South Florida Water Control District has given Walt Disney Global the general inexperienced mild on its allow for the demolition of the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom, laying the groundwork to interchange the distance with Villains & Vehicles Lands. This main points the multi-month saga culminating on this approval, along side what this may imply for deadlines and building.
The allow used to be issued by way of the South Florida Water Control District (SFWMD) on February 17, 2025, and expires in 5 years if no longer differently prolonged. This implies Imagineering has till February 17, 2030 to redevelop the world and make changes to present utilities, pavement upgrades, updates to the drainage gadget, facility renovations, stormwater control improvements, and a lot more.
The world encompassed by way of this allow is large. It’s no longer simply the 14-plus acre challenge website online, however a complete of 300.82 acres round Magic Kingdom house and past the park, together with 61.93 acres of wetland and floor water affects. As we’ve discussed many times, the Rivers of The usa/Past Large Thunder challenge is a lot more formidable and impactful to stormwater displacement (SFWMD’s number one fear) than the counterpart Tropical Americas challenge, which is most commonly a reimagining that Disney felt used to be grandfathered in to present packages.
In the event you’re unfamiliar with those plans to interchange the Rivers of The usa, Walt Disney Global introduced two all-new Vehicles sights in a reimagined house of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom right through D23. Together with this, they formally introduced Villains Land growth at Magic Kingdom, necessarily in the back of Vehicles Land, and between/in the back of Large Thunder and Haunted Mansion.
Next to D23, Walt Disney Global published that the Vehicles house will in fact substitute the Rivers of The usa, that means that Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Sq. Riverboat will completely shut. This information let a large number of the air out of the tires from Walt Disney Global’s differently blockbuster night time, as fanatics had formerly believed this used to be bona fide park growth Past Large Thunder.
Inside of days of the D23 announcement, Walt Disney Global filed allows with the SFWMD with regards to stormwater displacement changes and the advent of building laydown yards. The SFWMD allow encompassing this challenge is the “407 Basin Stormwater Changes” challenge.
After Disney filed its first allow with SFWMD again in August, the district replied with an in depth Request for Further Knowledge (RAI) that sought adjustments, clarifications and different solutions or changes to the plan.
After you have an extension at the RAI time limit, Walt Disney Global supplied an in depth packet of data on December 19, 2024, which incorporated a 23-page letter along side numerous extra pages of maps, plans, appendices, and updates to previously-filed paperwork.
If you happen to’re truly concerned about all of this, head to the SFWMD ePermitting web page and input “407 Basin Stormwater Changes” because the challenge identify within the seek. There’s a number of stuff there, together with the aforementioned 23-page letter, unique proposal and the newly-issued Person Environmental Useful resource Allow No. 48-111503-P.
In studying the entire SFWMD correspondence on more than a few initiatives since ~2017, the bigger scale and scope of this proposal is right away obtrusive, as is SFWMD’s better scrutiny of it. Since we’ve been masking Walt Disney Global, that is the most important challenge we’ve observed. Certainly from a stormwater displacement viewpoint, however almost certainly length.
The hot button is that the Rivers of The usa substitute challenge has been licensed by way of the SFWMD. It’s now not in allow purgatory, with Disney in a retaining trend till the district problems approval or hits the ball again in Disney’s courtroom with but every other RAI.
Whilst this isn’t the general allow within the Villains and Vehicles Lands initiatives as a complete (no longer by way of an extended shot), it used to be the person who posed the best level of problem and scrutiny from the state–the remaining will have to most commonly be rubber-stamped. This used to be the hurdle that mattered–the one subject matter obstacle to the challenge. Any hope it’s possible you’ll’ve held out that the Rivers of The usa substitute could be derailed will have to be long gone.
In the case of what’s subsequent, lot and plenty of dust transferring. There are low-lying spaces to the northwest of the Rivers of The usa, requiring further paintings to ascertain the aforementioned gravel laydown yards. Those are a essential prerequisite to demolishing and filling within the Rivers of The usa.
There might be 3 gravel laydown yards in overall across the northwestern perimeter of Magic Kingdom. Two might be positioned past the berm, that means outdoor of Magic Kingdom visitor spaces, with the 3rd laydown backyard that are supposed to be visual from inside Magic Kingdom alongside the northwestern banks of the Rivers of The usa. Those gravel laydown yards might be used for building apparatus, heavy equipment, fabrics staging, earth-moving, and so on.
Along with the laydown yards, Disney wishes someplace for the displaced stormwater capability misplaced from infilling the Rivers of The usa. Such is the character of building within the swamps. This comes to developing a brand new retention pond for water control that’s kind of three-quarters of a mile to the northwest of Magic Kingdom.
