What the long Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration likely means

Disney just announced this morning that they are going old school and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort for 18 months. As many might remember, Disney in the past has held celebrations for 13 or 14 months to entice those first-time visitors and make sure that those who make an annual pilgrimage will get to celebrate. This 18-month celebration will help to resolve and lot more than that.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which so far in the U.S. has infected 27.9 million and caused 493,000 deaths, shut down Disney World for four months, cutting back on construction, refurbishments, delaying and even shelving a number of planned attractions. The devastating pandemic caused thousands of layoffs and furloughs.

This 18-month celebration will help bolster and encourage people to return to visit Disney World as more and more vaccinations take place and some of the physical distancing practices implemented in July ease up. It also answers a number of questions about some timelines but raises a number of other questions, which we do hope Disney answers in the coming month.

Mega Celebration

The first thing to notice is that the 50th-anniversary celebration of the resort will overlap with the 40th anniversary of when EPCOT opened on Oct. 1, 1982. Now, instead of having to hold two separate major celebrations, Disney can keep it to one and all of the major changes that are planned for EPCOT can be rolled into the big all-encompassing celebration.

Coming attractions

The 18-month celebration also now gives us a more definitive timeline on when many of the announced projects should be complete. After all, why not market the new attractions, restaurants and a resort, as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration.

Disney has already said that the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and the crêperie restaurant will open in 2021. While all of us have been hoping this new 4D experience where you are shrunk down to the size of Remy when he and his friends are cooking up a delicious meal and get chased through a kitchen, would open this summer, it could be theoretically wait until Oct. 1.

Here is what falls into the timeline that we know are in the works:

TRON Lightcycle/Run attraction at Magic Kingdom is a new coaster being built in next to Space Mountain based on Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON Lightcycle Power Run.  Guests will board a train of two-wheeled Lightcycles that will take them inside and outside the attraction’s building, reaching speeds of nearly 60 miles. The ride lasts about two minutes.

Jungle Cruise makeover at Magic Kingdom. For the first time the skipper role will not only be that of a live person leading the tour, but also represented by a show figure within the attraction.

Splash Mountain retheming to “The Princess and the Frog. The entire Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom will be rethemed. The ride picks up the story after the final kiss and guests join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.

 Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser: This two-night vacation experience will surround guests 24/7 in Star Wars storytelling, including a visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure in Epcot. While the show is being canceled, Disney has said this attraction is still a go. It invites guests to join Scrooge McDuck, Donald, nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, Launchpad and Webby in search of priceless treasure. Using the Play Disney Parks mobile app, guests take a trip around World Showcase discovering exotic destinations, exciting mysteries, and maybe even a few thieves, villains and supernatural guardians of ancient artifacts. This will be the next iteration of a popular interactive scavenger hunt around World Showcase.

Space 220 is a new table-service restaurant debuting this winter at Epcot – next to Mission: SPACE – that will give the feel of dining 220 miles above the Earth’s surface, complete with celestial views. In new details released today, guests will step inside the restaurant’s space elevator to prepare for liftoff; they’ll feel as if they’re traveling straight up into space to dock next to the Centauri Space Station suspended just beyond the orbit of Mission: SPACE. Upon arrival, guests will be guided to their seats past the grow zone, a spinning wall of produce that mimics Earth’s gravity and represents some of the fresh ingredients used by the restaurant’s culinary team.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a new table-service restaurant coming to Toy Story Land in 2020 as guests live their adventures together at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. A new artist concept image released today exemplifies how guests will be immersed with all their toy pals in a fun, family-friendly environment constructed from Andy’s favorite larger-than-life play sets and games.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Is a new roller coaster at EPCOT. The adventure starts in the Galaxarium, a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar. Guests will be invited to learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share – until the moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, and adventures across the cosmos ensue. The attraction will feature a roller coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus guests on the action and will include the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.

The Play! Pavilion is a digital city bursting with games, activities, and experiences that connect them with friends, family, and beloved Disney characters like never before. Now, we list this as unknown for this very simple reason. In December, Disney released a list of projects still expected to come during this EPCOT renaissance. The Play! pavilion was not listed. However, if you visit the Epcot Experience show, the location is still mentioned, while other areas have been omitted. The pavilion is in the former Wonders of Life pavilion that in 2018 became a festival center.

Harmonius is one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney Park will take place in the World Showcase Lagoon in EPCOT. It will celebrate the way Disney music inspires people the world over and will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics and lasers. During the day, it will act as a huge war fountain in the middle of the lagoon.

Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT is a new trail will invite guests to meet and play with magical, living water. Just like Moana’s friend the ocean, water will have a personality of its own, helping guests learn how to protect the natural water cycle in a fun and engaging way.

The Unknowns

While there is a lot to look forward to there are still a number of questions that we hope Disney will be answering over the next few weeks and months. This deals with the question as to whether the Magic Kingdom will have Halloween and Christmas parties this year or will they adapt them for special Birthday parties?

Last year, while Disney did some dressing up the Magic Kingdom during the holidays there were no Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas parties due to the need for physical distancing. While vaccinations are taking place and should be available to all in the U.S. by summer, Disney could again put those parties on hold and do some hybrid performances and dressing up of the theme parks.

There is also the question of whether there will be special fireworks at the Magic Kingdom, once fireworks return. And, whether Fantasmic!, the nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios could offer some birthday suprises.

Some of these decisions could be based upon the easing up of the COVID-19 restrictions, so if they are not available for the kick-off on Oct. 1, they could easily be introduced at any part of the 18-month celebration.

In the meantime, Disney has told us how the four theme park icons will get some special makeovers and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are getting some special apparel. And the rest, we’ll just have to wait.