A new report suggests Disney may once again be planning a hotel at Epcot. Real estate agent Ken Pozek discovered a construction project for a “Epcot Future World Hotel” that’s currently in the design phase. The listing Pozek found calls for a hotel valued between $50 million and $75 million.
Pozek notes that the address listed for this project is between the Land Pavilion and the Imagination Pavilion. There’s not much space there, but a boutique hotel that occupies mostly backstage space would be possible.
The resource where Pozek found the listing is one that’s commonly used for bidding on construction projects. The listing was last updated in February 2021, which is a significant development as the Epcot hotel project was reportedly scrapped in early 2019.
You may recall that talk of an Epcot hotel popped up back in 2017. Permits filed around Epcot in 2018 even suggested the hotel would sit just outside the main gates. But, as Disney announced their plans for changes to Epcot’s main entrance, the hotel was reportedly cancelled.
It’s interesting to see a large project like this one potentially resurfacing at a time when Disney has put the brakes on other Walt Disney World updates. Work on the interior of TRON Lightcycle Run at the Magic Kingdom was delayed. So too was work on Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy coaster.
Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge was shelved indefinitely last year. That hotel project may make more sense to pick back up seeing as crews had already completed the design and cleared the land. Meanwhile, work is moving forward on the Star Wars resort near Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Another rumored hotel project raises more questions about Walt Disney World’s theme park capacity. Can the theme parks handle any more on-property guests with things stretched thin as it is? At what point will significant theme park expansions be prioritized over hotels and replacement projects?
