In early 2024, internal planning for Magic Kingdom expansion at Walt Disney World included discussions about potentially building one or two hotels inside the park’s footprint, according to court records obtained and reported in March 2026 by Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics.
The information emerged in testimony from a Disney Imagineering executive during litigation tied to Disney’s dispute with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The deposition took place in 2024 as part of ongoing litigation between The Walt Disney Company and the district. Attorneys conducted the questioning during the discovery phase to examine Disney’s development plans and agreements tied to its Central Florida properties.
This newest finding confirms a WDWPro rumor from last year that Disney had considered a hotel with an in-park entrance to the Magic Kingdom.
What the Deposition Revealed
During a February 2024 deposition, Todd Rimmer — a master planner with Disney Imagineering — testified under oath that the Magic Kingdom expansion was “still under development” and that the scope of work being considered included “new attractions and redevelopment of existing attractions and potentially new hotels.” When asked how many hotel locations were under consideration, Rimmer responded that the company had discussed “one or two” hotel locations. He clarified that these hotels would be new builds, not expansions of existing resort properties.
When questioned about potential placement, Rimmer indicated that any new hotels “would generally be within the same area” of the expansion, though he added that no specific locations had been selected. A Disney attorney objected on the record when that line of questioning continued.
Context of the Expansion
Magic Kingdom — which opened at Walt Disney World Resort in 1971 alongside Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort — has historically had hotels in its vicinity, but none within the park’s actual boundaries.
In recent years, Disney publicly announced a major expansion of Magic Kingdom, including lands themed to Cars and Disney villains. These additions were revealed at the 2024 D23 Expo and involve transforming the area beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad into new themed experiences. None of those public plans include hotels inside the park, showing that the idea never made it into construction.
After the deposition details were reported, Disney issued a statement saying there are no current plans to add hotels as part of the Magic Kingdom expansion and that the company remains focused on delivering previously announced rides and areas.
Why This Matters
A hotel inside Magic Kingdom — meaning structures located within the park gates rather than adjacent resort areas — would represent a departure from how Disney has historically integrated lodging with its parks. Resorts such as Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Contemporary Resort sit within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom but remain outside the park perimeter.
While Universal’s Helios Grand Hotel opened in 2025 directly inside Epic Universe, Disney has not pursued a comparable model for Magic Kingdom. It makes sense that Disney would have considered the possibility in 2024 as Epic was preparing to open. However, there are no reported plans for such at the moment.
Night Time Fireworks in Celestial Park and the Helios Grand Hotel at Epic Universe in Universal Orlando – Photo Credit: NBC Universal
Hotel construction within an existing park environment presents significant logistical challenges, including managing sightlines, infrastructure, and guest flow in an area already constrained by decades of development.
Separately from these in‑park discussions, Disney is developing new resort projects near Magic Kingdom. For example, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge — a nature‑themed hotel — is under construction on the former site of the River Country water park and scheduled to open in 2027.
WDWPro Rumor Confirmed
This confirms a WDWPro rumor from last year that Disney had considered putting a hotel next to Adventureland and would include an entrance into the park.
There would have been approximately 200 rooms, with each carrying a heavy price tag per night.
Conclusion
The deposition testimony confirms that Disney at one point considered internal hotel options as part of its Magic Kingdom expansion planning. However, the company has since distanced itself from that idea publicly and no formal plans for in‑park lodging have been announced.
What do you think of the discarded plan to put a hotel in a Disney theme park? Would your family be willing to pay the price for theme park view? Or did Disney do better by abandoning the idea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
