Changes are hitting Disney World left and right, and now we’ve got some clues about upcoming ones!

We’re constantly on the hunt for Disney World permits that might signal what changes are coming next to the theme parks, water parks, hotels, and more. In recent weeks/months, we’ve seen permits that hint at changes for pools and restrooms, rides and hotels, and a new restaurant. Now we’ve spotted more updates that you should know about!

What we look at are technically called Notices of Commencement. These typically indicate that work on the designated projects could start soon. Let’s see what we found.

Ride Change

First up, over at Magic Kingdom we saw a permit filed for a MASSIVE ride transformation taking place — the change from Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. We actually saw a permit filed for the Splash Mountain area back in April, but this is a new one.

This new permit is for “scenic prop install and theme paint touch up” for an address that matches Splash Mountain’s address in Magic Kingdom. So in the coming months, we could see a NEW prop and some paint added to the attraction area.

The “owner” for this permit is listed as Walt Disney Imagineering, and the contractor is Solomon Group Production LLC. There is no expiration date specified, so it’ll automatically expire 1 year from the date it was recorded — it was recorded on May 17th, 2023.

Disney had already announced that later this summer a tiara-topped water tower would be arriving at the ride. So it’s possible this permit could relate to the addition of that prop, or it could be for something else entirely.

We’ll be sure to look for updates!

Click here to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Hotel Change

In terms of hotel changes, there have been a decent number of permits filed lately relating to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The resort is undergoing quite a bit of refurbishment already with construction ongoing on some of its buildings. And Disney had previously announced that the lobby would be undergoing a refurbishment.

Back in April, we saw some permits filed for the hotel and now there are more.

Here’s a look at some of the recent permits we’ve found related to the Grand Floridian:

• One permit for “general construction” for an address tied to Senses Spa. The contractor is Balfour Beatty Construction LLC, which we’ve seen listed on other permits for the Grand Floridian before, as well as permits for Splash Mountain, the PLAY! Pavilion, and Reflections — A Lakeside Lodge. The expiration date is 12/30/23.
• A permit for “general construction” tied to the Beach Pool Bar. Balfour Beatty is the contractor, and the expiration date is 12/30/23.
• A permit for “general construction” at the Grand Floridian Trolley House. Balfour Beatty is the contractor, and the expiration date is 12/30/23.
• A permit for “general construction” at the Beach Pool restroom building. Balfour Beatty is the contractor, and the expiration date is 12/30/23.
• A permit for “general construction” at a different pool building. Balfour Beatty is the contractor, and the expiration date is 12/30/23.
• A permit to “provide labor, material and/or electrical for construction” to the main lobby building at the Grand Floridian. The contractor is Buena Vista Construction Company (Disney’s internal contractor), and no expiration date is specified so it’ll automatically expire 1 year after May 15th, 2023.
• A permit for improvement of the “general conditions” of the Grand Floridian DVC Building (rooms 1101-1622). The contractor is CEC General Contractors Inc. and the expiration date is 5/10/24.

In other words, there are quite a few updates that seem to be planned for the Grand Floridian in the coming months. So if you’re planning to stay here, just be aware that you could see some work being done here and there.

Click here for the Grand Floridian vs. BoardWalk Inn Resort Guide

But Wait…There’s More

And finally, we wanted to mention one other permit we spotted that seems to be impacting part of EPCOT. The permit lists the owner as Walt Disney Imagineering and the work is described as “install signs.”

It appears to be tied to part of the buildings behind Spaceship Earth.

The contractor listed is Design Communications LTD. There is no expiration date on this one specified, so it’ll automatically expire 1 year from May 12th, 2023 (the date it was recorded).

There’s a LOT of construction going on in EPCOT these days so we’ll be interested to see just what signs get installed as part of this specific work.

We’ll continue to watch for more unique permits filed in Disney World and construction work happening all around the parks. Stay tuned for more Disney news.

Click here to see the changes one permit hinted at for a Hollywood Studios attraction

 What changes would you like to see made in Disney World? Tell us in the comments.