It’s an event five decades in the making! Beginning October 1, Walt Disney World Resort will throw “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in honor of the 50th Anniversary. New experiences are coming to all four theme parks and beyond. This milestone is such a big deal, they’ve even coined a new word – “EARidescence” – to describe what you’ll see when you visit. Disney teams are creating all sorts of new decorations that will shimmer and sparkle all day and into the night. We’ll talk the latest news with Disney announcing their first plans for the 50th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort, including the anniversary celebration timeframe, visual enhancements to all four park icons, new costumes, Rose Gold Cinderella Castle “EARidescent” ornamentation and more!
As part of the celebration, Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park will add to its royal makeover from last year. As you can see in the artist rendering, the castle will feature golden bunting and a 50th Anniversary crest as part of its festive new look. We can finally see the rose gold castle as it was always meant to be seen with those iridescent accents! This is very similar to the style when the parks were celebrating Disneyland’s 50th with the gold ribbon on the spires and a centerpiece in front of the castle balcony. The iridescent 50th crest prominently displayed on the front will make a great photo opportunity to commemorate your visit.
The castle will add even more magic at night, joined by icons at each of the other three theme parks as they transform into Beacons of Magic. In the photo above, you can get a feel for what they’ll look like, with pixie dust on Cinderella Castle. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, a warm light will emanate from the Tree of Life as magical fireflies gather to usher in the magic of nature. The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be awash in a brilliance evoking the golden age of imagination and adventure. 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.
You’ll also want to keep an eye out for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, who will have sparkling new looks for the celebration. As hosts of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration”, they’ll be dressed for the occasion in custom-made fashions of EARidescent fabric with gold highlights. These highlights include beautifully embroidered impressions of Cinderella Castle backed by fireworks, as well as a brocade in the multi-toned, EARidescent fabric, punctuated with the pops of gold. We highly anticipate that these details will carry over into the event merchandise. How beautiful would Minnie Mouse ears in EARidescent fabric be?!
Joining Mickey and Minnie, Walt Disney World cast members will be at the heart of this event. They will demonstrate yet again why they are renowned for their commitment to service, consistently exceeding guests’ expectations by going above and beyond to make visits to The Most Magical Place on Earth special. In anticipation of this exciting time, Disney went out across Walt Disney World to talk with guests and Disney cast members about what a magical celebration would mean to them and why they love being here so much. This new video captures a lot of the emotions they’re feeling right now as thy prepare for the 50th anniversary:
The 50th Anniversary celebration will run for 18 months starting October 1, 2021. This 18 month time frame will allow Walt Disney World to stagger debut dates within the celebration. It also gives the chance to do a soft reboot about halfway through, amping up the festivities with new attractions and entertainment. This tactic will entice visitors who already experienced the first half of the celebration to come back, and will also attract new guests. We think Disney is likely to use an old trick from their playbook and possibly extend the festivities beyond the 18 months, with a surprise extension announced halfway through that results in a 2-year or longer event. With the current travel restrictions and economic slowdown, Walt Disney World has much incentive for milking the celebration. We’ll talk more about speculations, theories and predictions for the 50th Anniversary in a later post.
We’ll have more to share about “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” as we approach October 1st. Projects in the works include a 50th Anniversary license plate for the state of Florida, merchandise and food, and statues commemorating 50 years of Walt Disney World. Beyond that news, we are hoping for a big announcement soon about updating classic attractions in the Magic Kingdom. This had been rumored for the anniversary for many years. No doubt there were a bunch of updates planned before the pandemic and subsequent closure. So keep checking back here on the blog for the latest updates on what promises to be something to remember for the next 50 years. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date information.