art

We expect to hear more about the Magic Kingdom expansion at the upcoming D23 Fan Event in August 2024.

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BrianLo44 minutes ago

Everyone acts like it would have been a more successful presentation if Josh just got on stage and said there was nothing currently approved and got back off. Which was exactly what I expected going into it. Instead of padding the presentation with literally nothing - we got a revealing peak behind the curtain. I thought it was great and Josh deserve credit for sticking his neck out. He's the best P&R head we've had in decades, one that actively doesn't seem to have disdain for the audience at worst, or was a pleasantly out of touch bumbling products and consumer guy at best. For a presentation with an exceedingly bad hand dealt, D23 2022 was actually...good. AND maybe the most ironically factually correct presentation of all. If Avengers ever comes through, that is.

Starship82455 minutes ago

Well I like rumors and discussing them with other people like on these boards but I don't want to see that at an official Disney presentation where the whole point is to tell us what's happening in the parks in the future. That's what the expo has been advertised as for years and what it has given us in the past. Sure, like you said some of those projects didn't happen even though they were announced but most of those didn't happen because of COVID. Idk as long as we get a decent amount of actual announcements this year then I guess I'm ok with it. But we need a lot of big announcements like DAK plans, the supposed DHS land and BBT although I wouldn't expect all of those this year.

BrianLo1 hour ago

Honestly... was it really that bad? We are participants of a Rumours forum. I'll happily take Disney participating in an official capacity. That's literally what we are there for - or at least what I am there for. Not a simply a product keynote, but a look behind the curtain. I can draw a line between what we are getting and what was shown off in the D23 session. As long as it was labeled as such, really, wasn't it actually a good thing? Especially when they've announced things in more official capacities and they've dropped off the face of the earth. Josh's Blue sky segment was more accurate than traditional announcements. Hopefully we will get both (Concrete and Blue Sky) - and I'm sorry to all, I'll happily cheer if I like what I see during Blue Sky Segments as well and ask for more of them in the future.

The Leader of the Club8 hours ago

The move to the Honda Center gives me some hope that Disney may have some tricks up their sleeves. That being said, they could easily make announcements to excite the crowd and quietly cancel them in the upcoming years. Or the announcements could hit heavy for DLR, DCL, and the international parks while being fairly light on concrete info for WDW. I’m thinking WDW will get confirmation of Tropical Americas and a closing date for Dinoland, A new parade announcement, Coco and Moana reveals for MK, and maybe a few more surprises.

TTA949 hours ago

You are right it has been said it’s happening, but what has not been said is where in the process it is. I do not know how their process works when it comes to new entertainment and at what point they get to where There’s no turning back now lol, other than when floats are in the process of being built.

Bocabear11 hours ago

OMG I think WISH is possibly the worst Disney film I have ever seen....stinks on ice. I can't believe they rushed out merchandise for that one....way more than they did for Moana....

Brer Panther11 hours ago

Would you prefer people desperately trying to be Lin Manuel-Miranda and failing at it like in the songs from Wish?

SilentWindODoom17 hours ago

I was going to say. I thought someone said it was definitely happening, but when you're traversing three threads that were once two and that could literally come up in any of them, it's hard to keep straight. 🤔

TTA9417 hours ago

Idk. I do trust @wdwmagic, But a little skeptical at the same time. As we all know they can pull the plug or throw it to the back burner at any moment. The only way the parade is a guarantee is if floats are in the process of built. If they aren’t or if the plans are really for MSEP or PTN as we knew it then it can easily be canceled.

𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗9718 hours ago

Yeah, I agree. I never have high hopes. I actually actively dread D23. I have since I was in WDW during 2017's expo and they revealed the Great Movie Ride was being replaced. And I was once under attack in the movies thread for questioning why LMM keeps getting Disney jobs. I think he's a brilliant lyricist at times. But I also kind of want to punch him.

HauntedPirate18 hours ago

Pass. And not just because I think LMM is way overrated. The best way to be disappointed by this regime is to have high hopes. They have continually proven that expectations should be low, because they’ll often come in at or below them even there.

𝕴𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖊𝖗9718 hours ago

Take a look at my Lin-Manuel Miranda rap in the Tiana thread and I think you'll see where my hopes are.

HauntedPirate18 hours ago

I wouldn’t get your hopes up.

TheIceBaron18 hours ago

I don’t think it will be a flop as they can simply announce projects, as if they are happening, then not do anything about them until they are either ready or quietly cancel them after a few years. Then they don’t have to face the boos and pretend like everything is zipadeedooda!