After seven years of delays, two new hotels finally broke ground Thursday on a land just outside Walt Disney World's western entrance, with potential plans to build another five hotels in the Flamingo Crossings district.
Construction is now underway of two Marriott hotels, SpringHill Suites and TownePlace Suites. Disney is the developer, but since the company sold the land to Alaska-based JL Properties Inc., the hotels are not technically on "Disney property."
The Flamingo Crossings project was announced back in 2007 — and its website hasn't been updated for almost as long — but according to Disney, the recession prevented any vertical development for the planned tourist district until now.
JL Properties said the two hotels are slated to open as soon as January 2016. The project will add about 500 hotel rooms near Disney World and create nearly 125 full-time jobs.
In addition to the usual hotel pool, the property will also include new athletic facilities, including practice fields, batting cages and picnic areas.
A Disney spokeswoman said we can expect announcements about the rest of the Flamingo Crossings District — including details about dining, retail and grocery — starting in 2015.
The spokeswoman was quick, however, to add that Flamingo Crossings is not going to be another "Disney Springs," the reimagined Downtown Disney area currently under construction. Whereas Disney Springs has a "broad appeal," Flamingo Crossings is designed to accomodate the "value-conscious traveler."