Fireworks and show spectaculars are a huge part of what makes a Disney Park day so magical. This past week it was officially announced that fireworks will be returning to both Magic Kingdom and Epcot on July 1st! But before we had a chance to celebrate the good news, Disney has announced new Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary entertainment. Beginning Oct. 1, “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” honors the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, and new details were revealed about this incredible 18-month event.
Magic Kingdom will be showing Happily Ever After and Epcot will show Epcot Forever each night starting July 1st. Epcot Forever is the temporary show that started when Illuminations ended and was to run until Harmonious debuted, which is the permanent replacement for Illuminations. Happily Ever After is scheduled to run on July 3rd and 4th as well, instead of the traditional Independence Day show. The showtimes have been added to the calendar for July. Happily Ever After will be shown each night at 9:15 pm and Epcot Forever at 10 pm.
Magic Kingdom will debut a new nighttime spectacular, “Disney Enchantment,” to kick off the 50th anniversary festivities on October 1. Created to launch with The World’s Most Magical Celebration, this evening show will feature new music, enhanced lighting, stunning fireworks and, for the first time, immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A. We imagine that these projections are similar to those at Disneyland in California.
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 will bring the globe together at World Showcase Lagoon in a celebration of Disney music that inspires people worldwide. A tribute to the stories and songs that unite us, embracing new technical magic that incorporates pyrotechnics, choreographed moving fountains, lighting and media in new ways. Travel the globe through new interpretations of classic Disney songs, reimagined in more than a dozen languages by a diverse group of 240 artists from around the world.
There’s also new daytime show coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. “Disney KiteTails” will come alive several times daily at the Discovery River Amphitheater beginning October 1. Performers will fly windcatchers and kites of all shapes and sizes. Out on the water elaborate three-dimensional kites, some stretching to 30 feet long, will depict Disney animal friends including Simba, Zazu, Baloo and King Louie. This all will be choreographed to favorite Disney songs in an uplifting, vibrant experience for the whole family.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will be your hosts for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” and they’ll be decked out in sparkling new EARidescent fashions for the 50th anniversary. Their best pals get in on the shimmer, too, as Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale will be sporting their own custom-made EARidescent looks. You’ll get a chance to see them when they travel through Magic Kingdom Park several times daily in the new “Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade.”
50 characters sculpted in gold will appear at Walt Disney World later this year. They will be displayed across all four theme parks as part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration. Mickey and Minnie will be dedicated to the Cast Members past, present and future. More of the “Disney Fab 50” will be revealed soon as we near the big day, as well as the surprising ways you’ll be able to interact with the beautiful sculptures as part of the celebration.
This fall, you can bring home “Walt Disney World: A Portrait of the First Half Century,” a beautiful new coffee table book from Disney Editions. The World’s Most Magical Celebration will also see the grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, icons at each of the four parks transforming into Beacons of Magic at night, EARidescent décor all across the resort. Walt Disney World cast members will be wearing new EARidescent nametags designed especially for the occasion, plus much more. Keep checking back here on the blog as we continue to share more about the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World in the upcoming weeks and months. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all the details.