According to reports from numerous different outlets, Disney World is in the initial stages of land permitting for the Beyond Big Thunder Mountain expansion at Magic Kingdom. Disney will soon file permits with the South Florida Water Management District for initial land preparation work for the expansion, which will be the largest expansion at Magic Kingdom to date.
During a Walt Disney Imagineering showcase earlier this week, Imagineers confirmed Disney will file water management permits in the next few weeks – marking the start of finding out what’s “Beyond Big Thunder.”
Michael Hundgen, VP, Walt Disney World Portfolio at Walt Disney Imagineering, confirmed that the permit will be officially filed in the coming weeks. Check back here to see the permit when it’s public.
When it was initially announced back in 2022, Disney said that they were exploring concepts to introduce Coco, Encanto, and a Villains-themed area in the space beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the northern section of the Rivers of America.
Since that announcement, Disney have changed those plans to include two of those three IPs for the DinoLand USA reimagining. Considering they are not likely to double down on the same IPs, Beyond Thunder Mountain will look different, and we hope to see what to expect soon! According to sources familiar with the matter, projects are finally getting greenlit and D23 will have many announcements!
