19 new attractions, hotels, restaurants opening at Disney World in 2019

The most highly anticipated addition to Disney World in years will take place in 2019 — the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But this is only one of a large number of changes coming to the resort.

The new rides and attractions are highlighted by the debut of a gondola transportation system that will whisk people around the resort and the first-ever Mickey Mouse-themed attraction.

Here’s a look at the 19 new things coming in 2019:

1. Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party.  Starting Jan. 18.  The Magic Kingdom will honor Mickey and Minnie Mouse with a special, limited-time street party. The excitement gets underway with a colorful musical procession parading up Main Street U.S.A. with the new original song “It’s a Good Time” and modern remixes of classic tunes being played. There are five floats featuring beloved Disney pals such as Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Clarabelle Cow.

2. “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party.” Opening Jan. 18. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of “The Lion King” at Animal Kingdom with Timon and Rafiki with a new dance party on Discovery Island. In addition, new three-dimensional photo opportunities re-creating scenes from the animated classic will be around the park.

3. Incredibles and Municiberg City Block. From Jan. 18 through Sept. 30. The area that was once the main entrance to Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios is being transformed in a city block from Municiberg. Here you can go to a dance party with music, interactive games and special appearances by Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible and Frozone. You will be able to visit Edna Mode’s Super-Suit Gallery to see some of the famous designer’s greatest creations. And you can follow the footprints to meet a Super; you might even find Jack-Jack, the youngest member of the Parr family.

4. Mike and Sully meet and greet. Opening Jan. 18. Inside Walt Disney Presents at Hollywood Studios, you’ll be able to enter the world of Monsters, Inc. to meet Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan.

5. Jaleo. Early 2019. This new Spanish restaurant at Disney Springs is operated by Chef José Andrés and includes an extensive tapas menu and rich traditional and contemporary Spanish cuisine.

6. Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy. Early 2019. Located at Hollywood Studios’ Sunset Showcase, Lightning McQueen will demonstrate what he’s learned over the years by using his brand-new, state-of-the-art racing simulator and its wraparound screen. Tow Mater, Cruz Ramirez and others from Radiator Springs are there to cheer Lightning on. After the show, you can take a photo with trainer-turned-racer Cruz Ramirez just outside the Academy.

7. Wonderful World of Animation. May 1. A new cinematic nighttime show is coming to Hollywood Studios as part of the 30th anniversary of the theme park. The show will use state-of-the-art technology to take guests on a magical journey through more than 90 years of Disney animation, all beginning with Mickey Mouse.

8. NBA Experience. Summer 2019. The building, on the former site of DisneyQuest at Disney Springs, will give visitors a glimpse into the atmosphere at the NBA Draft, allow them to participate in their own scouting reports, go through pregame preparations, and step onto the court to make clutch shots and highlight reel-worthy slam dunks. Guests will be able to participant in a dozen different activities.

9. City Works Eatery & Pour House. Summer 2019. This new restaurant on the lower level of the NBA Experience at Disney Springs will offer 80 draft beers with a selection of local, regional and global craft brews with a constantly rotating draft list, complemented by classic American cuisine with chef-driven twists.

10. Disney Skyliner gondola system. Fall 2019. This new transportation system will connect Pop Century Resort,  Art of Animation Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, The Riviera Resort, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. It will give guests a birds-eye view of the resort.

11. The Riviera Resort. Fall 2019. This new resort will be the 15th Disney Vacation Club property. The 300-unit resort will be eight stories high and feature a rooftop restaurant with views of fireworks at both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.

12. Coronado Springs Tower. July 2019. The new Gran Destino Tower at the Coronado Springs Resort will add 545 guest rooms, including 50 suites. The top of the tower will have a themed table-service restaurant called Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood, with views of Disney World.

13. Three Bridges Bar & Grill. July 2019. A new restaurant will open in the middle of the 140-acre lake Lago Dorado at Coronado Springs Resort. Three Bridges Bar & Grill will be accessible via three walkways that stretch across the lake. There will also be courtyards adjacent to the restaurant for private-event options.

14. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Fall 2019.  This is the big one. When this 14-acre land at Hollywood Studios opens, you will enter the Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu, the home to those who prefer to stay out of the mainstream, including smugglers, rogue traders and exotic creatures traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. The land will feature two rides, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, where you take the controls of the fastest ship in the galaxy on a smuggling mission; and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, where you join a battle between the First Order and the Resistance — including a face-off with Kylo Ren. These two new experiences will be paired with the land’s interactive components and optional integration with the Play Disney Parks app. In addition to these two long-awaited attractions, guests may try blue milk, well-known to Star Wars fans, and pop into the local Cantina for libations. While walking the winding alleyways and merchant stalls, you might see familiar Star Wars faces, including Chewbacca and stormtroopers. You will have to wait another year or so for the Star Wars Hotel.

15. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Fall 2019. The Mickey-themed ride will open at Hollywood Studios and will be the first-ever ride-through attraction themed to Mickey Mouse. Disney describes the ride this way: “The fun begins when you see the premiere of a new cartoon short with Mickey and Minnie preparing for a picnic. As they head out, they drive alongside a train and find out that the engineer is Goofy. Then, one magical moment lets you step into the movie and on Goofy’s train for a wacky, wild ride.” New technologies will transform the two-dimensional cartoon world into an incredible multi-dimensional experience.

16. Epcot Forever. Fall 2019. The current Illuminations show at Epcot will close in the summer 2019 and a major new show will debut in 2020. In between, a new show called “Epcot Forever” set to classic Epcot tunes will debut as a nighttime spectacular placeholder.

17. Cirque Du Soleil. Late 2019. A new show focusing on Disney’s rich history of animation will open at the theater at Disney Springs. While no official date has been announced, there have been casting calls stating that availability needs to begin in September 2019, meaning this show could open by holiday time.

18. New restaurant in Japan Pavilion. Sometime in 2019. A third table-service restaurant will be coming to the Japan Pavilion in Epcot. The restaurant will “draw from both nature and takumi, which means ‘artisan’ in Japanese, and the relationship between Japanese craftsmanship and the natural world will be evident throughout the space,” according to Disney. No specific date has been announced.

19. Disney Springs parking garage. Sometime in 2019. A new 3,000-car parking deck will open on the south side of Buena Vista Drive across from the Lime garage with a walkway to Disney Springs.