Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating the five decades since its opening. Starting on Oct. 1, 2021, guests can share in “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in honor of the resort’s 50th anniversary.
This 18-month celebratory event will feature new experiences at the resort’s four theme parks, featuring shimmering “EARidescent” decor. At the center of it all will be Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park, which will add to its makeover from 2020 with new gold bunting, sparkling golden embellishments and other new enhancements, including a 50th anniversary crest.
New Nighttime Spectacular at Magic Kingdom Park
A new nighttime spectacular, “Disney Enchantment,” will help kick off the 50th anniversary festivities when it debuts on Oct. 1 at Magic Kingdom Park. Created to launch with “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” this evening extravaganza will feature music, enhanced lighting, fireworks and, for the first time, immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A.
Disney Music at EPCOT
Joining “Disney Enchantment” on Oct. 1 will be “Harmonious” at EPCOT, one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park. This new show at World Showcase Lagoon will be a celebration of Disney music. It’s a tribute to the unifying power of story and song, embracing new technologies that incorporate pyrotechnics, fountains, lighting and media in new ways. “Harmonious” will feature new interpretations of classic Disney songs, reimagined in more than a dozen languages by a diverse group of 240 artists from around the world.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Grand Opening
The grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be Oct. 1, inviting guests into the world of Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning “Ratatouille.” In this family-friendly attraction, guests will feel as if they shrink to the size of Chef Remy and scurry through Gusteau’s famous restaurant. They will discover Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in a newly expanded area of the park’s France pavilion, in a reimagining of Paris inspired by the film.
Also debuting Oct. 1 in this section of the pavilion will be a new restaurant, La Creperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options. The menu will feature sweet crepes, savory buckwheat galettes (naturally gluten friendly) and authentic French hard cider. The attraction, restaurant, and pavilion expansion are all part of the transformation of EPCOT currently underway, bringing new experiences to the park.
“Disney KiteTails” to Take Flight at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
New daytime entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, will debut as “Disney KiteTails” will comes alive several times daily beginning Oct. 1 inside the Discovery River Amphitheater. Performers will fly windcatchers and kites of all shapes and sizes, while out on the water elaborating three-dimensional kites—some stretching to 30 ft. long—will depict Disney animal friends, including Simba, Zazu, Baloo and King Louie. These colorful creations will dance through the sky to the beat of favorite Disney songs.
“Beacons of Magic” Shine at Walt Disney World Theme Parks
As part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” icons at each Walt Disney World theme park will transform into “Beacons of Magic” at night, coming to life with their own EARidescent glow.
The Cinderella Castle will illuminate Magic Kingdom with a dazzling radiance that sparkles with pixie dust. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, a warm light will emanate from the Tree of Life as fireflies gather to usher in the magic of nature. The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be awash in a brilliance. And at EPCOT, new lights will shine across the reflective panels of Spaceship Earth, connecting to one another in a symbol of optimism resembling stars in a nighttime sky. The iconic structure’s permanent new lighting will continue beyond “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” as a defining feature of the park.
Golden “Disney Fab 50” Sculptures & New Wardrobe for the Characters
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n’ Dale will be part of a new collection of special golden character sculptures debuting Oct. 1 across the four Walt Disney World theme parks. There will be 50 characters featured overall, and guests will be able to interact with the “Disney Fab 50” in surprising ways as part of the 50th anniversary celebration.
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n’ Dale will also be dressed in sparkling new looks, custom-made for this special occasion. Highlights of these celebratory designs include embroidered impressions of Cinderella Castle backed by fireworks, as well as a brocade in multi-toned, EARidescent fabric—all punctuated with pops of gold.
Mickey and Minnie will be the hosts of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” joined by Walt Disney World cast members who will be wearing new EARidescent nametags designed for the 50th anniversary.
For more information, visit disneyworld.com/50.
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