Big rides, lands that have opened at Disney Parks around Memorial Day
There are a few times a year that mark major milestones for the opening of attractions at Disney World and Disneyland. One of them is Memorial Day Weekend.
In the past few years, we have seen the opening of Pandora at Animal Kingdom in Disney World and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland. The openings have been geared toward the start of the big summer season at the parks.
Other popular times of the year that attractions have opened include the anniversaries of when individual theme parks have opened and at the beginning of seasons.
This week Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT opens at the start of the Memorial Day, the unofficial kick off of summer. Here is a look at what other attractions opened around Memorial Day:
May 27, 1977: Space Mountain and Starcade both open at Disneyland. During the opening ceremony, the original crew of Project Mercury: Captain Scott Carpenter, Colonel Gordon Cooper, Senator John Glenn, Captain Walter Schirra, Admiral Alan Shepard and Donald “Deke” Slayton, along with Betty Grissom, widow of former Mercury and Apollo 1 astronaut Gus Grissom, attended.
May 24, 1998: The Discovery Island Trails opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The walking trails, which wind around the Tree of Life, offer a variety of animal viewing areas as well as quiet areas to rest. At Disneyland, the AstroOrbitor in Tomorrowland open.
May 22, 2003: Reflections of China at EPCOT is a Circle-Vision film that shows the people and beauty of China without the politics.
May 28, 2010: The Silly Symphony Swings on the old Paradise Pier in Disney California Adventure opens.
May 25, 2013: Mickey and the Magical Map, a 22-minute musical adventure, at Disneyland debuts with Mickey going on an adventure into sorcerer Yen Sid’s mysterious dream-controlling map.
May 28, 2014: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in what was then dubbed the new Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom opened. The roller coaster, which takes you inside The Seven Dwarfs gem mine is a fun family roller coaster (though it still could probably use another 30 seconds.)
May 22, 2015: The Paint the Night Parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks debut at Disneyland.
May 27, 2016: Entertainment filled Animal Kingdom with debut of the Discovery Island Canivale, Harambe Village Acrobats, Harambe Wildlife Party and the debut of Tree of Life Awakenings. The nighttime Tree of Life show has come very popular. The show combined music and projections in four different vignettes that came to life on the tree trunk. The show has evolved over the years, introducing a Christmas version and a special Beacon of Magic for the 50th anniversary. Over at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort, Frozen — Live at the Hyperion bebuts.
May 27, 2017: Pandora — The World of Avatar opens at Animal Kingdom with the Na’vi River Journey and the now-popular Avatar Flight of Passage, which opened to six and seven hour-long standy by lines. On the west coast Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: Breakout debuts at Disney California Adventure.
May 31, 2019: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland opens with Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Savi’s Workshop and the Droid Depot.
May 27, 2022: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opens at EPCOT in Disney World.
