Another GIANT Hotel Is Being Built Near Disney World!

Yes, ANOTHER giant hotel is planned to be built near Disney World!

©Click Orlando

There has been lots of construction going on in and around Disney World lately. The constant progress at Disney World may be pressuring other major entertainment companies and theme parks to continue innovating and updating. Universal Orlando has been making huge strides on their next main gate park, Epic Universe, which is set to include two brand new celestial-themed hotels. And now, another Orlando-based park is looking to make some BIG changes soon!

One of Disney World’s theme park neighbors has taken steps to secure permits to build a brand-new hotel. SeaWorld Orlando (which lies along the major highway 1-4 in between Disney World and Universal Orlando) has officially filed plans outlining the development of another hotel to host their park visitors.

SeaWorld

Plans for this new addition were submitted to Orange County just days ago, according to Spectrum News 13. They’re calling it “Project Canopy” and the plans outline a new hotel near Discover Cove Park that will feature 250 rooms.

©Orange County

Upon further inspection, the plans show the hotel will be located near the park’s entrance (just off Central Florida Parkway) on a section of SeaWorld Orlando’s property which includes 50 acres and a parking lot. The proposed plans for “Project Canopy” would include a restaurant, bar, pool, fitness center, retail space, and nearly 7,000 square feet of meeting space.

©Orange County

This project isn’t a first of its kind for SeaWorld Orlando, though. These latest plans were filed just a month after the company filed other plans to build its first Orlando-based hotel, according to Click Orlando. Under the codename “Project Starboard,” the plans for the first SeaWorld Orlando hotel are said to include a massive 15-story, 504-room hotel with a rooftop terrace, restaurants, meeting space, and an elevated walkway connecting the hotel to the park.

While no further details about either hotel have been provided, SeaWorld’s CEO Marc Swanson said, at an earnings call in November of 2023, that the company planned to open its first hotels in 2026.

©SeaWorld Orlando

Currently, SeaWorld Orlando is the only major theme park operator in Central Florida that doesn’t operate their own on-site hotels. This has caused speculation over whether these plans to expand the SeaWorld Orlando footprint are to help the company compete against nearby hotel projects such as the Universal Stella Nova and Universal Terra Luna hotels joining Universal Orlando and Disney World’s latest Disney Vacation Club tower under construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

SeaWorld Orlando has also taken to updating its ride and attraction offerings in recent years. Penguin Trek, the family-friendly launch coaster, is expected to debut this spring at SeaWorld Orlando This comes very shortly after the ambitious Pipeline: The Surf Coaster debuted last May. The company’s sister water park, Aquatica Orlando, is also gearing up for some new attractions. The water park is currently wrapping up a new “immersive” water slide called Tassie’s Underwater Twist which is set to open this spring.

We’ll keep you updated on the progress of this new giant hotel. Be sure to stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for the latest updates on this and more around Orlando!