I've learned that you can't completely dismiss cast member rumors. My cousin, who now works at Team Disney Orlando, used to work in various smaller jobs about the parks. He used to tell me rumors that were spot on. I found that the ones that he said that didn't happen were actual blue sky ideas that didn't make the cut.
I know that some people will argue this fact until a fifth park is actually open, but let's face it, the only true way that WDW will see a significant increase in attendance is by opening a major fifth gate. The report that was released in the Orlando Sentinel from Reedy Creek calls for a fifth major park by 2018. It said it wouldn't, however, be open until after 2013.
They are under obligation to build nothing that is in the Reedy Creek masterplan filed with the state.
They leave their options open.
That is not to say that they have not - and will continue to - evaluate the need for more gates...
but its not even realistic at this point.
One school of thought is "build when the economy is slumping"...the progressive, intelligent plan.
But disney sees one dollar as a waste of profit these days and will not invest what will amount to at least 1 billion (probably much more) dollars worth of operating cash on another park in florida.
and besides...even if they started today - it would probably take something like a minimum 6 years to get another park concept complete. It would involve extending the infrastructure, swamp reclamation, drainage...etc etc etc because no track is ready and available that wouldn't require those things...and i doubt they build a new park in EPCOT's parking lot. And then you talk hotels, roadways, waterways...yadayadyada
So there is no way anything will open before 2018. Remember that they took about 5 years to construct AK...and one section wasn't open...and other sections were eliminated and left the concept gutted. And All Stars and Coronado and Blizzard where already built and opened years ahead. That was all one development...they don't sit close to each other by accident...throw wide world of sports in that pot as well.
So while i would welcome any COMPLETE new gate. The fact is that it doesn't make any sense right now...and they haven't built a complete gate on their own since EuroDisney...and that was 20 years ago under a different regime in a different economic reality. As much as Michael Eisner became a mad scientist in a suit in later years...he really did follow through on the "disney decade" idea he pitched...most things were built. The last 10 years have shown NOTHING...only hong kong can even be considered a product of post-2000 Disney...and even that was probably generated long before (they did have an island built for them). It's been pretty weak...the shift has gone from getting bigger to just increasing the revenues. Pretty obvious from the cheap seats (i.e. NOT at Cinderella's Royal Table
)
Whatever dollars available should be put into 1. Animal Kingdom 2. Studios 3. EPCOT in that order...and only new support services, rennovations to downtown, perhaps a new waterpark or specialty area should even be considered.
DVC construction will proceed as planned....which means everywhere
