As we head into the busy holiday season, the temperatures are cooling down around Walt Disney World. However, the final weeks of 2019 are going to be red-hot for guests visiting the resort, as we will see the opening of two new restaurants and one of the most-anticipated rides ever in just a few weeks!
1. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: December 5, 2019
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is set to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios before the end of the year, on December 5, 2019, just in time for the busy holiday season! This attraction will be a more traditional dark ride experience, and will be using some amazing technology to bring the world of the First Order to life
According to the several sources, this attraction will have a whopping total of 305 animatronic figures and droids, almost a third of which are expected to be Stormtroopers. In addition, this attraction will have 18 different show scenes that involve 5 different ride systems, making it one of the most (if not the most) technically advanced rides at a Disney park ever.
The entire Star Wars: Ride of the Resistance experience is said to be a half hour long, with three pre-show segments happening before the ride itself, which is said to be less than ten minutes long.
2. Space 220 (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Winter 2019
Though Space 220 might seem like a strange name for a restaurant at Walt Disney World, the number actually refers to the number of miles above Earth diners will have to “travel” to get to this new dining location, which will be opening later this year at the Mission: Space pavilion.
Though Disney hasn’t shared all the details yet, guests who show up to the entrance of this new restaurant will be able to board a special elevator outfitted with windows that let guests take in the views of the earth below them as they blast off into space and travel from Earth to this out-of-this-world dining location.
Then once guests step into the dining room, they will be able to see amazing views of space with intergalactic scenery in the background, including a space station and a friendly astronaut floating nearby. Diners will be waited on by an international crew, and then, once their meal has concluded, will ride the elevator once again to return to Earth from their space dining experience.
3. Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Winter 2019
Walt Disney World has announced a new fast-casual barbecue restaurant that will replace the former Liberty Inn quick service restaurant in the American Adventure pavilion. This new location, which will be named Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue will open just in time for the holiday season, and will include several BBQ-inspired menu items, including an all-American burger topped with BBQ pork and an onion ring and a plant-based BBQ burger made with a plant-based patty topped with BBQ jackfruit served on vegan garlic toast.
Though no specific opening date has been confirmed yet, Disney has said that this location will open in a few weeks, just in time for the holiday season!
4. Mickey Mouse Imagination meet and greet (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Early 2020
Because of Epcot’s central spine redesign, many of the character meet and greets in this park have had to move to new locations. However, soon guests will be able to meet Mickey Mouse in a new permanent meet and greet area in the Imagination Pavilion as part of the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival. Mickey Mouse will be moving in to a new area of the indoor queue space for this attraction and have a special film strip background that will showcase this beloved characters’ history.
5. Awesome Planet (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Early 2020
Earlier this year Disney announced Awesome Planet, a brand new original film especially designed for Epcot, that will be coming to the Harvest Theater at the Land pavilion later this year. Here is the official description of this upcoming new film:
An on-screen exploration of the realm we call home, showcases the spectacular beauty, diversity and dynamic story of our earth with all the grandeur guests have come to expect.
With spectacular nature photography, immersive in-theater effects, and space sequences created by none other than Industrial Light & Magic (which provided the cinematic foundation for the Star Wars franchise), “Awesome Planet” will stir Epcot guests and deliver an environmental message that will resonate far beyond its final scenes.
Of course, this description is fairly general and vague, but the concept behind this new film still sounds really interesting and the ecologically-friendly message in Awesome Planet is definitely something that will align with the overall theme of the Land Pavilion, but will hopefully feel more up-to-date than its Lion King-themed predecessor. We’re also excited about the prospect of the Harvest Theater being upgraded to facilitate the special effects detailed above in the description of the new show.
6. Canada: Far and Wide (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: January 2020
The current O Canada circle-vision attraction closed in August 2019, and will be replaced by an all new Circle-Vision 360 movie at Epcot’s Canada pavilion, which will open in January 2020. Using all new seamless digital technology, the new 360 movie, Named Canada: Far and Wide, will include new scenes, story and music.
7.Beauty and the Beast Singalong (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: January 2020
Last year it was announced that a brand new new Beauty and the Beast sing-along attraction would be coming to Epcot’s France pavilion, and will play in the theater that is currently home to “Impressions de France.”This new show will play in addition to the French film, and is being created by Don Hahn, producer of the animated and live-action “Beauty and the Beast” film. This new film will debut early next year.
8. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Spring 2020
Though Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was originally supposed to open alongside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to help with capacity, it looks like there have been some delays with this project, with Disney pushing the debut of this ride back to Spring 2020, long after both parts of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are open.
When this ride finally debuts, it will allow guests to literally step “through” a movie screen and join Mickey and his friends on a fun adventure where you’re the star of your own Mickey short and anything can happen. This zany out-of-control adventure will feature surprising twists and turns, dazzling visual effects and mind-boggling transformations that happen before your very eyes, including a forest instantly being transformed into a cityscape, which you can check out here.
