There have been some massive updates at Disney World recently so what does this tell us about Disney World going forward? What will the rest of 2021 look like when visiting Disney World?
Find out below what the latest Disney World news is and what these updates tells us about Disney's plans for the rest of this year!
Updates To Safety Measures
From May 16th temperature checks will no longer be taken. This is in line with the CDC's updated advice. Disney have stated that all their other safety measures, such as face coverings and physical distancing, will be remaining in place for the time being.
This tells us that Disney are taking measures to start moving towards the parks being how they were before. With lots of people now having been vaccinated safety measures are starting to be relaxed.
More Restaurants Are Reopening!
The great news is there will be three more restaurants to choose from soon!
On May 16th Chef Mickey's will reintroduce their dinner service. There is a new menu which now offers all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style service, replacing the buffet service from before. The great news is this is still going to be a character dining experience! The experience is slightly modified as you now meet the characters from a distance but you still get to interact and take photos with them. See the new menu here!
On May 18th Cape May Cafe at the BoardWalk will be reopening! Breakfast and dinner will be served with some modifications. Both meals will now be all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style service instead of buffet service and the character dining breakfast is suspended at the present time. You can check out the new menus here! .
This summer Tusker House Restaurant at Animal Kingdom will welcome guests back! We know that a modified character dining experience will still be offered and a new menu will be appearing to replace the former buffet. This is a great character dining experience and is often known as a hidden gem. It is great to see Mickey and his pals in their safari outfits!
What this tells us is that Disney are needing more dining locations to accommodate the increase in people visiting Disney World. In particular, they are wanting to reintroduce more character dining experiences. This is such a classic part of a trip to Disney World and something many guests book. Presently only four character dining meals are available but with the reopening of Chef Mickey's dinner service and Tusker House Restaurant this will give people even more options!
Lion King Show Returns To Animal Kingdom!
A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King has just opened in Animal Kingdom! This iconic show is now available to enjoy once more!
The new version is slightly modified to ensure the cast members are able to work safely but you can still enjoy a fantastic and vibrant show!
This tells us that Disney are working hard to bring back their shows and entertainment. Seeing shows such as Festival of the Lion King and Beauty and the Beast Live are highlights of any trip. These shows are spectacular and very high-end. It is like getting to enjoy a Broadway show!
As Disney is as famous for their entertainment as well as their rides they have been working hard to find a way to bring back shows safely. With the opening of A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King it tells us Disney have found a way and we should see other productions open throughout the year.
Disney have also posted a position to hire a seasonal fireworks & special effects designer! This is most likely for the 50th Anniversary celebrations which start on 1st October so it looks like there will be firework shows once more at Disney World later this year!
More Resorts Are Reopening!
Last week Disney announced another resort is set to reopen! BoardWalk Inn will open its doors once more in July.
These are the dates that more resorts are scheduled to reopen:
Beach Club Resort – 30th May 2021
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn – 2nd July 2021
Wilderness Lodge – 6th June 2021
Polynesian Village Resort - July 2021
With these reopenings we will also see more restaurants open their doors once more, which means even more great dining options to choose from!
This tells us that Disney are expecting more people to visit so they need more accommodation to be open to be available to provide this. This leads us to believe an increase in park capacity will come in the next few months to accommodate the rise in guests at the Disney Resorts.
Sadly the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Resort has had its grand reopening pushed back to 2022. But this new resort is now available to see on the map in My Disney Experience App!
A New Halloween Celebration Has Been Announced!
Disney World have just announced that instead of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this year they have a new event: Disney After Hours Boo Bash!
This three hour event will let you see Disney Villains dotted throughout the park, eat some spooktacular treats, hear performances by the Cadaver Dans, see amazingly frightful decor and hear creepy music! And the best news is adults can come in costume!
The Boo Bash is a special ticketed event that will start on 10th August and run until 31st October. The event starts at 7pm until midnight (with select dates running from 7.30pm until 12.30am) but you can enter Magic Kingdom from 5pm on the day of your event! As you have to pay extra for the party it is a great idea to pay for this and save yourself the cost of a full day ticket. The Boo Bash will take place in Magic Kingdom and if you enter at 5pm you will get a full 7 hours in the park! Tickets go on sale in June.
This shows us Disney are wanting to bring back some of the special events they are so known for! People make trips specifically to visit Disney World during special seasons, such as Halloween and Christmas. As Disney World still doesn't have nighttime specaculars or fireworks running currently this new Halloween event still gives everyone the chance to celebrate with a lot of the usual exciting elements of a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party but modified to adapt to the current operations of the park.
Disney World is Hiring More Staff!
Disney are currently hiring a lot of staff to work in attractions, merchandise, custodial and quick-service restaurants roles.
This implies an increase in capacity is coming soon! Needing so many more staff will be because more dining and retail locations are opening, or are increasing their capacity, and most cast members are needed to help with the running of the parks!
New Dining In EPCOT
A new gelato stand has opened in EPCOT. Head to the Italy Pavilion to try the delicious cold treats at Gelataria Toscana.
Soon the France expansion will open with a new dining location and much anticipated new ride! Remy's Ratatouille Adventure and Le Creperie will be opening on 1st October.
This tells us Disney World are still going ahead with new openings even with lower crowd levels. By the time of the opening of Remy and the France expansion it is likely capacity will have increased as Disney would not want a grand reopening, which always brings an influx of guests, if they couldn't have people visit to enjoy it!
A Popular Restaurant Is Being Refurbished
The Wave...of American Flavors will be closing Mid-July for a refurbishment.
Currently, the Contemporary Resort is refurbishing some of its rooms to having Incredibles theming. There is a rumour that The Wave may be rethemed to an Incredible restaurant. What do you think of this?
You can still visit The Wave until 15th July. It is thought the refurbishment is taking place in the summer to be ready for the 50th Anniversary Celebration starting on the 1st October.
This tells us Disney aren't putting refurbishments on hold. In fact they are taking advantage of lower levels of guests to do these renovations so when the capacity increases they have lots of shiny new things for people to enjoy!
Cinderella Castle Is Being Decorated For The 50th Anniversary Celebrations!
Cinderella Castle is currently being decorated ready for the 50th Anniversary celebrations. Doesn't it look beautiful?
This tells us Disney are going full steam ahead with creating something special for the 50th Anniversary. For a while people were unsure how the celebrations would turn out, due to the lack of parades, fireworks and special events. As we are starting to see these return it looks like some very awesome celebrations will take place!
The 50th Anniversary is on 1st October and the festivities will continue for 18 months!
It's Exciting Times At Disney World!
With so many announcements, reopenings and celebrations happening soon it is an exciting time for Disney World! All of the recent news gives us such a positive forecast for the rest of 2021!
With so many resorts and restaurants reopening it implies that it won't be long before the park capacities are increased. With the return of shows, special events and new attractions opening in the coming months Disney are keen to return as many elements that we all know and love to the parks and keep on bringing new and exciting elements to draw people back!
Are you excited by all these new updates? What do you think the rest of 2021 will hold for Disney World? Let me know in the comments below, on Instagram @Most.Magical.Guides or in my Facebook group!
If you are planning your next Disney World trip be sure to check out my handy range of Disney World guides and planning templates in my Etsy shop!