Everything You Need to Know about Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary
In just a few short months, The Walt Disney Company will commemorate one of its most significant achievements.
On October 1st, 2021, Walt Disney will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
How will Disney honor such a notable achievement? Why, the parks will throw a bunch of parties!
Here’s everything you need to know about Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary.
A Brief History of Disney World
The Most Magical Place on Earth debuted to the public in 1971. However, its history dates back several more years.
When Walt Disney recognized that people on the east coast desired their own version of Disneyland, he wanted to oblige.
Something stood in his way, though. The price of land east of the Mississippi River varied dramatically in price per acre.
Still, all potential sellers agreed on one point. They could and should charge Disney more for any land grab.
An accomplished entrepreneur like Uncle Walt wasn’t about to overpay on the price of land.
So, he embarked on a stealth purchasing program. Disney used shell corporations with generic names to buy land.
Central Florida won the lottery as the place he chose for his next theme park. He called it the Florida Project, only his ambitions were even grander.
Disney dreamt of building the community of tomorrow, his E.P.C.O.T. project. Sadly, he died of cancer only months after announcing his plan.
Walt’s older brother, Roy, took on the remnants of the Florida Project. To pay for the construction of EPCOT, Roy knew his company needed money.
Magic Kingdom became the second Disney theme park when it opened in 1971. Eleven years later, Disney could afford to build EPCOT Center.
While Walt Disney World’s origin stems from tragedy, the park’s impact on society is stunning in scope.
The Disney campus fundamentally changed the course of Florida tourism. Former swampland has since become THE go-to spot for theme parks.
The greater Orlando area had a population of 310,000 in 1970. Today, it’s more than two million!
Park officials are understandably proud and want to throw the most fabulous party Florida has ever seen.
How Will Disney Celebrate?
Let’s start with the most essential point. You don’t need to visit Disney on October 1st to enjoy the 50th anniversary party.
Yes, some special events will occur on that date…but the party will last for 18 months!
So, you can vacation at Walt Disney World from October of 2021 through March of 2023 and still receive the same amenities.
In other words, you’ll have plenty of time to experience this unprecedented, one-time-only event!
Of course, you’re wondering what you can do during the celebration.
The answer lies across the entire Disney campus. As we speak, Imagineers are prepping the grounds for this historic event.
Also, we have a buzzword! EARidescence is Disney’s new description for all the colorful festivities coming soon to the parks.
This word reflects that Mickey & Minnie Mouse will wear new outfits for their big party.
This clothing is more than just beautiful to behold. It also matches with the recently redecorated Cinderella Castle!
Speaking of the castle, Imagineers will light up the landmark with a new visual effect. Disney can make Pixie Dust appear to fall across the castle!
Similarly, the other three parks will receive Imagineering tricks for their landmarks as well.
At the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, fireflies will flitter around the branches.
The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will employ its digital display tricks to emphasize that it’s a party at Walt Disney World.
Disney has saved the best for EPCOT, though. Spaceship Earth is adding reflecting panel elements to its façade.
A nighttime glow will become a staple of the park for future generations. Yes, this upgrade is permanent!
Coming Soon to Disney
Of course, everything I’ve mentioned thus far involves cosmetic changes. Other additions are coming soon as well.
In fact, the fun begins on October 1st! On that date, EPCOT will debut its newest attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Legendary chef Paul Bocuse will simultaneously open a new eatery, La Crêperie de Paris.
Presumably, Space 220 near Mission: SPACE will debut by then as well.
Later, Disney will add two more E-ticket attractions, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tron Lightcycle Power Run.
An interactive water feature based on the movie, Moana, is also coming to EPCOT in the near future.
Similarly, the park will receive its first new pavilion in ages when PLAY! debuts to the public.
All these new attractions should debut before the end of the 50th anniversary celebration. So, you’ll have multiple reasons to visit Walt Disney World!
What You Need to Visit Disney
You definitely don’t want to miss this party! However, visiting Disney requires a bit of planning and some other stuff.
For starters, please understand that crowds at Walt Disney World will dwarf anything you’ve seen during the pandemic.
Disney hasn’t officially increased its capacity above pandemic-based parameters yet, but that’ll happen soon.
Once the floodgates open, tourists will have a historic number of vacation days to use, along with a sizable amount of disposable income.
You’ll want to beat the rush by buying your tickets and booking your hotel reservations now.
I highly recommend that you contact a MickeyTravels agent to plan your vacation.
Their services are entirely free to you, and NO ONE knows more about Disney vacations than these experts.
Once you’ve set up your travel arrangements and acquired tickets, you must take one additional step.
You’ll need a Park Pass to visit Walt Disney World for the foreseeable future.
Thankfully, they’re easy to schedule through Disney’s online system.
Park Passes are free, but you cannot enter a park without one. However, you CAN Park Hop once you’ve entered your initial park.
So, you’d need a Park Pass for one of the parks no matter what. Once the Park Hopping window opens each day, you can leave and go to any of the other three.
Other than that, a Disney visit right now is easier than ever, as you don’t have to worry about booking FastPasses or other early planning.
You can simply arrive at the parks and relish in the joy of 50 years of the Most Magical Place on Earth!
I know I’ll be there on October 1st, and you should join me!
Feature Image Rights: Disney