We spend most of our time thinking about what to eat at Disney parks. That is our brand and we are proud of it.
But we also pay very close attention to what Disney is building, because what Disney builds determines where the new restaurants end up, what the new quick service options look like, and which parts of the park we are going to be spending the most time in over the next decade. S
o when a deposition connected to the Disney versus DeSantis legal saga surfaced a detail about Magic Kingdom expansion plans that nobody knew about, we were paying attention. Because here is the thing: Disney had plans for one or two hotels directly connected to the Magic Kingdom expansion.
And those plans are gone. A Florida Politics report dropped the details this week, and we have everything you need to understand what was planned, what actually got scrapped, and what the latest aerial photos tell us about what is actively being built right now in the northwest corner of the most visited theme park on earth.
The Deposition That Revealed the Hotels Nobody Knew About
The source here is Todd Rimmer, a Master Planning Executive Imagineer at Disney, who gave a deposition in early 2024 connected to the legal fight between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Florida Politics surfaced the relevant parts, and they are worth reading closely.
Rimmer described development plans that were active at the time as including “new attractions and redevelopment of existing attractions and potentially new hotels.” He went further: there were “one or two hotel locations” that would have been “within the same area that we’re expanding at Magic Kingdom.” When asked if these would be new hotels, he confirmed yes — though he also noted that “there are no specific locations decided yet” at the time of the deposition.
Read the context on where Magic Kingdom is expanding and the picture becomes clear. The northwest corner of the park — the same area where Villains Land is now under active construction — is almost certainly where these hotels would have landed. Maybe connected to Villains Land directly. Maybe along the western edge of the park. The roadway improvements that have been happening on the west side of Magic Kingdom since late 2024 were initially flagged as potential hotel groundwork, and while that does not appear to be their immediate purpose, the infrastructure is sitting there ready to be used if Disney ever changes course.
Here is what Disney is saying now: “There are no plans for new hotels as part of the Magic Kingdom expansion. We’re focused on bringing to life all we’ve already announced.” That is a pretty definitive statement. The hotels were planned. The hotels were dropped. We are moving on.
What the Aerial Photos Show About Villains Land Right Now
Okay, the hotel news is the headline, but the construction update is the part that tells you what is actually happening on the ground. New aerial photography from Bioreconstruct is giving us the best look yet at the Villains Land site and honestly the scale of what is being built is striking even from this early stage.
Aerial photos of the sand mine for the development of Piston Peak and Villain’s land.
Sand is staged in piles until needed, in areas at bottom and right in the 3rd photo. pic.twitter.com/p8LoL5HD1v— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) March 29, 2026
The photos show large-scale land grading across the northwest corner of Magic Kingdom. Disney is moving a lot of dirt to create a blank canvas from which Villains Land can grow. The working boundary between Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land appears to run roughly along the imaginary line between Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion, with Villains Land claiming the territory to the north and west.
Early backstage infrastructure work is also visible in the photos — connections that will eventually tie the new land into existing Magic Kingdom systems, likely along Floridian Way based on previously filed permits. And here is a number worth sitting with: one anticipated building within Villains Land is expected to have a footprint of approximately 94,000 square feet. For reference, that is a big building. Whatever the main attraction in Villains Land turns out to be, it is going to be significant.
Piston Peak Is Smaller Than You Might Be Imagining
Worth flagging because we see this confusion a lot: Piston Peak National Park is not a new themed land. Disney has been clear that it is an expansion of Frontierland, and the aerial photography helps put the size in perspective. The Piston Peak site measures roughly 3.5 to 4 acres, which is about the size of Storybook Circus. That is not a small addition, but it is also not Pandora. Setting expectations accordingly before your visit is useful.
Current construction at Piston Peak is focused on the western edge of the site near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which is still closed for its 16-month refurbishment and expected back in early May. Disney is clearly trying to complete work near Big Thunder first.
The most interesting current development at Piston Peak is the retaining wall being built along the southern edge of the site. This wall defines what Disney has called a “calming waterway” that will run along the Frontierland boardwalk. The Disney Parks Blog described the vision: “Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally.”
That retaining wall in the aerial photos is taller than it would need to be just for water containment, which suggests theming elements are coming. Once the wall is done, Disney fills the other side with dirt to establish the new grade, and then foundation work for the actual attractions can begin.
What This Means If You Have a Magic Kingdom Trip Coming Up
The scrapped hotel news does not change your spring 2026 Magic Kingdom experience. What does affect your visit is the active construction across both sites, Big Thunder Mountain being closed until early May, and the northwest corner of the park generally being in mid-transformation mode. Expect construction walls. Expect rerouted pathways. Expect a park that is clearly in the middle of something big.
The honest framing here is that Magic Kingdom in spring 2026 is a park you visit knowing it is becoming something better. The in-between phase is real and it is visible. But Villains Land and Piston Peak are both moving fast, and what those construction sites eventually become is going to redefine this park in a way that guests will be talking about for years.
And yes, when the new lands open and the new restaurants come with them, we will absolutely be there for every single menu item. That is also a promise.
We are tracking the Magic Kingdom expansion closely and will be back with updates every time new aerial photography or permit filings give us something worth sharing. Our full Magic Kingdom planning guide is on the site with everything you need to know before your visit — current closures, construction status, and where to eat while Big Thunder is still dark. Go check it, plan smart, and come back when you are ready to talk about the food.
Excited about Villains Land? Drop your most-wanted villain in the comments. We have opinions and we are not keeping them to ourselves.