Probably, a few of this flooring got rid of when digging the brand new pond might be used for filling the Rivers of The usa. Circle of existence and all that. Between the pond and the gravel laydown yards, this will have to give an explanation for why the world for the 407 Basin Stormwater Changes challenge is over 300 acres. Maximum of this is past the berm.
As soon as stuffed in, the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island will shape the root of Vehicles Land and a portion of Villains Land. The laydown yards will then themselves ultimately be used for long term construction, together with a portion of Villains Land. The water control allows are step one forward of starting substantive building because of waterways being rerouted and displaced.
As mentioned in our newest version of Walt Disney Global’s 5-12 months Building Plan, the website online prepwork on my own for Vehicles Land and Villains Land might be a herculean endeavor that may take many months–if no more than a 12 months. Enthusiasts will bemoan the long timeline, however Vehicles Land debuting in 2029 in fact turns out slightly competitive given the dimensions and scope of labor. I’d be stunned if we see anything else cross vertical till 2026 on the earliest.
If contemporary building bid postings are to be believed, this dust transferring will have to get started very, very quickly.
We reported over the weekend that Villains Land Building is Rumored to Get started Quickly at Magic Kingdom. In line with that, paintings will get started in this challenge March 1, 2025. The development bidding platform lists an estimated price range of $25 to $50 million. This could most effective duvet preliminary website online prep paintings, like clearing the land and infill.
What used to be maximum notable about that building bid used to be that Disney used to be getting the ball rolling in this, proactively expecting approval from SFWMD, quite than passively looking ahead to it to occur earlier than making its subsequent transfer. Which means that that is no longer going to be a kind of initiatives Disney drags its ft on for months or years–even supposing it does take a very long time from groundbreaking to opening. Even supposing groundbreaking doesn’t occur on March 1, 2025, this bodes neatly for Vehicles and Villains Land transferring ahead on an competitive agenda, with building beginning quickly.
As you’re most likely conscious, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of The usa haven’t any last date at the present. Walt Disney Global has most effective indicated that “visitors may have various time to enjoy the appeal and nostalgia of Frontierland as it’s nowadays” earlier than building kicks into prime tools.
On the other hand, Walt Disney Global made that remark again in August and has been silent as to the Rivers of The usa long term since. When providing a sneak peek at 2025 and letting fanatics know they’d have all 12 months to enjoy DINOSAUR, Walt Disney Global made no such assurances concerning the Rivers of The usa. Actually, they didn’t say anything else in any respect. At what level has “various time” handed?
Our bet is Easter 2025 on the earliest. That’s over 8 months for fanatics to mention their goodbyes, which is longer than the typical time-frame between reserving and touring. This isn’t to mention that Rivers of The usa will shut then…we simply wouldn’t be expecting it any previous than that. And it truly doesn’t come all the way down to giving fanatics one final consult with. It’s extra a question of practicality.
Magic Kingdom would possibly attempt to get thru Summer time 2025 earlier than last Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of The usa.
Disney Starlight Parade goes to be massively fashionable upon debut and can want considerable viewing house right through its opening summer time alongside the prom in Frontierland. Building partitions up on one facet of the walkway would scale back viewing capability.
Beginning the challenge in a while after Exertions Day 2025 could also be conceivable. That provides Walt Disney Global all summer time with the Rivers of The usa running as standard, which could be essential at a time when so much might be down in Magic Kingdom. Park operations would possibly not need much more offline–particularly if that comes with lowered parade viewing choices or cuts into crowd float (the waterfront prom is a very powerful parade bypass).
It’s no longer as though partitions are going up round Rivers of The usa in a single day now that the SFWMD has issued the allow.
There’s possibly a tight quantity of behind the scenes prep and website online paintings which may be undertaken to ascertain the laydown yards even earlier than the waterway is tired. It’s additionally conceivable that Disney may set up a coffer dam to maintain get admission to to Tom Sawyer Island and the view of the Rivers of The usa for the entirety of 2025. (See picture above of the final time a coffer dam used to be used right through a refurbishment a couple of years in the past.)
They’ve carried out this kind of factor earlier than–and it would extend the period of time fanatics have to mention good-bye to those spaces whilst additionally decreasing visible blight till it’s completely essential. In this sort of situation, the Liberty Sq. Riverboat could be first to near, and that may almost certainly occur earlier than the second one part of 2025. On the very least, Walt Disney Global will wish to get transferring at the again part of the Rivers of The usa whilst Large Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for refurbishment.