Though this attraction sounds a bit like your standard screen-based affair so far, Disney is promising that this ride will be more than just a screen-based dark ride. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will make extensive use of new enhanced screen technology that Disney is calling 2 1/2D. Though we’re not entirely sure what this really means, Disney said that the normally 2D world of Disney animation will pop in new ways inside this attraction, but interestingly, without the need for 3D glasses.
9. Untitled Disney Animation Cirque du Soleil Show (Disney Springs)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: March 20, 2020
Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba at Disney Springs closed forever at the end of 2017, but just before it did, Disney confirmed that a new Cirque du Soleil production was being developed for this theater. But this time, this all-new show will have a uniquely Disney flair, and be unlike anything else either Disney or Cirque du Soleil have produced in the past. Based around some of Disney’s most iconic films, this new show will “draw its inspiration from Disney’s heritage of animation,” and will “celebrate Disney’s legacy of storytelling in Cirque du Soleil’s signature way, with a tribute to the one-of a kind craftsmanship that makes Disney so extraordinary.”
According to Disney, this new show will center on the story of a young girl and her father, who is a Disney animator. In an effort to connect with his child, the father sends his daughter on a magical journey of self-discovery in the world of Disney animation.
This new untitled show will begin preview performances early next year on March 20th, with an official debut on April 17, 2020. The show will then be performed on a Tuesday through Saturday schedule, with showtimes at 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM.
10. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Summer 2020
It has been confirmed that a Ratatouille-themed 3-D dark ride, largely the same as the one at Disneyland Paris, will be coming to Epcot in 2020. This attraction, which uses trackless technology to “shrink” guests down to the size of a rat, will be placed in an expansion pad next to the France Pavilion. You can check out a full video of the Disneyland Paris version of this attraction here.
While Ratatouille hasn’t exactly had the cultural relevance that other Pixar films like Toy Story or Up have had in the past decade, this addition does make sense in the context of the France pavilion, and will be the first new ride constructed in the World Showcase since the 1988 addition of Maelstrom.
11. Crêperie hybrid restaurant (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: Summer 2020
The most recently-announced addition to the France pavilion is a brand new unnamed hybrid quick/table service restaurant that will feature the cuisine of celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse, the mastermind behind the pavilion’s Chefs de France brasserie and its celebration of gourmet cuisine, Monsieur Paul. This new location will feature a menu inspired by the Brittany region of France, and will have savory crepes called galettes and sweet crepes. And though the France pavilion already has plenty of places to eat (this will be the fifth dining location in this pavilion), this new hybrid restaurant should be a nice addition to the lineup with a simple menu with familiar options.
No opening date for this new location has been announced, but considering this new location will be a part of the France expansion, we’re guessing that it will likely open in 2020, alongside the aforementioned Ratatouille attraction.
12. Wondrous China (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2020
A brand new film named Wondrous China be coming to Epcot’s China Pavilion sometime in the near future. Presented in a new seamless digital 360 degree format, the movie will include new scenes, music and locations. Because of the seamless format, the current CircleVision theater is being refurbished, and this film will open sometime next year.
13. Roundup Rodeo BBQ
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2020
One of the most puzzling aspects of Toy Story Land that many guests noted when this land opened (other than its lack of shade) was the absence of a restaurant beyond the Woody’s Lunch Box snack stop. However, it looks like Disney will be remedying this issue soon by introducing a brand-new table-service restaurant in this location. However, if you were hoping that the fan-favorite in-film Pizza Planet restaurant would be coming to Toy Story Land, sadly, you’d be mistaken.
Instead, this new restaurant will be themed to resemble a new “rodeo” play area assembled with cardboard boxes cut and taped together, this new location will feature multiple dining rooms and plenty of familiar toy characters that have been brought together to create a fun, colorful mashup-atmosphere that only a child could create. This immersive restaurant will surround guests with a kaleidoscope of toys, games, and playsets that will certainly please fans of the long-running Toy Story franchise. This new dining location will be built in the front of Toy Story Land, near the giant Woody Toy Story Land entrance sign.
14 . HarmonioUS (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2020
Though Epcot Forever will run in 2019, in 2020, a new permanent nighttime spectacular named HarmonioUS will debut. This new show will be a celebration of Disney music, and will show how Disney music inspires people around the globe, and will feature large floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, kites with special effects, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, and lasers. Confirmed Disney IPs that will be featured in this new production include Coco, Hercules, and Moana. Moving forward, this will be the permanent replacement for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, and the infrastructure for this show is under construction as we speak.
15. Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2021
Disney announced yesterday that the first-ever attraction based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios hit film Moana is coming to Epcot. Named Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, this new attraction will let guests interact with magical, living water in a beautiful and inspiring setting. Though we don’t know exactly where this new walkthrough attraction will go, we’d guess that it will be some part of the reimagined Central Spine of the park, which will lead to new lands in the area of the park formerly known as Future World.
