Sunny days and warm Summer nights are changing into Autumn leaves and cooler weather. Walt Disney World Resort also continues to show positive signs of change and a return to normal. It’s an exciting time to be a Walt Disney World guest as we head into the 50th Anniversary celebration. Construction projects finish up, resorts and restaurants continue to reopen, and exciting new projects await on the horizon. Now we have an update on everything happening at Walt Disney World in Fall 2021.
Annual Passes
Walt Disney World Annual Passes have not been sold since the parks closed in March 2020. After a long wait, Annual Passes are back! They’ve redone the entire program, with a tiered pass system and price increase. The news was met with much controversy, but most are happy to have the opportunity to have a pass again. Walt Disney World Annual Passes went on sale as of September 8th but, Disney has advised that “at any time, Annual Passes may be unavailable for purchase.”
Attractions
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT will open for the 50th Anniversary on October 1. It will use a Virtual Queue, similar to the system used on Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests with valid park admission and an EPCOT Disney Park Reservation will be able to access the Virtual Queue system via the My Disney Experience app beginning at 7AM on the day of their reservation. If you are unable to get a Boarding Group at 7AM, you’ll have another chance when the second Boarding Group window opens at 1PM. The 1PM window can only be accessed after you have entered EPCOT for the day. Because park hopping can only happen after 2PM, guests MUST start their day in EPCOT to access Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure this way.
Disney has also confirmed that this attraction will be available as an Individual Attraction Selection for the new Lightning Lane feature that’s debuting with Genie+. Guests can opt to purchase Lightning Lane access for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which will NOT need a Boarding Group, for a fee that will vary based on date.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Circling back around to Rise of the Resistance, we have an update! Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is one of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World. But, if you want to get on this popular attraction right now, you have to score a Boarding Group, which can be very difficult to do. Now, Disney has made a HUGE announcement about the future of Boarding Groups for this ride. Starting September 23rd, Disney will pause the use of virtual queues for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests will be able to ride Rise of the Resistance using a traditional standby queue, without joining a virtual queue to obtain a Boarding Group.
Remember, Disney previously shared that Rise of the Resistance is one of the attractions that will be part of the Individual Attraction Selection. Guests will be able to purchase individually to skip the standby line and use the Lightning Lane for these attractions. Individual Attraction Selection is one of the new paid FastPass-like services Disney will soon be introducing, along with Disney Genie+.
Food
We saw the official return of self serve buffets this month. Previously, buffets were being served “Family Style”, which eliminated the act of guests serving themselves at the buffet line. Boma Flavors of Africa was first to feature this change when they reopened at Animal Kingdom Lodge earlier this month.
EPCOT’s Space 220 restaurant will be opening on September 20th next to Mission: Space. A special preview was hosted for select guests and all reviews are positive! The desserts are very creative and one of the drinks is served with Pop Rocks on the side! But perhaps the big sell are the space windows which surround the restaurant. Dining here will be a truly unique experience but, it’s going to very difficult to get a reservation!
Guests got a glimpse of the new La Crêperie de Paris during previews for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Both officially join the France Pavillion on October 1st. The restaurant will offer both counter and table service. The Quick Service pick-up window, Crêpes À Emporter, serves up three savory galettes, four sweet crêpes, soft serve ice cream, and an assortment of ciders and wines. The table service offers a soup option, salad, a variety of galettes , crepes, and hard ciders. There’s also a prix fixe menu available that includes soup or salad, one galette, hard cider (or juice or soda), and one dessert crepe.
Entertainment
Shows
Various forms of entertainment and live shows continue to return to Disney World. Recently, Beauty and the Beast Live Stage Show returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and The Festival of the Lion King reopened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Turtle Talk with Crush at The Seas with Nemo and Friends in EPCOT is also back. While several shows have reopened in Disney World, the Finding Nemo Musical remains closed.
