ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In 2019, Disney World announced some projects planned as part of Epcot’s massive transformation. One of those projects was the interactive Play! pavilion, which would take over the space previously occupied by the Wonders of Life pavilion.

​​​Disney has been pretty quiet about the project since that announcement, and with little visible work done on the pavilion, many have wondered if the Play! pavilion had been canceled or paused indefinitely.

A recent permit, however, seems to signal that the project is still on and progressing. The notice of commencement, filed July 14 with Orange County, only references “general contractor package” in the description of the work. It's likely that it's just an all-encompassing permit for the contractor to resume work. 

While the permit does not list the Play! pavilion by name, the location listed matches the former Wonders of Life pavilion, where Disney has previously confirmed the project will be built.

The contractor listed on the document is Balfour Beatty Construction LLC, which has worked on a number of projects at area theme parks, including Sesame Street Land at SeaWorld Orlando and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando.

Originally scheduled to open in time for Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebration, the Play! pavilion was described as an interactive space that would feature games, activities, other experiences and Disney characters.

The project was also featured in the Epcot Experience, a presentation that offered a preview of experiences coming to the park. The Epcot Experience, which first opened in 2019 in the Odyssey pavilion, closed earlier this year.

A number of projects previously-announced for Epcot’s transformation have already debuted, including the Harmonious nighttime spectacular, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at the France pavilion and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

It’s unclear when the Play! pavilion will open as Disney hasn’t made any announcements.