16. Untitled Mary Poppins Attraction
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2021
Disney has announced that as part of the Mary Poppins enhancements to Epcot’s UK pavilion they will be building entirely new neighborhood at the pavilion: Cherry Tree Lane. This new section of this part of the park will have recreations of Admiral Boom’s house as well as Number 17, which is the iconic home of the Banks family. Though guests will only be able to look at Admiral Boon’s House, they will actually be able to enter Number 17 Cherry Tree Lane, to see a recreation of the house made famous by the Mary Poppins films. And once they enter this house, they will be able to “start their adventure”, as this will lead to some kind of attraction. Disney has not shared what kind of attraction this will be, but rumors seem to indicate that there will be some kind of carousel or themed flat ride in this space.
17. Permanent Festival Center
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2021
A new pavilion is coming to Future World that will be a permanent Festival center for Epcot’s signature events. This location will host live events, and will provide a stunning elevated view of the entire park and an ideal spot to witness Epcot’s nighttime spectacular. This beautiful three-level structure will have one of the most remarkable architectural designs at any Disney park, featuring a plaza level, a middle expo level, and a park that sits in the sky on the top level.
18. Tron Lightcycle Power Run (Magic Kingdom)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: TBA 2021
Though it has been rumored for a few months, we finally got confirmation at the 2017 edition of the D23 Expo that Disney is indeed bringing a duplicate of Shanghai Disneyland’s Tron Lightcycle Power Run attraction to Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. This attraction, which allows guests to board a train of two-wheeled Lightcycles and go on a high-speed adventure through Tron’s high-tech universe, has been one of the most popular attractions at Shanghai Disneyland, and certainly is a sensible addition to the Magic Kingdom that should help draw thrill seekers and sci-fi fans to this park. You can check out a ride through of the version in Shanghai (which is supposed to be virtually identical to the upcoming Magic Kingdom version) here
However, in an interesting twist, it looks like rumors that predicted the destruction of the Tomorrowland Speedway to make way for this attraction were premature, as concept art shows Tron Lightcycle Power Run being built in an unused area next to Space Mountain, with a re-worked (and possibly re-routed) Tomorrowland Speedway in the foreground. Interestingly, it looks like changes may also be in store for some of the Magic Kingdom’s transportation options as well.
Image: Disney
Though preliminary work on the Tron Roller Coaster has been going on for almost a year now, it looks like construction is really going to be ramping up in the new year as Disney prepares to get this attraction for its 2021 debut. The project recently went vertical, as you can see in the video below:
As a result of all the construction in this area, the Walt Disney World Railroad is now closed for an indefinite amount of time to accomodate work in Tomorrowland, and potentially alter the track of this attraction as well. Though nothing has been specifically confirmed, concept art released last year seems to indicate that some substantial changes could be coming to the railroad that will alter the track to make way for the new Tron roller coaster
19. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: 2021
A Guardians of the Galaxy-inspired attraction will be added to Future World sometime in the next few years. Though this might seem like a strange addition to this part of Epcot considering the Guardians of the Galaxy film franchise is supposed to take place in the present day, Disney has said that this franchise makes for a good addition to Epcot’s Future World because it gives guests the chance to experience the excitement and adventure offered by space travel.
This attraction will be an indoor roller coaster that will repurpose much of the original Universe of Energy building, as well as a giant new structure that is currently under construction behind this area, that will be big enough to house FOUR Spaceship Earth structures.
Disney has developed a new ride system for this attraction that will feature elevated roller coaster trains that conceal track underneath, and can also move independently, spinning around to face screens or setpieces, similar to the roller coaster trains used by Universal’s Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts attraction.
Disney has also announced that this attraction will be a first-of-its kind roller coaster that will feature a new innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering a special ride vehicle that rotates 360 degrees so guests can focus attention on the action of the ride.
20. “Play” Pavilion (Epcot)
Image: Disney
Status: Confirmed
Opening in: 2021
After more than a decade being used as a Festival Center, it looks like the Wonders of Life pavilion is finally being turned into attraction space once again, and is being re-designed and re-branded as Future World’s new “Play” pavilion (we’re not quite sure if this is the official name or not). This updated space will be designed to look like an innovative indoor city that’ll come to life with interactive experiences, including ones that will include Disney characters. Though no specific IPs or attractions have been confirmed for this new pavilion, the concept art above features Mickey Mouse, as well as characters from Inside Out, Zootopia, the Aristocats, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan and Frozen, which is certainly exciting for Disney character fans!
Though no specific opening date was given for this area, Disney did confirm that this new pavilion will open just in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort in 2021. Zach Riddley, portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering had this to say about this new “Play” pavilion:
“This innovative, new pavilion is beyond anything we’ve ever created and is completely unique to Epcot. Built on the power of play, it introduces an immersive and interactive ‘city’ where you can explore, create, and interact with some of your favorite Disney characters. This is an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot – and another signature element of our transformation.”
So there it is…Disney’s slate of new additions for the next few years. What are you most excited about?