In the long run, it’s tricky to expect what is going to occur subsequent now that SFWMD has issued the allow for changing the Rivers of The usa. Again when this saga began, Disney introduced the plans after which right away filed the allow. If this challenge truly is as complete steam forward because it sounds, perhaps Walt Disney Global will make a statement someday within the coming days or even weeks to let fanatics know the way a lot time they’ve left to enjoy the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island.
In all probability, the guest-facing spaces are almost certainly secure thru no less than Easter 2025. It’s laborious to believe anything else wanting to occur earlier than then, and Walt Disney Global will wish to be offering visitors time to devise correct farewell visits. Even Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D and PizzeRizzo are staying open thru June 7, 2025–that announcement used to be made previous and for a challenge this is broadly anticipated to debut a lot faster (albeit a easier one, too).
I’d take {that a} step additional and expect that you just almost certainly have till August 2025 to mention good-bye to the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island. There turns out like a tight chance that Disney does as a lot behind the scenes paintings as conceivable first, and this serene surroundings and get admission to are preserved for nearly all of the 12 months–perhaps into early 2026. I wouldn’t wager the farm on that and I’d plan a good-bye commute neatly earlier than then if seeing the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island have been a must-do, however my suspicion is that we’ve got extra time to experience those spaces.
Making plans a Walt Disney Global commute? Know about lodges on our Walt Disney Global Inns Opinions web page. For the place to devour, learn our Walt Disney Global Eating place Opinions. To save cash on tickets or resolve which sort to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular take a look at suave pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney Global Journey Guides will lend a hand. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to start out is our Walt Disney Global Shuttle Making plans Information for the whole thing you wish to have to grasp!
Your Ideas
Ideas at the SFWMD issuing a allow for the 407 Basin challenge? For the reason that that is going to occur regardless at this level, do you hope it’s complete steam forward so we don’t need to bear a repeat of the Large EPCOT Grime Pit fiasco? Excited or underwhelmed by way of the plan to interchange Rivers of The usa with Vehicles land? Or, are you in wait and spot mode with this? Do you compromise or disagree with our review? Any questions we will be able to assist you to solution? Listening to your comments—even whilst you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas beneath within the feedback!
South Florida Water Control District has given Walt Disney Global the general inexperienced mild on its allow for the demolition of the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom, laying the groundwork to interchange the distance with Villains & Vehicles Lands. This main points the multi-month saga culminating on this approval, along side what this may imply for deadlines and building.
The allow used to be issued by way of the South Florida Water Control District (SFWMD) on February 17, 2025, and expires in 5 years if no longer differently prolonged. This implies Imagineering has till February 17, 2030 to redevelop the world and make changes to present utilities, pavement upgrades, updates to the drainage gadget, facility renovations, stormwater control improvements, and a lot more.
The world encompassed by way of this allow is large. It’s no longer simply the 14-plus acre challenge website online, however a complete of 300.82 acres round Magic Kingdom house and past the park, together with 61.93 acres of wetland and floor water affects. As we’ve discussed many times, the Rivers of The usa/Past Large Thunder challenge is a lot more formidable and impactful to stormwater displacement (SFWMD’s number one fear) than the counterpart Tropical Americas challenge, which is most commonly a reimagining that Disney felt used to be grandfathered in to present packages.
In the event you’re unfamiliar with those plans to interchange the Rivers of The usa, Walt Disney Global introduced two all-new Vehicles sights in a reimagined house of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom right through D23. Together with this, they formally introduced Villains Land growth at Magic Kingdom, necessarily in the back of Vehicles Land, and between/in the back of Large Thunder and Haunted Mansion.
Next to D23, Walt Disney Global published that the Vehicles house will in fact substitute the Rivers of The usa, that means that Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Sq. Riverboat will completely shut. This information let a large number of the air out of the tires from Walt Disney Global’s differently blockbuster night time, as fanatics had formerly believed this used to be bona fide park growth Past Large Thunder.
Inside of days of the D23 announcement, Walt Disney Global filed allows with the SFWMD with regards to stormwater displacement changes and the advent of building laydown yards. The SFWMD allow encompassing this challenge is the “407 Basin Stormwater Changes” challenge.
After Disney filed its first allow with SFWMD again in August, the district replied with an in depth Request for Further Knowledge (RAI) that sought adjustments, clarifications and different solutions or changes to the plan.
After you have an extension at the RAI time limit, Walt Disney Global supplied an in depth packet of data on December 19, 2024, which incorporated a 23-page letter along side numerous extra pages of maps, plans, appendices, and updates to previously-filed paperwork.
