How will Disney be celebrating its 50th Anniversary? When will Harmonious (EPCOT’s new fireworks show) debut? What’s going on with the refurbishments happening at Disney’s Contemporary Resort?
There’s a Lot of Stuff Happening in Disney World!
You’ve got questions — we’ve got answers!! This week was a big one in terms of Disney news! We’ve got fireworks updates, news about more things that have started to return to Disney World, and so much more. And today we’re breaking down all the Disney news you need to know from this past week right here. Let’s dive in!
1. The Contemporary’s Guest Rooms Are Being Themed to the Incredibles!
Earlier this year, we shared that the Contemporary’s Main Tower guest rooms were going to be refurbished. We’ve seen that refurbishment in action with LOTS of tarps and construction barriers (and construction noise) popping up in the hotel. But, we didn’t know what the refurbished rooms would look like or be themed to until NOW.
An interesting look
This week, Disney revealed that the guest rooms at the Contemporary are being themed to The Incredibles! The rooms now feature an enhanced retro-modern look with touches of the Incredibles throughout.
©Disney
Guests will find details referencing the Incredibles in various places in the room, including in the closet and even inside of drawers!
But that’s not the only change coming the Contemporary. The lobby at the Contemporary will also be changing a bit and will feature some more art pieces as well as historical photos from when the Contemporary was being built.
And if you’re a big fan of The Wave…of American Flavors, you should know there are changes coming to that spot too. We previously shared that the restaurant would be temporarily closing this summer for a lengthy refurbishment. But now, Disney has stated that the restaurant will actually “close” to “make way for a reimagined dining experience in time for the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary celebration.”
The Wave
Disney hasn’t shared specific details about what this “reimagined” experience will be like, but we’re on the lookout for more details!
2. Harmonious Has an Opening Date!
We’ve been watching all of the barges for EPCOT’s new fireworks show, Harmonious, enter World Showcase Lagoon and even go through some testing over the past several months. But, we’ve been left wondering…when will Harmonious FINALLY debut?!
A Look at the Harmonious Barges
Well, this week we got our answer!! On July 1st, fireworks will return to EPCOT with EPCOT Forever. But, on October 1st (which marks the start of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary) Harmonious will finally debut!
©Disney
The show will include all kinds of water effects, fireworks, custom-built screens, and much more. Disney World’s President is counting down to the new show’s arrival and we are too!
3. HUGE 50th Anniversary News!
This week we got an enormous amount of 50th Anniversary news. We’ll start with fireworks. While Harmonious will debut in EPCOT on October 1st, October 1st will also mark the debut of a brand new fireworks show in Magic Kingdom called Disney Enchantment!
©Disney
The show will feature music, fireworks, lighting effects, and (for the first time ever) projections that will go from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A.
Also at Magic Kingdom, guests will get to enjoy a NEW cavalcade for the 50th Anniversary!
©Disney
During this cavalcade, you’ll get to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and more of their closest friends in their special 50th anniversary outfits!
Heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the 50th Anniversary? There will be a NEW show for you to see there too. On October 1st, a new daytime show called Disney KiteTails will debut in Animal Kingdom!
©Disney
During the show, performers will fly windcatchers and kites, some of which will feature Disney characters like Baloo or Simba!
But wait, there’s MORE! As part of the 50th Anniversary, there will actually be golden character statues spread throughout all 4 parks.
©Disney
Mickey, Minnie, and more Disney characters will be featured in these 50(!!) statues spread throughout the parks.
Know someone who is a “magic maker” — a person who brings magic to others through acts of kindness and generosity (big or small)? Well, they could actually win a FREE trip to Disney World for the 50th Anniversary!
©Disney
Disney is running a contest where they’ll be giving away 50 FREE trips to Disney World for those special people who are magic makers. If you know someone inspiring, you could nominate them now!
And finally, if you’re looking to celebrate the 50th Anniversary at home, you can pick up one of the 5 new books being released for the anniversary! These books contain everything from unseen concept art to TONS of Disney recipes you can cook at home.
©Disney
You can actually pre-order the recipe book (Delicious Disney) right now! What magic will you cook up at home?
4. Distancing and Mask Changes
This week we also noticed a number of distancing changes being made around the parks. First, a bunch of fan-favorite pre-shows are BACK! The pre-shows at Haunted Mansion, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run have all returned (along with some others that returned in previous weeks).
The Stretching Room is Back in Action!
We’ve also seen single rider lines become available again at select Disney World attractions.
Single Rider
If you’re a big fan of the arcades inside of Disney World’s resort hotels, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve started to see some of these arcades begin to reopen.
Inside the Pixel Play Arcade at Art of Animation
We’ve also seen self-serve condiments become available at select dining locations in Disney World.
ABC Commissary
And finally, this past week we saw two changes made regarding Cast Member face mask rules.
Meet David!
Face masks are now optional outdoors for fully vaccinated Disney World Cast Members. And they are now also optional for fully vaccinated Disney World Cast Members working indoors.
Cast Member With No Mask Indoors
Cast Members are also now able to hold guest phones (or cameras) again to take photos of those guests when asked.
Cast Member Taking Photos with a Guest Device
We expect more changes will be made throughout Disney World as distancing measures are gradually reduced over the next few weeks and months, so we’ll keep an eye out for more updates.
5. Casey’s Corner Could Reopen SOON!
SOUND THE ALARMS. Casey’s Corner has been closed in Magic Kingdom since the parks reopened. BUT this week we saw 2 BIG changes that could indicate this spot will be reopening soon!
First, we saw some changes made to its menu online. Second (and more importantly), we saw the drapes removed from this spot and chairs added!
NO drapes!
Sure, you can usually grab corn dog nuggets from Westward Ho right now to fill a bit of that void, but it’s not entirely the same. Plus, we’re ready for some giant hot dogs and more from Casey’s! Disney still hasn’t announced an official reopening date for this spot but you better believe we’re on the lookout for more details and will share updates with you!
6. Destination D23 Dates Have Been Announced!
Looking to hear behind-the-scenes stories about your favorite Disney rides? Want to be among the first to hear exciting news about things Disney is working on for the future? Then you’ll want to go to Destination D23 later this year!
©D23
In 2020, Destination D was postponed, but this year it’s coming back to Disney World from November 19th through the 21st! Tickets will be going on sale soon for D23 Gold Members so be sure to check out all of the details ahead of time so you can grab your tickets.
And that’s our wrap-up of the big news from this week, but (of course) some other Disney news was shared this week as well. Here’s a quick break-down of some other stories you might want to check out:
Welcome Back Margarita
Such a DELICIOUS and UNIQUE meal at Tusker House
The Taste of the Caribbean Platter!
And that’s the Disney news from this week! We’ll be on the lookout for more updates and let you know what other big stories we spot in the upcoming days and weeks. Stay tuned for more updates from us here at DFB!
Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!
Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today!
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 
Will you be visiting Disney World for the 50th anniversary celebrations? Tell us in the comments!
The post 50th Anniversary Fireworks, an Incredibles Hotel Refurbishment, Mask Changes, and More Disney World News first appeared on the disney food blog.
