It’s almost time to sing “Happy Birthday” to Disney World!

Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary falls on on October 1st, 2021. But, you better start warming up those vocal cords now because, based on what Disney announced, we’ll still be singing Happy Birthday to WDW in 2023?!

Recently, Disney shared some BIG announcements about the 50th Anniversary. The celebration is set to begin on October 1st, 2021. As part of the celebration, all 4 park icons will be getting an extra magical glow up. Cinderella Castle will be decorated in lavish gold decor…

…Spaceship Earth will get a new lighting scheme…

…the Tree of Life will get some nighttime lighting magic…

…and Tower of Terror will get its own unique nighttime look.

Disney says that these mini-transformations will turn them into “Beacons of Magic.” OoooOooo.

Click here to see more about these transformations!

Mickey and Minnie Mouse are also getting in on the fun with new costumes for the anniversary.

Disney has also announced a Global Ambassador for the anniversary, shared some information about a 50th Anniversary license plate, and made a special, anniversary photo and concept art book available for pre-order.

But, we all know that Disney’s celebrations tend to last a bit longer than just the date of the anniversary itself. It’s sort of like celebrating a birthday month, except this time Disney World has decided to celebrate their birthday for A YEAR AND A HALF.

Yup, you read that right. While the celebrations for the 50th will begin on October 1st, 2021, the party is actually supposed to continue for a whole 18 MONTHS. That means we’ll still be celebrating Disney World’s 50th anniversary all the way to around April 1st of 2023! The park will literally turn 51 and we’ll still be celebrating the 50th. It’s like how some people just stop counting their age after 30.

Now, it’s not clear how much of the celebration will be ready to go on October 1st, how much won’t be available until a bit later, and how much will still be available by the time we get to 2023.

But, having the celebration stretch that long can be a pretty great benefit for guests. Park Passes for Magic Kingdom are ALREADY full for October 1st. So, if you haven’t booked your theme park reservations already and more spots don’t open up in the future, you might not be able to visit that park on its anniversary date. Or, you might not even be planning a Disney World tripp in 2021 at all. But, with the celebrations set to last over a year, you’ll have plenty of time to make your way there and visit all of the other parks for their unique celebrations. 

If you are planning to be in Disney World for the start of the celebrations on October 1st, be sure to get your Park Passes and hotels booked as soon as you can. We expect things will be quite busy!

You know we’re on the lookout for ALL the latest updates about the 50th Anniversary and we’ll keep you up to date on all the latest information.

Click here to see your guide to Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Are you planning to visit Disney World for its 50th Anniversary celebrations? Let us know in the comments.

The post We’re Going to Be Celebrating Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2023?! first appeared on the disney food blog.