Disney obtains $15 million permit for Little Mermaid ride
Fantasyland, Featured, Imagineering — By Jason Garcia on June 21, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Artist's rendering of the queue of the Journey of the Little Mermaid Ride (Walt Disney Co.)
Walt Disney World has obtained a $15 million building permit to construct the Journey of the Little Mermaid, the Little Mermaid-themed dark ride at the center of the Magic Kingdom’s sweeping Fantasyland expansion.
The permit, which was issued by the Reedy Creek Improvement District in early March, covers design and construction work. Reedy Creek puts the value of the work covered by the permit at $15.4 million.
The district has also issued at least two other permits related to the Little Mermaid ride, one for a backstage employee sidewalk and another to relocate existing lighting.
Fantasyland renderings | Compare plans to renderings | Current Fantasyland photos | Original Fantasyland announcement
Among other Fantasyland-related permits that District has issued so far are permits to disconnect mechanical, electrical and plumbing infrastructure at Ariel’s Grotto (which will become the site of a Beauty and the Beast-themed area); demolish the Scuttle’s Landing eatery; and remove a backstage maintenance shed in the area of the former 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction. The expanded Fantasyland is scheduled to open in phases beginning in 2012.
A 3D model of the Little Mermaid section of the new Fantasyland (Walt Disney Co.)
With the Fantasyland construction having begun in earnest, building activity at Reedy Creek is mushrooming. The district says it permitted projects with a combined construction value of $23.2 million in March 2010, up 192 percent from the same month last year.
Meanwhile, the number of building permits issued rose 24 percent in April and 4 percent in May. (Details on total number of permits issued for March and construction valuation for April or May weren’t immediately available.)
Other recent big-ticket permits issued by Reedy Creek include one to redo the Mexican cantina restaurant in Epcot (valued at $4.8 million), another to rehab the façade of the Expo Hall in the Magic Kingdom ($1.6 million) and another for an exterior remodeling at the Days of Christmas shop at Downtown Disney ($700,000).
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43 Comments
What does it mean when a planned attraction has its “permit pulled”?
“Pulled” means actually obtaining the permit. You would also
hear this used if you were hiring someone to re-roof your home.
The roofer would have to pull a permit with the city in order
to do the work.
I thought Disney was broke. At lease, that is what they are saying at the negatoting table?
Disney is strategically spending money so that they can keep guests…and income…coming in with exciting new reasons to visit. This helps to keep your lunch-bucket filled at break-time.
We have to hve money to buy the food toput in the lunch box first. Wtih the rising costs to live in Florida it is getting extremely harder to even buy food on Theem Park wages.
Simple Bob….quit!
So what does “pulled” mean? To me it means they’ve applied for it but then pulled it back out of the approval process like they are NOT going to build this ride after all.
You’re right, the term “pulled” gives the opposite impression of what it means.
Pulling a job usually means cancelling it, but to “pull a permit” is part of issuing it, not cancelling it.
I wonder what the origin of the use of that word is? It certainly causes confusion.
In permit lingo, pulling a permit is equivalent to applying for and receiving a permit.
Michelle,
Thank you for explaining since the writer of this story (Jason Garcia) should have realized that we all do not work in construction and know the lingo.
I agree with you. I thought that it meant that a permit was issued but Disney decided to “not” go forward. This writer didn’t do his best work here!
You’re a tard. Try google sometime.
That was an unnecessary ad hominem attack.
Sorry, Chad…. You left us hanging…
Don’t be so respiculous….
Why should the Sentinel use elementary language when a reader could instead educate oneself on appropriate terminology?
Bad editing!!!
200 million on the wizard 15 million on the flipper queen Disneys on a beer budget with a champagne taste
15 Million is just the cost for the specific work of this permit, not the total cost of the attraction.
The final tally for the new ride, new meet and greet area and everything that goes with it will be far higher.
I find it amusing at best that “Reedy Creek” issued the permit to build the Little Mermaid Ride…Disney issues it’s own permits, what a surprise.
Please learn the facts before you rant about Disney. You are showing your lack of intelligence.
So are you
“Disney” does not issue it’s own permits. Reedy Creek issues building permits. Reedy Creek is a quasi-governmental authority created under the laws of Florida. That is like complaining that OUC would never refuse an electrical service for a City of Orlando project. True, Reedy Creek only includes Disney property, but through the letter of the law, Disney is NOT Reedy Creek and vice-versa.
And 200 million was for the entire Potter Island, 15 million was for ONE ride at the revised Fantasyland. When all is said and done, and all renovations are done, try again and see how much was spent.
I really despise you Disney haters. Why do you even read these stories if you hate “The Rat” so much?
