Projects scheduled for 2021 and beyond will likely see big delays

Right now, there are several high profile projects that could see significant delays as Disney grapples with a constrained budget over the next several years, due to not only the closure of all of its parks, but also lost revenue from films in theaters, as most movie franchises like AMC, Regal, etc. have said that they are going to remain closed for at least the next three months while social distancing is still being recommended. 

This could potentially delay rides like Tron Lightcycle Power Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which were both slated to (tentatively) open next year. Though nothing is for sure right now, we wouldn't be surprised to see these projects pushed at least a year into the future, potentially waiting to debut until 2022 at least. The same could also be true of the Specaship Earth refurbishment, which was supposed to get underway this spring, and now probably won't start until the end of the year at least, whihc would push a reopening to 2022 at the earliest. 

Another project that could see a medium-to-long term delay is the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. This hotel was meant to start taking reservations this year for stays beginning in 2021, but now we'd guess these windows will likely shift a year or more. 

Could we see some project cancellations?

Most of Walt Disney World's big projects are currently under construction or deep enough in the planning stages that a cancellation would be more of a loss than continuing on with the project (potentially at a slower pace). However, one project that has seen almost no traction yet has been the permanent Festival Center, which is supposed to be built somewhere in Future World, at some point (no date range was ever announced). Another mysterious project that could see the ax is the Mary Poppins attraction in the UK pavilion, which was never detailed or dated. 

Right now, we'd guess that a lot of top-level decisions are being made about what the next several years of construction and development will look like at Walt Disney World. Though just a few short months ago it was full steam ahead for over a dozen projects, with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in full force, some hard decisions will have to be made very soon to keep the books balanced while the resort is continuing to innovate and draw guests. 

As always, while this situation is evolving, all travelers should check out the CDC's official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.