We finally have an update about what is happening with this show. Disney announced that a re-imagined show based on the same beloved characters from the Finding Nemo film will debut in Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2022! Disney’s Live Entertainment team is still in the early stages of development for this new show. They have confirmed that the show will be a “musical retelling of this underwater tale of family, friendship and kindness.” The reimagined show will feature NEW story material, but will keep some fan-favorite songs like “In the Big Blue World” and “Go with the Flow.”
Nighttime Spectaculars
We know that we are getting two new fireworks shows for the 50th Anniversary on October 1st. Magic Kingdom will debut “Disney Enchantment” and EPCOT will feature “Harmonious“. We were uncertain of the fate of the current shows. Would Happily Ever After return after the anniversary show ran for the 18-month celebration? Well, now Disney has confirmed that Happily Ever After will not be coming back. Guests have until September 29 to take in the spectacle of “Happily Ever After” at Magic Kingdom Park. Over at EPCOT, “EPCOT Forever” will conclude its limited-time run on September 28, at which time “Harmonious” will debut.
“Disney Enchantment” is the brand-new nighttime spectacular coming to Magic Kingdom Park as part of 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort. The new fireworks show will feature memorable music, enhanced lighting, and immersive projection effects extending down Main Street, U.S.A.! Along with dazzling fireworks and beloved Disney music, the show will also feature a new original song from GRAMMY Winner Philip Lawrence.
Harmonious celebrates how the music of Disney inspires people the world over. Just in case you aren’t excited about this show, watch the video to get a glimpse of how familiar Disney songs reinterpreted by a culturally diverse ensemble are being brought to life as part of this new nighttime spectacular.
Characters
Princess Promenades have ended at EPCOT. Guests can still see the princesses and some other characters around EPCOT through distanced meet-and-greets. Make your way around the park to find characters like Jasmine, Belle, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and more. You’ll be able to say “hello” and take some distanced selfies with these characters at various spots throughout the park, so be sure to keep your eyes open for them!
Holidays
After Hours Events
Disney After Hours Boo Bash is the new After Hours event at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom for Fall 2021. This Magic Kingdom event requires a separate ticket for entry, and runs select nights from August 10, 2021 through October 31, 2021 on Halloween night!
Although there will be no Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party this year, there will be an After Hours event called Disney Very Merriest After Hours. It has been confirmed that “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” is back! This will be the first parade in Disney World since the parks reopened. Previously, the parks have been limited to cavalcades. Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be joined by characters from Frozen, the Toy Soldiers, and, of course, Santa Claus himself! Tickets for the event will let guests into Magic Kingdom at 7PM, allowing them to see the Disney Enchantment fireworks show coming to the park for the 50th anniversary. There will be fireworks during the After Hours event as well! Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or by calling 407-939-7947.
Festivals
The 2021 Festival of the Holidays will take place at EPCOT November 26 – December 30. During the Festival guests can enjoy enhanced offerings around World Showcase and experience holiday traditions from various cultures as expressed through decorations, stories, music, cuisine, and additional special events.
The Candlelight Processional is a retelling of the story of Christmas in the American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT, featuring a celebrity narrator and a choir of Disney Cast Members. This beloved holiday tradition was canceled last year due to health and safety regulations. This show was not included in Disney World’s original holiday announcements, but Disney officially announced that Candlelight Processional will be coming back to EPCOT from November 26th through December 30th as part of the International Festival of the Holidays.
Resorts
The Monorail Station for the Polynesian reopened last week, and the front entrance is officially open to guests! Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort reopened in July, before the Monorail station and front entrance remodels were finished. They remained temporarily blocked off to guests, who had to use a side entrance to the lobby for the past few months. Now that the Monorail Station has reopened and the front entrance is finished, guests can enter there again!
The reopening of a Disney Resort is always big news! Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge recently reopened and now we have another Disney hotel that is finally open to guests once again! Disney’s All-Star Music Resort has officially reopened. Reservations became available in early July and now guests are enjoying this wonderful hotel as we speak…or read. The last of the All Star Resorts, All Star Sports, will reopen December 9, 2021.
