Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration Plans 2021

Walt Disney World celebrates its 50th Anniversary on October 1, 2021. And with that comes a slew of heavily anticipated new rides, restaurants, shows, experiences, and more! While some delays were seen this past year, Disney is promising to bring the magic! Check out all the details about Disney's 50th Anniversary from how long it will last to what is changing in the parks. Here are all the details about the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Walt Disney World.

The Worlds Most Magical Celebration Plans

Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary runs from October 1, 2021, to March 2023. This 18-month long celebration features special events and activities across all 4 parks. In fact, Walt Disney World is already getting ready with new decorations on Cinderella's Castle and construction projects in full swing. So, what is on the way for the 50th Anniversary of the Most Magical Place on Earth? For the event, Walt Disney World has shared that they are focusing on three areas to honor the celebration.

• Worlds of Magic. Building worlds of magic at all four parks, Disney is adding more sparkle, more shine, and improvements.
• EARidescent Entertainment. Adding iridescent hues in pink, purple, blue, gold and silver to just about everything. You can see these 50th Anniversary colors featured in new outfits for Mickey and Minnie, new merchandise, snacks, and more.
• Heart of the Celebration. Putting cast members center stage, Walt Disney World is allowing, even more, touches of magic! As Cast Members work to bring even more unforgettable experiences to Disney guests.

New Attractions Coming for the 50th Anniversary

Walt Disney World is completing construction on several new ride experiences in the parks set to finish sometime throughout the 50th Anniversary celebrations, before 2023. Here are some of the big things on the way!

• Remy's Ratatouille Adventure is coming to the EPCOT World Showcase France Pavilion. This new ride shrinks guests down to the size of a rat as they weave their way through a busy kitchen. A 360-degree trackless dark ride, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure is great for kids and families.
• Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind Roller Coaster is coming to Future World in EPCOT. This massive roller coaster sends the guests backward into space using new technology pioneered by Disney.

• TRON Light Cycle Run becomes part of Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom as an indoor/ outdoor rollercoaster. Allowing guests to ride a train made up of two-wheeled Light Cycles just like in the movie TRON.
• Play! Pavilion is a new indoor experience at EPCOT, in the Wonders of Life pavilion. Set up like an interactive city. You can meet your favorite Disney characters, learn to draw at the Animation Academy, and play with Nick and Judy from Zootopia in an interactive game called Hotel Heist. This new space is also set to include the Monorail Mark X attraction.
• Ducktales World Showcase Adventure is the newest interactive game at EPCOT World Showcase that brings guests on a mission around the world, via their phone, to fight off bad guys by completing challenges in select countries.

Refurbishments are also happening on some of our favorite rides. Jungle Cruise is getting updated scenes, and Splash Mountain is being re-themed as a Princess and the Frog ride, among other enhancements happening in the parks.

New Restaurants at Walt Disney World

• Woody's Roundup Rodeo BBQ is set to arrive in Hollywood Studios Toy Story Land in late 2021 as the newest Table Service restaurant complete with characters and a wild west barbecue menu.
• Space 220 will be the newest addition to Epcot's Mission Space area in Future World. Featuring an out-of-this-world restaurant with outer space views, the opening date is still TBD.
• Victoria and Albert's Bistro is replacing Citricos at The Grand Floridian Resort and Spa as part of an ongoing re-imagining of the resort. Currently, without a timeline, this project was originally set to complete during the 50th Anniversary 18-month duration.
• La Creperie de Paris is set to open October 1, 2021, with the rest of Remy's Ratatouille Adventure Courtyard area in EPCOT World Showcase France. This quick service and table service restaurant brings authentic crepes to the streets of Paris in the France pavilion.

New Shows at Walt Disney World for the 50th Anniversary

• HarmoniUS Nighttime Spectacular is the newest EPCOT digital projection show debut this year. With testing well underway, this nighttime show on the water features special music and scenes from around the world highlighting that music connects us all.

