Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro has today announced that The Walt Disney Company is developing a new regional campus in Orlando that will serve as a Central Florida regional hub for the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment.
Located in Lake Nona, the new campus will complement Disney's operations in Southern California and its regional hub in the New York City area. Initially, the new campus will be home to more than 2000 Cast, Imagineers and employees. The relocation to Florida will take place over the next 18 months, and has been in the planning stages since 2019.
In a memo to staff, D'Amaro said, "While we are still determining exactly which of our team members will be based there, we expect that most Southern California-based DPEP professional roles that are not fully dedicated to the Disneyland Resort or, in some cases, the international parks business, will be asked to relocate to this new Florida campus."
He continued, "Expanding our already significant DPEP footprint in Florida makes sense. In addition to Florida's business-friendly climate, this new regional campus gives us the opportunity to consolidate our teams and be more collaborative and impactful both from a creative and operational standpoint."
This announcement is a hugely significant development for Disney World, which will undoubtedly benefit from having Walt Disney Imagineering and others from the DPEP segment based in Central Florida. It is also a massive boost to the Central Florida economy with Disney strengthening its already heavy presence in the state.
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