If you happen to’re truly concerned about all of this, head to the SFWMD ePermitting web page and input “407 Basin Stormwater Changes” because the challenge identify within the seek. There’s a number of stuff there, together with the aforementioned 23-page letter, unique proposal and the newly-issued Person Environmental Useful resource Allow No. 48-111503-P.
In studying the entire SFWMD correspondence on more than a few initiatives since ~2017, the bigger scale and scope of this proposal is right away obtrusive, as is SFWMD’s better scrutiny of it. Since we’ve been masking Walt Disney Global, that is the most important challenge we’ve observed. Certainly from a stormwater displacement viewpoint, however almost certainly length.
The hot button is that the Rivers of The usa substitute challenge has been licensed by way of the SFWMD. It’s now not in allow purgatory, with Disney in a retaining trend till the district problems approval or hits the ball again in Disney’s courtroom with but every other RAI.
Whilst this isn’t the general allow within the Villains and Vehicles Lands initiatives as a complete (no longer by way of an extended shot), it used to be the person who posed the best level of problem and scrutiny from the state–the remaining will have to most commonly be rubber-stamped. This used to be the hurdle that mattered–the one subject matter obstacle to the challenge. Any hope it’s possible you’ll’ve held out that the Rivers of The usa substitute could be derailed will have to be long gone.
In the case of what’s subsequent, lot and plenty of dust transferring. There are low-lying spaces to the northwest of the Rivers of The usa, requiring further paintings to ascertain the aforementioned gravel laydown yards. Those are a essential prerequisite to demolishing and filling within the Rivers of The usa.
There might be 3 gravel laydown yards in overall across the northwestern perimeter of Magic Kingdom. Two might be positioned past the berm, that means outdoor of Magic Kingdom visitor spaces, with the 3rd laydown backyard that are supposed to be visual from inside Magic Kingdom alongside the northwestern banks of the Rivers of The usa. Those gravel laydown yards might be used for building apparatus, heavy equipment, fabrics staging, earth-moving, and so on.
Along with the laydown yards, Disney wishes someplace for the displaced stormwater capability misplaced from infilling the Rivers of The usa. Such is the character of building within the swamps. This comes to developing a brand new retention pond for water control that’s kind of three-quarters of a mile to the northwest of Magic Kingdom.
Probably, a few of this flooring got rid of when digging the brand new pond might be used for filling the Rivers of The usa. Circle of existence and all that. Between the pond and the gravel laydown yards, this will have to give an explanation for why the world for the 407 Basin Stormwater Changes challenge is over 300 acres. Maximum of this is past the berm.
As soon as stuffed in, the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island will shape the root of Vehicles Land and a portion of Villains Land. The laydown yards will then themselves ultimately be used for long term construction, together with a portion of Villains Land. The water control allows are step one forward of starting substantive building because of waterways being rerouted and displaced.
As mentioned in our newest version of Walt Disney Global’s 5-12 months Building Plan, the website online prepwork on my own for Vehicles Land and Villains Land might be a herculean endeavor that may take many months–if no more than a 12 months. Enthusiasts will bemoan the long timeline, however Vehicles Land debuting in 2029 in fact turns out slightly competitive given the dimensions and scope of labor. I’d be stunned if we see anything else cross vertical till 2026 on the earliest.
If contemporary building bid postings are to be believed, this dust transferring will have to get started very, very quickly.
We reported over the weekend that Villains Land Building is Rumored to Get started Quickly at Magic Kingdom. In line with that, paintings will get started in this challenge March 1, 2025. The development bidding platform lists an estimated price range of $25 to $50 million. This could most effective duvet preliminary website online prep paintings, like clearing the land and infill.
What used to be maximum notable about that building bid used to be that Disney used to be getting the ball rolling in this, proactively expecting approval from SFWMD, quite than passively looking ahead to it to occur earlier than making its subsequent transfer. Which means that that is no longer going to be a kind of initiatives Disney drags its ft on for months or years–even supposing it does take a very long time from groundbreaking to opening. Even supposing groundbreaking doesn’t occur on March 1, 2025, this bodes neatly for Vehicles and Villains Land transferring ahead on an competitive agenda, with building beginning quickly.
As you’re most likely conscious, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of The usa haven’t any last date at the present. Walt Disney Global has most effective indicated that “visitors may have various time to enjoy the appeal and nostalgia of Frontierland as it’s nowadays” earlier than building kicks into prime tools.
