Rumors constantly pop up about Disney building a new theme park in a new state. We continue to see a bunch of discussions about Disneyland moving to Texas and even the Walt Disney Company as a whole relocating to The Lone Star State. Are any of these rumors true?
This rumor is not true. Disneyland and the Walt Disney Company are not moving to Texas.
The rumor originally started on a satire site in 2020 that announced Disney was relocating. The joke article said Disney didn’t like California’s political stances and would move Disneyland to Texas. The city of Austin, Texas is commonly mentioned in the rumors that sprung up from the satirical report.
The Disney-to-Texas idea has been refuted repeatedly over the years, but that hasn’t stopped it from circulating. Even Snopes, the fact-checking website, confirmed the rumor was fake back in 2020.
Other rumors have pointed at Disney building a third theme park destination somewhere in the United States. These reported locations have included the Midwest, Michigan and of course, Texas. Users generally point at large areas of open land as possible spots where Disney will build next.
Modern Disney is unlikely to build a new third theme park destination in the United States. There’s still plenty of expansion possible at its current parks (specifically Walt Disney World) that make more financial sense. Walt Disney World is far more likely to get a fifth theme park, which isn’t in any immediate plans.
Despite all of the rumors above being false, a portion of the Walt Disney Company is relocating from California to Florida. The home of Walt Disney Imagineering is moving to Lake Nona, Florida from Southern California. Disney will keep some of Imagineering back in California, but the vast majority of operations will shift to Central Florida.
So, why does this rumor keep popping up when it’s blatantly false? One word – hope. Disney fans would love to see a Disney theme park built closer to their home. The idea of a Disney park springing up outside California or Florida is exciting for serious Disney fans, which is why these rumors gain so much traction.
