Florida Is Practically Begging Disney World To Build a Fifth Gate

Disney fans have been begging the company to build a fifth gate in Central Florida, if not to compete with Universal Studios, but to disperse some of the crowds at Disney World’s current theme parks.

However, based on recent announcements, Disney seems content to revamp its current parks rather than expand. All of Disney’s announcements have shown guests that the company wants to remove attractions and replace them with current intellectual property instead.

Disney has more than enough room to expand. When Walt Disney originally purchased the land, he bought 42 acres. Currently, only 38 percent of that land is in development.

The Reedy Creek Improvement District, which oversaw Disney World before the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, pledged to keep 20 percent of the land undeveloped as a natural preserve. Even that untouchable land still leaves 42 percent, or 18 square miles, available for building.

Opening a fifth gate would immensely help Disney fans by dispersing crowds into another park. However, with fewer people coming to the parks and paying more to do so, Disney no longer sees these crowds as a problem.

However, a big problem is coming for Disney in the form of Epic Universe. Disney falsely believes that the opening of Epic Universe across town will benefit them as well, but with nothing new to attract an audience, there’s no reason for guests to come to Disney World in 2025. 

Now, Central Florida’s newspaper of record, The Orlando Sentinel, is arguing that Disney World must open a fifth gate. A new Disney park would benefit the area and keep guests coming to Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando Resort.

Here’s what Disney can do for its fifth gate.

The Argument

The argument that the Sentinel makes to Disney is pretty simple: innovate and create a new park or risk losing fans. The paper writes: 

While Disney has an unparalleled attractions legacy, resting on its laurels in the face of such formidable forthcoming competition could prove detrimental in the Orlando market. The introduction of a fifth gate would serve as a powerful countermeasure, reinforcing Disney’s position as the premier destination for theme-park enthusiasts in Orlando as well as worldwide.

However, Disney fans will tell you that the age of Disney innovation is over. Disney’s latest attractions, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and CommuniCore Hall, show that the company has lost a step.

However, Disney has shown in its worldwide parks that the spark of Walt Disney’s innovation is still there. Look no further than the new rides, attractions, and open lands at Tokyo Disneyland, the Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris.

Disney can bring that technology and innovation to the Walt Disney World Resort; it is an absolute necessity.

The Sentinel argues that Disney has to do this to compete with Epic Universe. Universal Orlando Resort has created one of the world’s most innovative and creative parks, and Disney has nothing that can compete.

Announcing a new park next year would also help take some of the shine off Universal’s new pet. The Sentinel writes: 

The need for a clear, bold move within the next 12 to 18 months is critical in this Orlando attractions armaments race. Announcing plans for a new theme park during this period will allow Disney to capture the public’s imagination and maintain its relevance amid the growing buzz surrounding Epic Universe. Those of us in the industry are acutely aware that it takes upwards of 7-10 years to plan, design, construct, and open a new park.

Communicating the commitment to introduce a new park soon will excite Disney’s fan base, and signal to the market that Disney is continuously innovating and expanding. This move would be seen as a confident assertion of Disney’s continued control in the theme park industry.

If Disney wants to return to being Disney, building a fifth gate with a surrounding resort area is the only way to compete, so what’s stopping Disney?

The Financials

The Walt Disney Company announced it would spend $17 billion at the Walt Disney World Resort over the next decade. That’s more than enough money to create at least one if not two, new theme parks.

Disney’s last theme park to open in Central Florida was Animal Kingdom in 1998. That came at a cost of around $1 billion, which is equivalent to around $2 billion today. Again, with $17 billion to spend, a $2 billion addition is feasible.

Even with the expansion projects at Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom taking up some of that money, there is still more than enough for another gate.

To put this into some perspective, Disney’s addition of the new Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom cost around $600 million more than a decade ago. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios costs around $1 billion, and building Pandora: the World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom costs around $500 million.

If we adjust those numbers for inflation, the cost of three new lands would be approximately $3 billion. Disney plans to add four new lands in Central Florida, so let’s assume that the projected cost would be roughly $4 billion.

That would leave Disney World with an additional $13 billion. In addition to another park, Disney must include resort hotels, shopping, dining, and possibly another water park. There is still enough in the budget to cover all of those things.

The Park

Disney had a perfect outlet for its fifth gate: a Villain’s Park. However, Disney decided to include a new Villain Land in the Magic Kingdom.

Does that necessarily mean that Disney Villains are out for their own park? Not necessarily. Disney would do something similar to Universal Orlando, including a Villains Park next to the Magic Kingdom as a second gate.

This is the best of both worlds for Disney. It would give them a fifth gate and require guests to purchase a Park Hopper to get into the new theme park.

Outside of Villains, Disney has hundreds of intellectual properties that it could use for a new theme park. It could also be a park that looks to the future, as EPCOT seemingly no longer does that.

The new park could focus on innovations and Disney’s latest rides and attractions. Like EPCOT was supposed to be, it could be in a constant state of reinvention.

However, Disney will most likely use a fifth gate to showcase its films and television shows, including rides based on its latest films, such as Moana or Frozen. 

With Disney, the possibilities are endless. So, why not do it?

The Results

Disney fans want this, Florida wants this, and Disney needs this, so why not just make the announcement?

If Disney were to make this announcement, it would probably be in the Spring. That would help to take some of the shine off of Epic Universe.

This would also be a nice ending for Disney CEO Bob Iger. He has not added a gate at Disney World, and what a nice parting gift for him when he leaves in 2026.

This just makes so much sense, which means that Disney probably won’t do it despite what fans and Florida want.