On the other hand, Walt Disney Global made that remark again in August and has been silent as to the Rivers of The usa long term since. When providing a sneak peek at 2025 and letting fanatics know they’d have all 12 months to enjoy DINOSAUR, Walt Disney Global made no such assurances concerning the Rivers of The usa. Actually, they didn’t say anything else in any respect. At what level has “various time” handed?
Our bet is Easter 2025 on the earliest. That’s over 8 months for fanatics to mention their goodbyes, which is longer than the typical time-frame between reserving and touring. This isn’t to mention that Rivers of The usa will shut then…we simply wouldn’t be expecting it any previous than that. And it truly doesn’t come all the way down to giving fanatics one final consult with. It’s extra a question of practicality.
Magic Kingdom would possibly attempt to get thru Summer time 2025 earlier than last Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of The usa.
Disney Starlight Parade goes to be massively fashionable upon debut and can want considerable viewing house right through its opening summer time alongside the prom in Frontierland. Building partitions up on one facet of the walkway would scale back viewing capability.
Beginning the challenge in a while after Exertions Day 2025 could also be conceivable. That provides Walt Disney Global all summer time with the Rivers of The usa running as standard, which could be essential at a time when so much might be down in Magic Kingdom. Park operations would possibly not need much more offline–particularly if that comes with lowered parade viewing choices or cuts into crowd float (the waterfront prom is a very powerful parade bypass).
It’s no longer as though partitions are going up round Rivers of The usa in a single day now that the SFWMD has issued the allow.
There’s possibly a tight quantity of behind the scenes prep and website online paintings which may be undertaken to ascertain the laydown yards even earlier than the waterway is tired. It’s additionally conceivable that Disney may set up a coffer dam to maintain get admission to to Tom Sawyer Island and the view of the Rivers of The usa for the entirety of 2025. (See picture above of the final time a coffer dam used to be used right through a refurbishment a couple of years in the past.)
They’ve carried out this kind of factor earlier than–and it would extend the period of time fanatics have to mention good-bye to those spaces whilst additionally decreasing visible blight till it’s completely essential. In this sort of situation, the Liberty Sq. Riverboat could be first to near, and that may almost certainly occur earlier than the second one part of 2025. On the very least, Walt Disney Global will wish to get transferring at the again part of the Rivers of The usa whilst Large Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed for refurbishment.
In the long run, it’s tricky to expect what is going to occur subsequent now that SFWMD has issued the allow for changing the Rivers of The usa. Again when this saga began, Disney introduced the plans after which right away filed the allow. If this challenge truly is as complete steam forward because it sounds, perhaps Walt Disney Global will make a statement someday within the coming days or even weeks to let fanatics know the way a lot time they’ve left to enjoy the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island.
In all probability, the guest-facing spaces are almost certainly secure thru no less than Easter 2025. It’s laborious to believe anything else wanting to occur earlier than then, and Walt Disney Global will wish to be offering visitors time to devise correct farewell visits. Even Muppet*Imaginative and prescient 3D and PizzeRizzo are staying open thru June 7, 2025–that announcement used to be made previous and for a challenge this is broadly anticipated to debut a lot faster (albeit a easier one, too).
I’d take {that a} step additional and expect that you just almost certainly have till August 2025 to mention good-bye to the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island. There turns out like a tight chance that Disney does as a lot behind the scenes paintings as conceivable first, and this serene surroundings and get admission to are preserved for nearly all of the 12 months–perhaps into early 2026. I wouldn’t wager the farm on that and I’d plan a good-bye commute neatly earlier than then if seeing the Rivers of The usa and Tom Sawyer Island have been a must-do, however my suspicion is that we’ve got extra time to experience those spaces.
Making plans a Walt Disney Global commute? Know about lodges on our Walt Disney Global Inns Opinions web page. For the place to devour, learn our Walt Disney Global Eating place Opinions. To save cash on tickets or resolve which sort to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash on Walt Disney Global Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a singular take a look at suave pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney Global Journey Guides will lend a hand. For complete recommendation, the most efficient position to start out is our Walt Disney Global Shuttle Making plans Information for the whole thing you wish to have to grasp!
Your Ideas
Ideas at the SFWMD issuing a allow for the 407 Basin challenge? For the reason that that is going to occur regardless at this level, do you hope it’s complete steam forward so we don’t need to bear a repeat of the Large EPCOT Grime Pit fiasco? Excited or underwhelmed by way of the plan to interchange Rivers of The usa with Vehicles land? Or, are you in wait and spot mode with this? Do you compromise or disagree with our review? Any questions we will be able to assist you to solution? Listening to your comments—even whilst you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas beneath within the feedback!
