It’s hard to believe how next year marks a major milestone for Walt Disney World Resort. The Florida-based vacation destination will celebrate its 50th anniversary on October 1st, 2021. The Magic Kingdom opened on that date marking the beginning of Disney magic in central Florida. At the start of the year, the Walt Disney Company announced their plans to begin a year-long celebration for all the theme parks at Walt Disney World. But these plans were announced before the pandemic initiated the temporary closure of Disney Parks. Today, we review a list of the previously announced celebration plans for Walt Disney World in 2021 and discuss how those anniversary plans could be possibly affected.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Star Wars fans get ready- there is a brand new Star Wars vacation experience coming! This will be a brand new and fully immersive experience. Guests will check-in for a two-night galactic adventure that will transport them out of this world! Onboard, guests will interact with characters, and actively participate in a custom storyline. This will truly be a one of a kind experience unlike anything else! The good news is that the construction of the Star Wars resort has continued during this pandemic, so it’s looking like the Galactic Cruiser will be arriving on schedule!
Cirque du Soleil
Disney Imagineering and Cirque du Soleil have teamed up to create the most magical show yet! This show will be a perfect combination of Disney magic and Cirque du Soleil’s signature breathtaking performance art. Unfortunately, the pandemic led to the temporary furlough of the entertainers. We don’t know when the show will return to make its grand debut to Disney Springs.
Disney Genie
Set to make its debut in late 2020, Disney Genie will be a brand new digital tool offering that will enhance the planning and experience of a Walt Disney World vacation. Disney Genie will provide guests with customized itineraries based on their own unique needs and wants. Guests will be able to tell Disney Genie about what they would like to experience, and Disney Genie will present options to create their perfect vacation. However, the temporary health measures at Disney Parks might impact the debut of this app. So it might take a period of adjustment before we see all of the features available on this tool for the anniversary.
TRON Lightcycle Run
TRON Lightcycle Run is a thrilling new attraction coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Guests will board a train of two-wheeled “lightcycles” and experience the thrill and energy of TRON’s high tech world! The construction of this attraction was mostly complete prior to the pandemic, but it seems delays will push back the ride’s debut to 2022.
A Brand New Epcot
Last but certainly far from least, Epcot will be completely reimagined. Epcot will feature four unique neighborhoods that will come together in unison. The four neighborhoods will include Future World, World Celebration, World Nature, and World Discovery. Of course, World Showcase will also remain and include some new attractions and experiences.
Guardians of the Galaxy
The new World Discovery neighborhood in Epcot will be the home to one of the most highly anticipated new attractions, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This exciting new attraction combines a roller-coaster with an immersive story and will be the very first attraction of its kind. We expect the ride to debut in 2022.
Space 220
The Mission: SPACE pavilion will also be home to a very unique new dining experience. Space 220 will be an out-of-this-world culinary extravaganza and will actually make guests feel as though they are dining from 220 miles above the Earth. The restaurant will feature breathtaking panoramic views of space. The grand opening of this restaurant was pushed back due to the pandemic.
Other coming Epcot attractions
World of Nature will include the first attraction inspired by Moana, named Journey of Water. This attraction will allow guests to interact with magical living water in a beautiful setting. It’s been confirmed that this attraction is still on schedule.
In the France pavilion, guests will be able to experience the brand new attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, as well as a new restaurant, La Creperie de Paris. It was set to open this year, but the new opening date is uncertain.
Epcot will also be welcoming a brand new nighttime spectacular, HarmonioUS, following the limited-time run of Epcot Forever. HarmonioUS will be the largest nighttime show ever created for a Disney park and will celebrate music and the inspiration music brings to people all over the world. Given the temporary measures at Walt Disney World, we might see a new opening date for the nighttime show during the anniversary year.
What we listed so far is a short list of upcoming features coming for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World. Which experiences are you looking forward to seeing? Although we don’t officially know what will change as a result of the pandemic, we do hope to see most of these plans come to fruition in 2021!
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