Major Disney World rides, resorts, other projects coming through 2023

Walt Disney World  is in a constant state of flux as the resort continues with its massive building boom as it prepares for the 50th anniversary in 2021 and Epcot’s 40th anniversary in 2022 and beyond.

The resort will be transformed as new rides, transportation options, attractions, resorts, restaurants, and roads are being constructed and refurbished.

UPDATED: The future of all the construction and openings is now in question due to the coronavirus. We will update this as we find out more.

To help keep everyone on the same page, we’ve created this scorecard on all of the major projects underway. This will be updated each month and when announcements are made. (If we missed something, please let us know.) We have changed the format and have grouped the projects by theme park, Disney Springs and the resort overall.

As a reminder, we also have a separate post listing attractions closings and refurbishments for Disney World and Disneyland.

Here’s a look at what is still planned and the expected opening dates:

WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

Disney Genie. Coming in 2020. Disney will debut a new app designed to make planning easier and provide customized itineraries geared to your interests. The new Disney Genie is scheduled to debut in 2020 and is being designed to help you make the most out of your visit, whether you’re a first-time guest or a seasoned pro.

DISNEY SPRINGS

Beatrix. No opening date announced. Beatrix is your neighborhood restaurant, coffeehouse and grab-and-go market featuring healthy food options including vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan along with fresh-squeezed juice cocktails. The restaurant will also offer a bakery and full-service bar with a selection of all-American beer and wine. It will open at the location of the old Bongos Cuban Cafe on the West Side.

Ample Hills Creamery. No opening date announced. The ice cream parlor already has a location on the Boardwalk and now will be taking up the location on the West Side where Amazing Pictures was most recently located.

M&M’s Store – Sometime in 2020 – The M&M’S experiential store will 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.

Cirque Du Soleil. Debut April 17, 2020. 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. Preview for the show start March 20, 2020. The show opens April 17, 2020.

Lululemon Store – Opening in 2020- The upscale athletic apparel company which sells items for yoga, running and training is probably best known for its leggings, though they do also sell apparel for men. There is no indication where the store will open.

EPCOT

Epcot will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2022 and the park from now until then will be undergoing a major overhaul.

New Epcot Main Entrance. No final date announced. The new bag check and tram area now open. You can now also get off the monorail from the Transporation and Ticket Center and not have to go through security again, but there is still construction taking place. The Leave A Legacy photos are being moved from inside the park to outside the park.

The interior of the park will now be divided into four neighborhoods. The World Showcase will celebrate the culture, cuisine and architecture from around the world. The current Future World will be divided into World Nature, World Discovery and World Celebration. We will go over the changes expected in each”neighborhood” but first there will be one location in Epcot where you will be able to keep track of the changes.

HarmonioUS. Debuts in 2020. The new “permanent” show will the largest nighttime show ever created for a Disney park. It will celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over. A placeholder show called Epcot Forever is now running. It replaced Illuminations on Oct. 1, 2019.

WORLD SHOWCASE

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Summer 2020. This new ride at Epcot is causing the France Pavilion to expand. Entrance to the ride will be behind the Eiffel Tower.  The attraction is based on the popular Disneyland Paris ride. It is a 4D experience 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.

A New crêperie restaurant. Summer 2020. 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.

New China Pavilion Circle-Vision 360.  2020. “Wondrous China” will take guests on a spectacular journey across China, filmed and presented in a completely seamless 360-degree digital format.

Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure. 2020 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. Guests will join Scrooge McDuck, Donald, nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, Launchpad and Webby in search of priceless treasure. This will be the next iteration of a popular interactive scavenger hunt around World Showcase.

Mary Poppins attraction. No date announced. The first attraction inspired by Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane, which will join the United Kingdom pavilion as an entirely new neighborhood.

WORLD CELEBRATION

Spaceship Earth refurbishment. No date announced. The huge geodesic sphere will remain the park’s grand icon, but the journey will be transformed with new scenes reflecting the universal nature of the human experience. A new guide and all new narration will focus on the storytelling that brings people together.

Dreamers Point. No date announced. The area will feature breathtaking views, lush gardens, a wishing tree, an interactive new fountain and a new statue celebrating the legacy of the original dreamer, Walt Disney.

Festival Pavilion. No date announced. A new three-level pavilion will be the home base for Epcot’s signature festivals, providing a view of World Showcase and an ideal spot to witness the park’s nighttime spectacular.

World Discovery

Space 220. March or April 2020. 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.

The Play! Pavilion. Scheduled for 2021. The new pavilion will take over the current Wonder of Life location in Epcot and include first-of-their-kind experiences devoted to playful fun, inviting guests into an innovative, interactive city bursting with games and hands-on activities. Friends and family will interact with favorite Disney characters. The official name of the pavilion has not yet been announced.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Scheduled for 2021. This family-friendly attraction will feature a never-before-seen storytelling coaster that rotates to focus on the action. It will feature the first reverse launch into space.

World Nature

Journey of Water, Inspired by “Moana.” No date announced. The reinvention of Epcot will include this first-ever experience inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios hit film that will let guests interact with magical, living water in a beautiful and inspiring setting.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant. 2020 A new restaurant is coming to Toy Story Land. The restaurant will be located in the area just right of the large Woody as you enter Toy Story Land. The restaurant will feature toys, games and playset and is geared to continue the concept of the fully-immersive experience. This was announced on April 30, 2019, no information on opening time was announced.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Scheduled for 2021. This new Star Wars hotel will act like a cruise ship with guests checking in for a two-night adventure. Once onboard the Starship Halcyon, guests will interact with characters and become active participants in stories that unfold around them on their galactic journey. One cool tidbit: both children and adults will have the opportunity to face off against a training remote while wielding a lightsaber like Luke Skywalker did as he was learning to use The Force.

MAGIC KINGDOM

Tron Lightcycle Power Run. Scheduled for 2021. This new coaster a the Magic Kingdom is based on the Tron series. Guest go one a light cycle and take a ride through the Grid. A version of this exists at Shanghai Disneyland.

WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORTS

New Swan and Dolphin Hotel Tower. Scheduled for 2020. A new 14-story hotel tower will be built on the Swan and Dolphin resort complex. The 349-room hotel tower will feature more than 21,000 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant, a full-service health club and an outdoor pool. It will be built next to the Swan hotel on the hotel’s tennis courts.

JW Marriott Hotel. Scheduled for 2020. The 516-room hotel will be built on the last available site zoned for hotel use in Bonnet Creek, a 482-acre, mixed-use resort community near Orlando’s popular theme parks. Marriott International’s turnkey management solution, Managed by Marriott (MxM), will operate the hotel when it opens in first quarter 2020.

Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista. Spring 2021. Drury Hotels newest property in the Disney Springs Resort Area will be welcoming guests by spring 2021. Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando Lake Buena Vista, which includes 604 rooms and more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space, will be complete by the end of 2021, with the first 264 rooms available by spring 2021. 

Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Lodge. Scheduled for 2022. This new Disney mixed-use resort will be along Bay Lake between the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The new resort, which does not yet have a name, will have 900 hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas.

Black Lake Hotel. Scheduled for 2023. This new 14-story tower is part of a number of additions to the Best Western Lake Buena Vista Hotel. The hotel is located Hotel Plaza Boulevard northeast of Disney Springs The project adds a new tower, a new meeting space, pool and parking in an area just under 9.5 acres.