You are right, DWTH. I’m a CM at WDW and the expected TOTAL cost of the ENTIRE Fantasyland Expansion is approx. 1 BILLION dollars……that’s BILLION, folks…..not MILLION…. the LM ride is a little over 15 million so that would leave at least 985 MILLION left for the rest of the expansion project. Please don’t ask how I know this because I won’t (CAN’T) tell, let’s just say I DO have inside info on the project.
$1 billion was the initial cost of Epcot. Sounds like the new Fantasyland will be awesome! (granted that was 1982 dollars, but still…)
I don’t hate the rat,I love Disney, however Reedy Creek IS Disney. Formed by Disney. Of course they are going to issue Disney the permit. THey wouldn’t exist without Disney. Neither Orange or Osceola Counties have any say in anything that goes on there-until they need police protection.
Reedy Creek is not Disney. Reedy Creek can and does deny permits if the Disney engineers did not do something correctly. As said above, do not act like you really know what is going on when you don’t.
I’ve heard for years that RCID has some of the strictest permitting in the state.
Perhaps if you did a little reading you might learn that some of us DO know what’s going on. Liking Disney has nothing to do with stating a fact, and the fact is REEDY CREEK IS DISNEY
The 15 million is only for the design and construction of the actual building. It does not include the costs of actually doing anything inside the ride (animatronics, vehicles, creative, etc). This attractions is supposed to take up nearly half of the fantasyland budget, so the 15 million dollars is just a fraction of its cost.
If you have any doubts that Reedy Creek IS Disney, read the governance section of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District
http://land.allears.net/blogs/jackspence/2009/12/reedy_creek_improvement_distri_1.html
On May 12, 1967, Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. signed a charter creating the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). The name “Reedy Creek” comes from the name of a stream that crosses Disney property.
In essence, the 27,000 acres of Walt Disney World became a pseudo-county to be run by the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. It maintains its own building codes and is exempt from state zoning and land use laws. It provides fire protection and medical services. It supports a vast array of utilities including waste water treatment, electric power generation and delivery, natural gas distribution, and more. In addition, most roads on property are built and maintained by RCID. However, the property is subject to all state and local taxes.
Disney has the right to create its own law enforcement agency, but has opted to allow the Highway Patrol and Orange and Osceola County sheriffs deputies to patrol the roads. However, the RCID has a fleet of security vehicles and does also monitor the property….
If you are interested in Reedy Creek and Disney busuiness read the book “Married to the Mouse”. It explains how Disney came to Florida. And all the interesting things that Disney does business wise. I am a fan of the WDW and after reading the book I was just wowed at the business practices.
You should look for a permit for something with the title Dwarf Diamond Mine roller coaster….
For all intents and purposes, RDIC “is” Disney, and they are sleeping with each other.
Main reason: The residents of the two incorporated area “The City of Lake Buena Vista” and “The City of Bay Lake” all work for WDW, so you now the are going to vote for the candidates put forth. These two residential areas are small trailer parks (albeit nice ones) with maybe five to fifteen trailers (excuse me, “manufactured homes”) in each. This is common knowledge to Cast Members and to Disnoids. Also, a former housemate of mine married a WDW executive secretary, who once was asked if she wanted to be mayor of The City of Lake Buena Vista. She was honored, but had other things to do with her life.
True, RDIC can and will deny permits but WDW designs attractions and buildings to the highest of standards. However, they would not deny permits and thus “bite the hand that feeds them.” One exists because of the other.
To clerify the correct terminology on permits. You pull a permit, so the heading should have read ” Disney Pulls Permit” or “Permit pulled on planned attraction”. The way it is currently worded “planned attraction has permit pulled”, would mean that one way or another, the criteria layed out in the permit have not or will not be met, therefore the existing permit will be pulled (nullified).
The theme of the attraction will be to celebrate the wondrous diversity of the oceans, and how all the living creatures, that depend on a healthy ocean environment should be protected and cherished.
.
Sponsored by BP.
$200 million for Potter? Its ONE STREET.
Universal must have hired some retired public works employees to spend that kind of money.
What difference does it make how much money they spend or who pulls what permits from where? The bottom line is that it’s still going to be a “Princess Land”. Lots of fun for little girls under the age of 8 or 9 but for everyone else? Bleh.
I’m getting close to 50 years old and I CAN’T WAIT to go see the new attractions!!!!! I am SO EXCITED!!!!!
Perhaps if you read the article completely you’d understand that “pull a permit” meant that they got a permit to build the new area of the park, at the tune of 15 million. Sure I understand “pull a permit” may be confusing, but the article clearly stated what they’re doing. C’mon people
all i want to know is,when is going to
be done.and how long do i,have to wait
in line. love ya,ariel!! nice shells…
Does anyone know which, if any, local contractors are working on the expansion project? (ie: electrical, mechanical, plumbing etc)
What!? Disney is spending money on the parks?????