If you thought Walt Disney World couldn’t possibly get more magical, just wait for what Disney has in store coming soon! “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” will begin on October 1st, 2021 in honor of the theme park’s 50th anniversary! Disney will be be releasing all sorts of surprises and cast members will be adding new decorations to the four main parks to enhance the festivities.
Orlando Airport
The World’s Most Magical Celebration will start at the Orlando airport! As soon as you step off the plane you will feel like the party has begun! The terminal train stations will feature the Fab 50 Character Collection, a photo opportunity with the Mad Tea Party attraction, and EARidescent light patterns that will leave travelers with their jaws on the ground!
Beacons of Magic
Cinderella Castle will be getting a golden bunting and a 50th-anniversary crest that can be seen throughout the day. Even more exciting however are the nighttime decorations added to a featured landmark at each of the parks! Disney is referring to these creations as “Beacons of Magic”. To the delight of kids and adults alike, pixie dust will be seen on Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park, The Tree of Life In Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park will be lit up by magical fireflies, something special (and a surprise for now!) will be added to the Hollywood Tower Hotel in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Spaceship Earth in Epcot will be transformed to look like stars covering the sky (this will actually be a permanent change)! I’m honestly getting excited just thinking about how beautiful these nighttime enhancements will be!
Characters
In addition to these enhancements, Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be sporting new outfits that glimmer with gold! Their friends: Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, Pluto, Goofy, and Chip n’ Dale will be getting special outfits of their own! Guests will get a chance to see Mickey Mouse and all of his friends several times daily in the Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade! There will also be statues to commemorate these 8 friends (plus 42 more) for a total of 50 golden character statues scattered throughout all four theme parks! More information will be coming soon about who the other characters will be and how guests will be able to interact with the statues! Stay tuned!
Nighttime Spectaculars!
Two new fireworks shows will be debuting for the 50th anniversary: Harmonious in Epcot and Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom Park! Disney has stated that Harmonious will be one of the biggest nighttime spectaculars in Disney history! This show will be featured across the World Showcase Lagoon and will include moving fountains, special lighting, and new interpretations of your favorite Disney songs in over 12 languages! This show is really meant to unite us no matter where we are from!
Disney Enchantment sounds quite magical and is something I cannot wait to see! This show will include: music, enhanced lighting, fireworks, and projections not only I. The castle, but all the way down Main Street, U.S.A.! Guests will basically be standing IN the nighttime spectacular!
Electrical Water Pageant
The Electrical Water Pageant will have new celebratory scenes including: a towering castle, swirling pixie dust, and a version of the song “The Magic is Calling”!
Daytime Shows
Disney’s KiteTails will get its debut at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park! The show will take place in the Discovery River Amphitheater. Wind-catchers and kites of all shapes and sizes will be flown by cast members, while 3D kites (some up to 30 feet long!!) out on the water will represent Simba, Zazoo, Baloo, and King Louie along with other animal friends! This family friendly show will leave everyone in awe as the kites “dance” in the wind to classic Disney songs!
Rides/Attractions
“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” starting October 1st will also see the introduction of a new ride: Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in Epcot! A boarding pass through the virtual queue will be required to ride Remy’s just as it was for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Guests will be able to enter the virtual queue at 7:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Guests do not have to be in the park for to enter the 7:00 AM queue, but will need to be in the park to try to enter the 1:00 PM queue. A park pass reservation for Epcot is needed to get a boarding pass. Boarding passes can be acquired through My Disney Experience! (Pro tip: Disney warned that only ONE person in a group should try for a boarding pass or the technology could malfunction.)
Special Benefits for Disney Resort Guests
In celebration of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, Disney will be bringing back a fan favorite: Extended park time! This time will look a little different than it did in the past, but will still allow ample time for extra magic! In the morning, all Disney Resort Guests can enjoy 30 extra minutes in ANY of the 4 main theme parks on ANY day of the week! So if a park opens at 9:00 AM, Disney Resort guests will be allowed to enter at 8:30! Guests will still need valid theme park reservations for the park they are entering early. In addition to this, guests staying at a Deluxe Resort or Deluxe Villa will be able to experience extended hours in the evening in select parks on select days. The way this will work is: if Magic Kingdom has extended hours then guests would need to make a park pass reservation for Magic Kingdom to enter for extended evening hours. If the guest has a pass with the Park Hopper option they would have to have a park pass reservation to any park, they must have entered that park at some point in the day, and then they can enter Magic Kingdom for the extended hours.
Disney resort guests can also expect to see special appearances by Goofy, Pluto and friends at their hotel!
Celebration Sips and Bites
Disney World is pulling out all the stops for the 50th anniversary celebration! Food and drinks are not to be overlooked. Disney chefs have created over 150 new dishes and drinks for the World’s Most Magical Celebration! Chefs drew inspiration from Walt Disney’s personal cooking, attractions of the past and present, characters, and meals from 1971 (the opening of the park)!
Limited Menu at California Grill
California Grill opened on the 15th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort in 1995 and has been a popular spot ever since! The menu is for seasonal and creative dining. To celebrate The World’s Most Magical Celebration, California Grill will offer a limited time three-course menu inspired by past favorites and new seasonal items! The menu will include: The California Grill Sushi Classics Trio (Blue Crab California Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, and Spicy Kazan Roll), House-Made Artisanal-Style Duck a la Orange Pizza, and the Oak-Fired Filet of Beef with Black Truffle-Brown Butter Chateau Potatoes, Golden Raisins Vinaigrette, Cauliflower, and Black Garlic Butter. For dessert is a Grand Marnier Souffle served with macerated Florida citrus and a house-made Creamsicle Ice Cream.
“Hey, Disney!” Technology
Disney Imagineers have partnered with Amazon to create “Hey, Disney”! This will basically act like Alexa, wayyy cooler because it will use Disney stories, characters, and more! Guests of Disney resorts will have these devices in their room! The “Hey, Disney!” device is supposed to make our trips easier and more fun! We will be able to interact with Disney, Pixar, or Star Wars characters through the device.
Although the transformation of these icons, nighttime spectaculars, daytime shows, ride openings, and the festive attire worn by Mickey and Minnie Mouse is to celebrate the 50th Anniversary, the party will continue for 18 months! That means that you have plenty of time to make it over to Orlando get in on the fun! Keep checking back periodically! As Disney shares more information about “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” , I will update the news her
Leave a Reply