David KrisoCan anyone remember where they were on October 1st, 1971? Can anyone remember their favorite amusement parks from their childhood days? On October 1st, 2021, Walt Disney World will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. One can remember Walt Disney World’s 15th back in 1986, and its 20th in 1991. Who can forget the 25th anniversary at Walt Disney World? Who remembers the Millennium Celebration at Walt Disney World? There is no better time to celebrate the imminent end to a pandemic. Certainly, there is no better place to celebrate 50 years of magic and memories. To make the 50th anniversary a glorious occasion, there are long-awaited new attractions being added. What’s to look forward to this Fall 2021? Here’s the lineup of the top 5 most anticipated new attractions to put the icing on Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary cake.
#5 Remi’s Ratatouille Adventure (Epcot): Epcot’s France pavilion will be the home of Walt Disney World’s most anticipated family caliber attractions. There’s nothing like being shrunk down to Chef Remy’s size for a 4D culinary adventure based on the Disney and Pixar film Ratatouille. The attraction is suitable for guests of any “height”. When anyone is small, life is a big adventure!
#4 Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom): Who would want to pass up one of Disney’s most legendary attractions? With their skipper sporting a dry sense of humor, guests will embark on a newly enhanced adventure on world’s most majestic, yet most dangerous rivers. Oh yes, that massive python still hangs about in the tree! The magic for sure hasn’t changed. Guests still must keep a watch for angry hippos, hungry lions and “sleeping” zebras along the Nile. Further, guests must be on the lookout for a missing Jungle Cruise vessel and its helpless passengers. As the cruise continues down the Mekong River, guests learn that the jungle always gets the last laugh.
#3 Tron Lightcycle Power Run (Magic Kingdom): Finally, Space Mountain has some next door competition. Unlike other well-known attractions, the Tron Lightcycle Power Run will be a keeper. This is a semi-enclosed steel motor-bike roller coaster. The attraction takes guests on a ride through the Grid on their own lightcycle. As its name suggests, the roller coaster is based on the Tron films. The experience starts with guests entering a huge gravity/show building where they step onto the Grid and board their own lightcycle. Like Space Mountain or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, much of the ride is in a darkened show building. The climax of the attraction is a loop underneath a large color-changing canopy, which is also the iconic feature of the attraction’s facade.
#2 Guardians of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (Epcot): Of all new attractions being added at Walt Disney World, this one is filled with promise; a promise to be a real treat for Marvel fans. Based on the Marvel film, “Guardians of The Galaxy”, this roller coaster attraction will be the first ever attraction to feature characters from film series. “Guardians of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind”, replaces Epcot’s original attraction, “Universe of Energy”. It will be Disney’s first ever story-telling roller coaster, with guests being catapulted backwards!
#1 HarmoniUS (Epcot): Being the decorative trim the cake, HarmoniUS will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park. The show is a beautifully crafted medley of classic Disney music and visuals reinterpreted by a culturally diverse group of 240 artists from all around the world. This magnificent new nighttime show brings to World Showcase Lagoon an innovative combination of floating giant screens, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, and lasers in a 360-degree view. During HarmoniUS, guests enter amazing worlds inspired by Moana, Aladdin, Coco, Brave, The Lion King, Mulan, The Princess and the Frog and other classics. Colorful images and effects dance and change as HarmoniUS weaves familiar Disney music and stories together in brand-new ways. Through unique perspectives as diverse as the world itself, Disney songs hop from language to language as the show brings people from different parts of the world together to unlock the magic of possibility. This nighttime spectacular undoubtedly demonstrates the true mission of Epcot’s World Showcase.
Everyone knows the song from “Disney’s Carousel of Progress”. The song goes “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day”. “A great big beautiful tomorrow” is what millions around the world are hoping for once the Coronvirus pandemic is over. The world has endured so much struggle, pain, and loss. Yet, there is much to be gained in the months ahead. Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary puts the exclamation point on all that has been accomplished over the past many months. Yes, the Coronavirus pandemic has brought great sadness upon the world. However, there’s much happiness to be experienced. With new attractions being added, including Tron Lightcycle Power Run and HarmoniUS, Disney has once again found the answer for the sadness which millions around the country and around the world could use right now. Even though the sadness of the pandemic still flickers, the happiest place on Earth is the perfect place to bring smiles to everyone’s faces. Happiness returns to the world on October 1, 2021.
