01 Aug Everything Newly Opened & Coming Soon to Disney World in 2019 and 2020
Walt Disney World is one of the top travel destinations for families and groups. Let’s take a look at all of the new rides, shows, restaurants, and other additions that have opened at the Disney parks recently. In addition, there are more updates coming in 2019 and 2020! Check them all out below.
Plus – Enchanted Travel has our very own Disney Travel Specialist, Andy Baker. He recently returned from a 9-day stay in Orlando & Captiva Island. He and his family stayed at Disney’s Art of Animation in a Finding Nemo Family Suite in Orlando and at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island. His family visited Universal Studios Florida, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Universal’s Islands of Adventure and Universal’s Volcano Bay water theme park. This was Andy’s 6th trip to Disney in the past 10 years and he books about 40 Disney vacations yearly. He uses his first hand knowledge and experience to customize your family’s Disney vacation and is up to date on everything Disney has to offer.
In addition, when you book your Disney vacation with Enchanted Travel, you can reserve it for just $200 down! The remainder is not due until 30 days prior to your travel date.
Now let’s check out what’s new and exciting at Disney World parks!
Disney’s Magic Kingdom Updates
Most of the new-ish updates and attractions at Magic Kingdom are in the entertainment category. These include the Festival of Fantasy Parade, which runs daily. In addition, Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire is a stage show that is now open to guests. “Muppets Present…Great Moments in American History” is another new show that is put on above Liberty Square. A new fireworks show, “Happily Ever After”, is a new favorite as well. However, one noteworthy removal is the nighttime parade.
New rides at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom include the TRON roller coaster in Tomorrowland. This will open in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021. This will cause closures to the Walt Disney World Railroad and Tomorrowland Speedway for a small portion of 2019.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Updates
The biggest addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Toy Story Land, which is now open. Hollywood Studios also has some great new entertainment for 2019. For example, The Incredibles now occupy the former Pixar Place. This experience includes new meet & greets and dance parties for the whole family. On the far side of the park, Lightning McQueen’s Race Academy is also now open.
There are a few projects still under construction, as well as a few delays on new attractions. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway are still in the works and causing a few minor closures throughout the area of the park. A portion of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be open to guests starting mid-August 2019. The second ride opening for Star Wars has been delayed.
Epcot Updates
If you haven’t visited Epcot in a few years, you should make time to visit the new-ish attractions which include Soarin’ Around the World and Frozen Ever After. Both are now a couple of years old. Wait times have decreased for both in the 2019, but they are still quite popular! Epcot Forever will debut on October 1, 2019 following the retirement of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This will be officially closed at the end of Summer 2019.
In more exciting Epcot update news, several new movies will debut at Epcot in January 2020 as part of the 2020 Epcot International Festival of the Arts. This includes Awesome Planet in the Land pavilion, the new Seamless Circle-Vision 360 film for China, Beauty and the Beast Sing-a-long in France, and new Circle-Vision 360 film for the Canada Pavilion.
The ‘Space Restaurant’ is currently under construction next to Mission: Space in Future World and will open in Late 2019. In addition, Wonders of Life will soon be replaced by the new Play Pavillion just in time for Disney’s 50th Anniversary.
As for rides, the Guardians of the Galaxy hybrid roller coast will open to the public in Future World in 2021. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (a family-friendly trackless dark ride) will open in the World Showcase’s France pavilion in the Spring of 2020.
Animal Kingdom Updates
The newest land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Pandora – World of Avatar. This is the biggest addition in the past decade out of all the Walt Disney World parks. This opened about a year ago and remains one of the most popular attractions at Disney World. In addition, the nighttime spectacular Rivers of Light, although now a couple of years old, just received an update: Rivers of Light: We are One for Summer 2019. This new version showcases scenes from Disneynature films and animated movies.
Two smaller new attractions at Animal Kingdom include ‘UP! A Great Bird Adventure’, featuring characters from Up, plus bird species from around the world. This replaced Flights of Wonder. In addition, Donald’s Dino Bash is a new dance party and meet & greet attraction in Dinoland.
In addition to the new attractions mentioned above, Animal Kingdom will be celebrating the Lion King’s 25th Anniversary throughout 2019 with “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party” on Discovery Island. The attraction features Timon and Rafiki mainly.
Disney Springs Updates
Disney Springs is the entertainment and shopping district previously known as Downtown Disney. About 75% of this area is new or has been updated in the last 5 years. Additions to the re-imagining of the area include the Boathouse, Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar, Morimoto Asia, the Edision, and 4 Rivers Cantina just to name a few. 2019 openings still to come include the highly-anticipated NBA Experience.
Call us today to speak to our Omaha Disney Travel Agent, Andy Baker. You can reach him at 402-390-9291 or get started here.