New Resorts On the Way

Star Wars Galatic Starcruiser Immersion Resort may soon be boarding! This Star Wars hotel at Walt Disney World is adjacent to Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios and offers a 2-night 3-day experience for Star Wars fans. Guests will be part of galactic missions that combine both resort areas and Galaxy's Edge experiences.

The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve Hotel opens this summer and joins the Swan and Dolphin Hotels located in the Disney Boardwalk area of Walt Disney World Resort. Giving guests even more options to stay close to the magic during their Disney Vacation.

New Planning Changes at Walt Disney World

Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation was always complex, but now with new services, restrictions, and transportation changes, planning your vacation for The World's Most Magical Celebration may be different than you remember. Here are all the things in place during the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World.

Disney's MagicMobile

A new digital wallet, called MagicMobile has arrived in the parks as a new way for Disney guests to connect park tickets, reservations, and more on their phones. This new service allows for contactless entry into the parks and works in tandem with other services like MagicBands and the My Disney Experience app for complete control of your Disney Vacation, right from your phone.

Disney Park Pass Reservations

Disney CEO, Bob Chapek, has announced that Disney Park Pass Reservations will be required for entry into the parks, in addition to a Park ticket, through 2023. This additional planning step is meant to help Disney keep track of capacity limits across all parks. Know that a Disney resort reservation does not guarantee a park pass reservation. That said, many Park Passes for days around the 50th Anniversary's starting date, October 1st have already been filled. Be sure to double-check park pass availability before booking your vacation to make sure you can access the parks you're hoping to visit.

Disney's Magical Express Changes

Disney's Magical Express retires on December 31, 2021. If you're planning a vacation for Disney's 50th Anniversary in 2022 or 2023 be prepared to arrange for your own transportation from the Orlando International Airport. Currently, in the works, Mears Transportation will debut a new service, for a fee, called Mears Connect to help Disney Vacationers get to and from the airport to the Walt Disney World Resort. In the more distant future, the Brightilne Railway will be unveiling a new Disney Springs Train Station and train service as part of its Orlando railway expansion expected to complete in 2025.

Disney Dining Reservation Changes

If you're hoping to snag a spot at your favorite Disney Restaurant for the 50th Anniversary, you can now place Disney Dining Reservations only 60 days in advance (instead of the previous 180 days.) This is to accommodate last-minute changes that are typical through this time. Tables in restaurants are physically distanced and have a limited guest capacity.

Walt Disney World 2021 Updates

With so much on the way in 2021 at Walt Disney World for the 50th Anniversary, it's important to note that Disney pandemic restrictions are still in place and expected to be so throughout 2021. This includes the following changes as part of Disney's health and safety procedures.

• Temperature Checks: Required at all parks and some table service restaurants
• Face Mask Requirements: Walt Disney World requires guests wear face masks. Check out the Experience Updates page for details.
• Limited Park Capacity: Capacity at Walt Disney World parks is set at 35% through the rest of 2021 and currently being monitored through the Disney Park Pass Reservation System.
• Distancing Between Guests: Guests must maintain a 6-foot distance from others while in the parks.
• Distanced Ride Queues: Ride Queues have been adjusted with ground markers to note standing location for each travel party to remain distanced.
• Limited Attraction and Entertainment Availability: Select rides, restaurants, and experiences are not available at this time. Character Meals, Character Meet and Greets, Fireworks, Tours, and Events are currently suspended.
• No Dining Plan: Disney's Dining Plan is not currently available.
• Contactless Enhancements: Contactless park entry is made possible through Disney's MagicMobile service, and Mobile Ordering through the My Disney Experience App is encouraged.

Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary Celebration

This 18-month anniversary will see many changes in the parks at Walt Disney World. The new rides, restaurants, shows, and more on the way add to the annual EPCOT festivals and runDisney events already in place. If you're planning a visit in the next couple of years, you will have plenty of new things to see and even more magic to experience in the parks.