Best Things That Happened at Walt Disney World in 2020
Okay, 2020 admittedly wasn’t the greatest year. And by that, I mean it was the absolute worst.
At one point, COVID-19 forced the closure of all Disney theme parks around the world. Even now, some aren’t open for various reasons.
Still, plenty went right at the parks this year. Here are eight of the best things that happened at Walt Disney World in 2020.
Disney Skyliner Worked Well
MickeyBlog isn’t doing any Worst of… lists this year because 2020 put you through enough already.
However, we still remember the worst thing that happened last year.
The Disney Skyliner tore up less than a week after it opened. Park guests got stuck in the air for hours.
While being stuck for 2.5 hours has been rough, the occasional LOUD messages from the Skyliner is enough to put you slightly on edge. I understand protocol, but the repeated messages are similar to Chinese water torture techniques at this point. #disneyskyliner #disneyworld pic.twitter.com/nzXnkDCKpL
— Aaron Murray (@WaltyDis) October 6, 2019
These poor folks had to listen to a Disney announcer perform automated updates over and over again. It was like It’s a Small World on steroids.
As we entered 2020, many questions about the Disney Skyliner remained unanswered.
Nobody was sure whether the gondola system would work reliably for long stretches.
Well, I’m pleased to state that outside of the occasional isolated incident, the Skyliner has proven itself as arguably the best form of Disney transportation.
Downtime has stayed at a minimum throughout 2020, which is more than some monorail trains can say.
Meanwhile, Disney’s boat services required many alterations and closures due to COVID-19 concerns.
Disney’s air-based transportation system has proven absolutely prophetic, given everything that has happened this year.
Even the vents in place of air conditioning look brilliant in hindsight. Those gaps almost accidentally added another safety element for riders.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse Opens
Many of Disney’s grand plans for 2020 fell by the wayside.
Several planned EPCOT projects like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Space 220 had to wait.
Still, the park introduced one new place that has quickly become a sensation among park guests.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue combines two things that most people love – barbecue and The Muppets.
Don’t worry! The Muppets aren’t in the barbecue! That would be…furry. Instead, Sam the Eagle hosts this most patriotic of restaurants.
Fittingly, you’ll find this place at The American Adventure at EPCOT, utilizing space formerly reserved for Liberty Inn.
Disney closed down a generic restaurant and introduced a carefully themed one that guests adore.
The hearty cuisine here has prompted debates about which Quick Service restaurant serves the best barbecue.
When a newcomer is that competition right from the start, you know it’s a highlight.
Festival of the Arts Operates Full-Scale
Okay, here’s something we didn’t appreciate enough at the time.
Back in January, Disney officials were already casting their eye to China and worrying about reports of a troubling new outbreak.
However, the company maintained business as usual at Walt Disney World and even hosted the last festival before the pandemic.
The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts didn’t have a “Taste of…” in front of it because this was a full-scale, unadulterated event.
This exhibition lasted from January 17th through February 24th and provided guests with multiple ways to do a bit of art appreciation.
So, we should all appreciate that we had one complete festival where we were blissfully unaware of what Coronavirus was.
Cinderella Castle Gets a Paint Job
There’s not much to say about this one. During Magic Kingdom’s downtime, Imagineers finished a project that they’d started before the pandemic.
Back in March, cast members utilized a clever numbering system to paint portions of Cinderella Castle.
Work continued while the parks were closed, and guests were in for a treat once Magic Kingdom came back.
Disney revealed a shinier version of Cinderella Castle, one beaming with bright blue and pink.
Imagineers even introduced another trick. The castle colors will change depending on sunlight and clouds. This picture demonstrates it:
2 photos 8 seconds apart, showing how quickly the new color scheme of Cinderella Castle can change appearance. pic.twitter.com/KclGWyHRiR
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 3, 2020
Cinderella Castle will turn 50 this year, but it’s somehow better looking than ever!
Cavalcades Are a Huge Hit
Disney cannot host parades right now. They’d act recklessly to do so, as parades draw crowds. That’s the whole point.
So, Disney executives put their heads together and came up with a different approach.
Since July, guests have watched float processionals at seemingly random intervals throughout the park day.
Disney takes this approach to provide customers with a parade-like experience, only it’s a single float or boat or bus.
Characters ride in the back seat and wave to passersby, providing a quick interaction that’s otherwise impossible at the parks right now.
Cavalcades have proven so popular that Disney must consider keeping them long-term…or at least bringing them back occasionally.
The pandemic forced plenty of improvisation at Walt Disney World.
I believe Cavalcades topped the list of great ideas they would have never considered otherwise.
Disney Hosts the Longest EPCOT Festival Ever
Okay, the 2020 version of the Flower & Garden Festival turned into a debacle. It was nobody’s fault, of course, but the event lasted 12 days.
Once the parks closed in mid-March, management had a few months to plot the course of EPCOT festivals.
Park officials settled on a combined affair, the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
This event married the shrubbery from Flower & Garden with the cuisine from Food & Wine.
Cast members understandably wanted the Flower & Garden flowers to find an audience since they’d worked so hard on the project.
Meanwhile, fans of the annual Food & Wine event still get to taste their annual favorites plus a modest amount of new stuff.
Since Disney combined the two events, the 2020 version of Food & Wine lasted from July 11th through November 22nd.
So, for all of 2020’s faults, it did offer Disney fans the longest Food & Wine event ever.
This year’s version lasted 130 days, far more time than 2019’s 86 days.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Opens
At EPCOT, some attractions debuted despite all the chaos of 2020.
However, the most significant new attraction isn’t a show. Instead, it’s one of the most highly anticipated Disney rides ever.
In some ways, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway counts as the ride we’ve all awaited since Disneyland opened in 1955.
Back then, Walt Disney chose not to build a ride based on his most famous character, Mickey Mouse.
When Disney died 11 years later, he still hadn’t created one. For whatever reason, Imagineers chose to honor that decision until a few years ago.
Then, Disney caught everyone off-guard by announcing the Runaway Railway. People have counted down the seconds for its opening date.
On March 4th, that moment finally occurred, and it was impeccable.
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway earned universal acclaim and felt like the perfect tribute to Uncle Walt’s enduring legacy.
In most years, a ride this great would have easily stood above the competition as the best thing that happened. 2020 was weird, though…
Walt Disney World Reopens
Look, when the Most Magical Place on Earth isn’t accepting guests, there’s symbolism involved.
When Walt Disney World initially closed on March 15th, fans didn’t know what to think or how to feel. It was an unprecedented circumstance.
At the time, park officials believed that the country would receive masks in the mail, everyone would wear them, and smart behavior would slow the virus.
Alas, that situation proved far too optimistic, as the entire world remains in a constant state of flux due to the pandemic.
As such, we have all taken our 2020 wins when we can get them.
The most dramatic victory occurred on July 11th, when Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom reopened.
Four days later, EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios returned, making Walt Disney World whole again after a trying four-month period.
Since then, Disney has operated its parks so safely that state officials haven’t tracked any outbreaks onsite.
The Most Magical Place on Earth is also one of the safest on the planet, thanks to Disney’s precautionary measures that protect guests.
For almost six months now, Mickey travelers have had access to our favorite oasis, our little slice of Heaven on Earth.
That’s why this year’s list is a no-brainer at the top.
The best thing that happened at Walt Disney World in 2020 is that it came back. We had missed it so.