Governor Ron DeSantis is now directly affecting thousands of Walt Disney World Resort vacations after installing a new element at one of Central Florida’s most visited destinations.
Central Florida is a hive of activity. As 2025 gains momentum, so does the theme park landscape in the Sunshine State. With numerous changes happening to two of the biggest resorts in the world, it is shaping up to be an interesting and perhaps industry-altering year.
For the theme park giants Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, 2025 marks the beginning of a new chapter. Universal’s change is louder than Disney’s with the arrival of their third theme park gate—Universal Epic Universe—in May 2025. The House of Mouse won’t be opening their own additional gate this year—much to the dismay of fans—but they will be making large-scale alterations to two of their most iconic lands.
Across the next few months and years, Walt Disney World will relaunch sections of both Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. At the former, Frontierland will be overhauled to include the Pixar Cars franchise, while at the latter, both Encanto and Indiana Jones will gain footprints in the old DinoLand U.S.A. location. Both projects have drawn criticism from Disney fans who long for the House of Mouse to be as aggressive as Universal has been in its expansion plans.
So, while many may be skipping Walt Disney World this year, thanks to the many operational changes and scheduled refurbishments taking place resort-wide, Central Florida will still be busy with travelers heading out to both Disney and, of course, Universal Epic Universe.
And for those traveling, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be changing how you travel into the state. Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the main hub for visitors coming in and out of Central Florida and DeSantis now aims to make it easier to travel through.
“Dan Giordano, recently appointed to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) by Gov. Ron DeSantis, plans to leverage his hospitality expertise to create a more welcoming environment for travelers,” Click Orlando writes. “He is the vice president of corporate planning and development with Rosen Hotels and is one of the few on the board with a strong background in hospitality.”
MCO’s press release on the matter included Giordano’s comments on what the new position means. “Creating memorable experiences is at the heart of what we do in Central Florida,” DeSantis’ appointee said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board and to support the bold initiatives underway to seamlessly connect Central Florida and the world through exceptional experiences, collaboration, and creativity.
The appointment of Mr. Giordano comes as MCO also announces a multi-year plan to update its post-9/11 baggage system. Click Orlando reports that the airport is investing $650 million to change and update its baggage handling system in a “major overhaul” that is part of an initiative–like Mr. Giordano’s new role–to improve the experience of the millions of travelers who move through the busy airport year after year.
Many of those moving through the airport are journeying to the likes of Walt Disney World Resort, so Gov. DeSantis’ investment in the personnel at MCO will directly impact those travelers. As Click Orlando recounts: “When people arrive, it can be hectic, especially in this destination with children and conventioneers,” [Giordano] noted. “We want to make it easy, accessible, friendly, fun, and exciting.”
This is not the first time this week news of DeSantis’ impact on Disney World has been shared. On Monday, as the United States welcomed its 47th President, Donald Trump, to the White House, Disney followed DeSantis’ flag order and flew the American flag at full-staff in the parks. They were later lowered to continue honoring the late President Jimmy Carter.
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