It will always be the case that the area surrounding Walt Disney World will be a prime location for business developers, and we have just heard news of plans for a new property development, just west of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
According to Growth Spotter, a development company named Walter Joseph Group, lead by the real estate developer and advisor Kimm Dodaro, is under contract to purchase a plot of land near the park, to be used for an ‘accommodation-style development’. The proposed area lies just less than five miles away from the western gate of the resort, east of the Orange/Lake County border. It is reported that it will be about 119 acres in size, taken from major Horizon West owner and developer Columnar Investment’s 250-acre property assemblage.
The planning application shows that the development will include up to 260 short-term rental units, which will include timeshares, and a nine-storey hotel with up to 240 suites. Florida division partner fro Columnar, Sam Froelich, has stated that the the developer is planning on creating a ‘resort-style community’ within the new area, yet ‘plans are still very preliminary at this time’.
Accommodation will always be well-received in areas with such close proximity to Walt Disney World, that’s for sure. What do you think of this proposal? Make sure to stay tuned to WDWNT for more updates on this story as it progresses.
Don’t get me wrong , these projects create a lot of jobs (temporary-construction and permanent – hotel staff). But it seems that now there is an over abundance of Disney resorts which will lead to increase in quantity but decrease in quality, as it will be tough for senior executive management at the top to ensure that quality service is being provided to guests
Building near Animal Kingdom will make WDW too much like Disneyland where businesses closed in on it. Walt wasn’t happy!! That’s why he bought the Florida property and designed WDW with a huge land buffer. Now a developer is going to ruin that? Why didn’t the Disney Company buy the land to prevent this crowding?
Is this a Disney resort or outside separate entity?