21 events, rides, restaurants to look forward to at Disney World in 2021

As 2021 emerges from the wreckage of 2020, we are all waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine spigot to open wide so we can all go back to normal.

What that means for a visit to Walt Disney World is that more people will feel comfortable returning, along with the fireworks, parades, character meet-and-greets, and more than a “taste of” all the EPCOT festivals.

While we do not have any idea when we might be free of COVID-19, we already know of a number of reopenings and changes expected this year. Here are 21 things we are looking forward to:

1. Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts (Jan. 8-Feb. 22): This slimmed-down version of the popular arts festival, which is my favorite festival, will still feature food kiosks, art kiosks, artist performances and some musical performances.

2. Hollywood & Vine Seasonal Events: Disney brought back modified character dining experiences in 2020, and in 2021 it will continue in Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with these three special events.

• Silver Screen Dine (Jan. 5 – March): Join Minnie Mouse for a fabulous dinner party celebrating the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
• Springtime Dine (March – June): Shake off winter’s chill with a dinner party that marks the bright and beautiful delights of spring.
• Summertime Dine (June – September): Head to Hollywood & Vine for a beach-inspired bash celebrating the sizzle of summer

3. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort reopens (March 22): Another of the value resorts reopens. This one salutes the legends of Disney films with a Fantasia-themed pool and giant statues of some of your favorite Disney characters. 

4. Disney’s Beach Club Resort reopens (May 30): While the Disney Vacation Club Beach Club Villas and sister-resort Yacht Club have already been open, this resort is the last piece in the Beach-Yacht Club puzzle.

5. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge reopens (June 6): This Deluxe Resort hotel reopens with the rustic majesty of America’s Great Northwest. Inspired by turn-of-the-century National Park lodges, the lodge celebrates American craftsmanship and honors the beauty of the untamed wilderness.

6. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort reopens (summer): One of the first resorts to open at Disney World nearly 50 years ago is getting a makeover. The Great Ceremonial House and guest rooms will move to a “Pacific Ocean-inspired color palette as well as details, patterns and textures” from Disney’s film “Moana.” Even though the hotel has been closed, the Disney Vacation Club’s Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are open.

7. Return of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover (TBD): This easygoing magnet-powered ride take you on a tour of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. While not a roller coaster, this beloved ride is being missed. It appear the attraction is getting a complete overhaul. It was scheduled to reopen in January, but no date has been given.

8. Blizzard Beach (March 7): It will be nearly a year that a water park has been closed at Disney World. Blizzard Beach will be the first of the two water parks – the other being Typhoon Lagoon. No information on how physical distancing will take place.

9. 2021 Warrior Games (September): The Department of Defense 2021 Warrior Games is coming to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. The annual event, hosted by the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, was first held in 2010. It celebrates the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill, and injured active duty and veteran U.S. military service members.  Hundreds of elite-athletes, including those from international allied nations, will compete in adaptive sporting events such as wheelchair basketball, cycling, indoor rowing, and wheelchair rugby among others during the games.

 10. Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival (March 3 – July 5): The topiaries will return to EPCOT. Dotting the landscape will be Mickey, Donald and friends, Remy, Anna & Elsa, Lady & the Tramp, Figment and a host of others. Disney’s Horticulture team is already working on prepping the flowers for the bright blooms that can be seen around the park. In addition, there will be more than 20 Outdoor Kitchens around the World Showcase, offering a variety of food and beverage.

11. Cirque Du Soleil Drawn to Life (Unknown): Walt Disney Animation Studios have joined forces with Cirque du Soleil to create a show that combines Disney storytelling and heart with Cirque du Soleil’s signature artistry. The show was supposed to open last year but was delayed. Disney is now saying that it is expected to open this year.

12. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (Unknown):  This new ride at Epcot is causing the France Pavilion to expand. The entrance to the ride will be behind the Eiffel Tower.  The attraction is based on the popular Disneyland Paris ride. This is a 4D experience where you are shrunk down to the size of Remy when he and his friends are cooking up a delicious meal, but are discovered by Chef Skinner, who chases you through the sights, sounds, and smells of Gusteau’s famous Parisian restaurant. We know that the ride is about complete, we are just waiting for an opening date.

13. A New crêperie restaurant (Unknown):  This new restaurant next to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will feature the cuisine of celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse, the mastermind behind the pavilion’s Chefs de France brasserie. The menu will be inspired by the Brittany region of France and offer table service dining as well as a quick-service stop for guests craving crepes called galettes and sweet crepes.

14. HarmonioUS/Water Fountain (Unknown): The new “permanent” nighttime show at Epcot is being touted as the largest nighttime show ever created for a Disney park. But what will most likely take place before the nighttime spectacular is that the barges being used for the show will also act as a giant water fountain during the day in the middle of the World Showcase lagoon.

15. Space 220 (Unknown): A new space-themed restaurant will open in Epcot between  Mission: Space and Test Track. The restaurant will be operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, which operates several other restaurants at  Disney World including Tutto Italia and Via Napoli at Epcot and Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs. The restaurant will feel as if it is on a space station and you will have a view from space at every window. It is called 220 because the views from space are supposed to give you views of the Earth from 220 miles up.

16. M&M’s Store (Early 2021):  The M&M’S experiential store is be moving from Orlando to Disney Springs. The new state-of-the-art store will be located in the West Side of Disney Springs near the NBA Experience.

17. Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew (Early 2021): A new donut shop is opening at Disney Springs, between AMC Theaters and Splitsville. Not much is known about Everglazed. Since the colors look similar to Dunkin’ Donuts we called Dunkin’ months ago and they said at that time, they were not associated with Everglazed. But it should be open soon, they are now hiring.

18. Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary (Oct. 1): This is the big one. This anniversary will definitely happen Oct. 1. What we don’t know is how Walt Disney World is going to celebrate. Will fireworks return in time for the occasion? Will this celebration last for a year or more, to allow for new things to open and old favorites to return as the country deals with the coronavirus? These are all questions that are still out there. One other thing we know is that paperwork has been filed for more work on Cinderella Castle. What’s coming? Stay tuned.

19. Gateway entrance makeover (ongoing): Work has already begun on the transformation of the gateway entrances to Disney World, two are complete. The famed entrance gateway arches now say “Where Dreams Come True.” The new archways will be changing the type to white with a blue background and will be changing the message from the place “Where Dreams Come True to “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” which is Disney World’s motto.

20. Walt Disney World Swan Reserve (Summer 2021): The newest addition to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, a 14-tower 349-room hotel is scheduled to open.

21. More dining options (Unknown): Several of the most popular Signature Dining restaurants at Disney World remain closed. We hope to see Ohana reopen along with the Polynesian renovation this summer. Next door at the Grand Floridian, Victoria & Alberts remains closed (even though its tables always allowed for suitable social distancing), and the reimagining of Citricos had just gotten started before the shutdown last winter. We don’t know what’s in store there. The Flying Fish also remains closed at the Boardwalk. We don’t expect that to open before the Boardwalk Inn does, and that isn’t on Disney’s calendar yet. And finally, the Roundup Rodeo BBQ sit-down restaurant in Toy Story land was supposed to open in 2020, and work has continued on the site, so we’re hoping to see that open this year as well.