Greetings, dreamers of all ages! We’re back with another Walt Disney World update. This week, we look back to the exciting return of fireworks, what’s coming to the resort for the holidays AND the 50th celebration, plus a quick visit to Hollywood Studios. Ready when you are, C.B.! (Too soon? Yes.)
Fantastic Fireworks
After over 470 days of no nighttime spectaculars, fireworks have returned to Walt Disney World! Earlier this month, Happily Ever After lit up the skies at Magic Kingdom. It was a rainy evening, so Tink couldn’t fly, but the umbrella-wielding crowd’s excitement was palpable throughout the entire show. Fireworks have been a long-time tradition at Disney Parks, known as a “kiss goodnight” at the close of a magical day. It just feels so good to watch fireworks over Cinderella Castle again!
EPCOT Forever is also back over World Showcase Lagoon! The show has been modified with additional fireworks rather than the illuminated kites attached to jet skis, as the Harmonious barges are locked into place. We actually prefer EPCOT Forever this way!
Both of these spectaculars are running temporarily, as two brand-new shows are set to premiere on October 1st, kicking off WDW’s 50th anniversary! While Happily Ever After may eventually return to Magic Kingdom, these are the last few months of EPCOT Forever. Plan your visit accordingly!
One more thing to note here: As Disney continues to update their theme park experiences to be more inclusive, show announcements, as heard before and after nighttime fireworks, now greet guests with “dreamers of all ages” rather than “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls”. I personally love this change, it still holds that heartwarming Disney essence while also being inclusive to all.
Florida Resident Summer Fun
Disney released a discounted ticket offer exclusively for Florida residents. Guests living in the Sunshine State can purchase a 4-Day Summer Fun Ticket for only $215 + tax (that’s $54 per day!)
Florida Resident Summer Fun Tickets are valid for one theme park per day, with optional Park Hopper and Water Park upgrades. Typhoon Lagoon remains closed, so the water park upgrade would be valid for Blizzard Beach only. Discounted 2-day and 3-day ticket options are available as well:
Disney Park Pass reservations are still required along with regular park admission; to purchase Florida Resident tickets, proof of residency is required.
Christmas Returns to WDW
We’re halfway through July, so you know what that means… we’re halfway to the holidays! It’s already time to start planning for all the festive fun taking place at Walt Disney World.
Sadly, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will not be happening this year. Instead, Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours Event will take place select nights after park closing from November 8th through December 21st. Guests will be able to enjoy Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, holiday music and décor, Disney characters around the park, holiday treats included, and more. A limited number of tickets will be sold for each event, offering low attraction wait times for your Magic Kingdom favorites.
And beginning November 12th, 2020’s holiday-themed projections will appear most nights on Cinderella Castle, alternating with the 50th anniversary’s Beacons of Magic transformation.
With the alternating holiday-themed and Beacons of Magic projections, this means we won’t see the return of the Castle Dream Lights this year. There was also no mention of EPCOT’s traditional Candlelight Processional. Here’s hoping for a fully restored 2022 holiday season!
Over at Hollywood Studios, Sunset Seasons Greetings on Sunset Boulevard with a focus on the Hollywood Holiday Tower Hotel. Sunset Boulevard will twinkle while projections transform the hotel into a snowy corner of Arendelle, a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, a Toy Story toy hotel, and a Dickensian village inspired by “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”. The Beacon of Magic show will alternate with the holiday show.
I can’t wait to see those kitsch-mas decorations at Hollywood Studios!
This and That
As the Walt Disney World resort quickly approaches its golden anniversary, capacity is ever-increasing, and more aspects of the Disney experience are returning to normal, there’s quite a few changes coming up.
Some resort hotels have remained shut since the big 2020 closure. With Disney’s recent announcement, all currently closed hotels have scheduled returns before 2022, which means all Walt Disney World resorts will be open and operating next year.
Resort Hotels Reopening Soon
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: July 18th
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House: August 26th
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort: September 16th
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside: October 14th
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter: October 28th
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort: December 9th
Over at EPCOT, it’s out with the Flower & Garden, in with the Food & Wine!