So, which resorts are left on the list of presently unopened? Besides All Star Sports, Port Orleans Resort remains closed. Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside reopens on October 14, followed by French Quarter on October 28. These two, along with All Star Sports, will complete the reopening of all the Walt Disney World hotels.
The final resort we want to update you on is the Swan Reserve. Although the Swan Reserve is on Disney property, it isn’t really a Disney World hotel. Like the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, it’s actually owned by Marriott. However, the Swan Reserve enjoys most of the perks that Disney World hotels get. The Swan Reserve was originally supposed to open in July 2021. The opening date has been pushed back several times, and now the hotel is scheduled to open in October of this year. Reservations are open now, so you can book your room in time for the 50th Anniversary celebration!
Construction Updates
Progress continues on the Future World area at Epcot. The center of Future World has been a mess for a while now but, there is hope on the horizon! Mouse Gear, which has long been the flagship store at Epcot is now reopening in its new permanent building under the name Creations Shop. Also joining it in the same building is the new Club Cool. A huge fan favorite, Club Cool was where you could go and sample Coca-Cola sodas from around the world. Both of these will be located in the same general area of Future World as Mouse Gear used to be. They both opened this week on September 15th, and there is new Spaceship Earth-inspired merchandise line offered exclusively at this location as well.
50th Anniversary
Decorations
50th Anniversary prep continues as we near October 1st, when the big anniversary celebration officially begins. We’re seeing more details and decor popping up all over the parks. There are a total of 50 gold statues representing Disney characters placed all over the four parks. The first of these appeared in Magic Kingdom last week, with others coming soon. We have been updating the progress and placement of the Fab 50 statues on our Facebook page, so keep checking there.
We already saw new 50th Anniversary wraps on buses and skyliner gondolas. Now, Monorail Gold has been wrapped up with a special design as the Walt Disney World Resort gets ready to kick off the World’s Most Magical Celebration. The wrap features Mickey and Minnie in their “EARidescent” best against the color scheme matching the rest of the celebration.
As we entered Disney World earlier this week, we saw new 50th medallions placed on the pillars of the entrance arch. This is in addition to the new anniversary design of the arches themselves. Then, as we visited Magic Kingdom, we found that new 50th Anniversary banners have been added to the turret pillars that extend out from the central castle area. We turned around and saw a popcorn stand selling popcorn in new 50th Anniversary boxes. Anyone else think it’s getting to be a bit much???
Did you hear a rumor that McDonald’s would reveal 50 Happy Meal Toys for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? It’s true and now you can celebrate Disney World’s 50th celebration at your local McDonald’s! Guests receive one of the new 50th Anniversary toys that features a favorite Disney character when they order a Happy Meal at a participating McDonald’s.
Misc
Park hours will increase in time for the 50th Anniversary celebration. We cannot confirm if the increases are permanent or just for the initial days of the 50th. Keep checking back for a complete update on park hours.
Starting things out at the front gate, the biometric finger scan is back. Since spotting it at Animal Kingdom, we’ve seen this feature return to other parks as well. For those who aren’t familiar, prior to the closure, guests were required to scan a finger after scanning their park ticket for security reasons. The procedure was stopped when the parks reopened and Disney tried testing out other options (like facial recognition), but it looks like we’re going back to the classic.
Lightning Lane signs have replaced the FastPass Return signs at attraction queues throughout the four theme parks. No official announcement as to when Genie+ and the Lightning Lanes will launch. These lines are still being used for Disability Passes, VIP Tours and virtual queues (where applicable).
July 15th- November 20th: Food & Wine Festival at Epcot
August 10th- October 31st: (select evenings) Boo Bash After Hours Party at Magic Kingdom
Sept. 8th- Annual passes go on sale
Sept. 28th: Final showing of Epcot Forever
Sept. 29th: Final Showing of Happily Ever After
Oct. 1st, 2021: Disney World’s official 50th Anniversary begins
Nov. 8th- Dec. 21st: Very Merry After Hours Party tickets
Nov. 18th: “Drawn to Life” show opens at Disney Springs