The footprint surrounding Magic Kingdom Park is being reshaped in a way it hasn’t been since the original Central Florida Disney park opened in 1971.
Imagineering Is Setting Up Shop
WDWNT reported on Wednesday that significant land clearing has taken place at the STOLport site outside Magic Kingdom Park — the former location of the Walt Disney World Airport, which has sat dormant for decades. The clearing marks the physical start of “Project K,” a 12.5-acre expansion approved by the South Florida Water Management District last summer that will bring permanent Walt Disney Imagineering office buildings to the area.
The new complex is being built to house the teams simultaneously developing two major Magic Kingdom expansions. Construction equipment, including concrete drainage pipes and culverts, is already on site. At least three aging structures left over from the site’s previous use have been demolished, and permits confirm plans for two new permanent buildings supported by fresh infrastructure — sidewalks, parking, and utilities — alongside modifications to two existing retention ponds to accommodate the expanded footprint.
Walt Disney World Resort has used the STOLport area for temporary Imagineering trailers in the past, but the permanent buildings being planned represent a fundamentally different and longer-term commitment to the site. The Central Florida vacation destination has not publicly acknowledged the construction.
The Expansions These Offices Will Build
The Imagineering complex exists to serve two projects that are reshaping Magic Kingdom Park on a scale the original Florida Disney park has never seen before.
Piston Peak National Park is the first: a new Frontierland section inspired by Cars (2006) and the visual language of America’s national park system, featuring a rally race thrill ride and a family-friendly attraction, both distinct from the Cars Land experiences at Disney California Adventure Park. The Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat closed permanently in 2025 to clear the way for this expansion.
The second project is even more anticipated. The Disney Villains land — long rumored but never realized — is finally under active development in the area beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, with attractions and experiences built around Disney’s most beloved antagonists.
Neither Piston Peak National Park nor the Disney Villains land has a confirmed grand opening date.
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