This year, EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival begins July 15th and runs through November 20th. Sip and stroll across 6 continents of Global Marketplaces, serving up brand new menus along with some festival favorites. We took a stroll through World Showcase to see the early days of the festival, and we put together a guide with everything you need to know.
Everything You Need To Know About EPCOT’s 2021 Food & Wine Festival
Of course, Food & Wine just opened, so we’ll have more Food & Wine Festival goodness in the coming days! As the resort heads to its 50th anniversary, there are all sorts of food marketplaces opening as part of the celebration. We can’t wait to try everything!
For this next reopening date, can we have a drumroll please? … The EPCOT Monorail returns July 18th! Oh, how we’ve missed this sweet, sweet method of transportation. Especially on those Magic Kingdom -> EPCOT park-hopping days!
In case you missed it, Disney/Pixar’s Coco is coming to PhilharMagic! The musical number “Un Poco Loco” will anchor a vibrant new scene, which will be added later this year during the 50th-anniversary celebration. The film’s fun, upbeat music and characters combined with the humor of Donald Duck marks the first time Disney and Pixar animators have worked on a creative endeavor where characters from both animation studios will be seen together on screen!
Read more here:
Mickey’s Philharmagic Adding New Coco Scene Starting July 17
Speaking of the 50th-anniversary celebration… With two new nighttime spectaculars and EPCOT’s newest attraction, October 1st is shaping up to be a BIG day of debuts. Here’s what’s been announced so far:
- Beacons of Magic – nightly transformations for all 4 park icons
- 50 golden character statues throughout the Walt Disney World resort
- Disney Enchantment – nighttime spectacular at Magic Kingdom
- Harmonious – nighttime spectacular at EPCOT
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction at EPCOT
- La Creperie de Paris – a new eatery near the new Ratatouille attraction, featuring dishes from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse
And what’s going on with that restaurant next to Mission: Space? Space 220 job postings have been circulating… while there is no official opening date just yet, the immersive space station dining experience could finally open on October 1st as well. Who else is looking forward to trying an out-of-this-world themed menu?
Wait, will there be more? While the announcement of Disney Enchantment has mostly satisfied our craving for a sparkly new addition to the parks, we have a feeling Disney has a few more surprises to be revealed within the coming months… Could a nighttime parade finally return to Magic Kingdom? How about opening dates for TRON Lightcycle Run or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? What would you like to see for the 50th anniversary?
A Quick Trip to Hollywood Studios
Earlier this week, we spent an afternoon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There aren’t too many changes since our last visit, here’s what we noticed:
Security and bag check continues to run smoothly with virtually no wait. This area looks extra spacious without temperature check tents (remember those?!):
Welcome “to a Hollywood that never was – and always will be”.
Navigating through the park, there weren’t many crowds. You would think there would be plenty of park reservations still available… at least until you start approaching the entrances to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Fortunately, we were able to lock in a Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance boarding group from home right at 7AM, which made the day a lot less stressful. Upon entering the queue, we noticed plexiglass shields are still in place throughout switchback areas, despite plexiglass being removed from all ride vehicles at the park. Health and safety first, these rooms do get rather stuffy with this many people, but the shields definitely still impede queue details.
Plexiglass and “standing dots” are long gone from the Intersystem Transport Ship, allowing anyone to stake out a spot near Beck for the journey.
It’s tough to “move along… move along” through the hangar bay, we could stay in here all day!
Today was a 45-minute journey, from entering the queue to exiting the ride vehicle. Everything seemed to be running smoothly. Thanks for the adventure, R5!
Heavy crowds continue into Toy Story Land, a midweek visit saw 60-90 minute waits for the land’s headliner attractions.
One of our contributors, Laura, visited on a Saturday. Slinky Dog Dash was a true 90-minute wait:
Hang on!
Over on Sunset Boulevard, the queue for Tower of Terror snaked back toward the entrance to Fantasmic. However, the standby wait was only posting a 50-minute wait. With no social distancing, this extremely extended line seems odd.
With Florida weather, comes humidity and rain showers. That’s all for our quick dip into Hollywood Studios! See ya, Mick!
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We’ll be back with more Walt Disney World goodness very soon. Can you believe EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival is already here?! Let us know your thoughts and what you are looking forward to.
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