The past couple years saw a lot of announcements and a lot of closures for Walt Disney World® Resort, but that means that a ton of new stuff is on the horizon. With Toy Story Land having opened just earlier in 2018, a lot of projects are still under construction, with plenty slated for 2019.
Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
Created by the producer of both the animated and live-actionBeauty and the Beast movies, Don Hahn, this new musical show is going to debut in the France pavilion. There’s no confirmed date on its start yet, but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect 2019 as a possibility. The show may also wait to start showing in 2020, when the new ride, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, is scheduled to open.
City Works
Opening next summer, City Works Eatery & Pour House is yet another new restaurant adding to the rapid expansion of Disney Springs™. Full of classic American food, craft beer, and televisions for watching sports, the eighth installment of the restaurant in the United States plans to offer 80 beers on tap.
Disney Riviera Resort
Looking to open in the fall, the new 300-room Disney Vacation Club resort is going to be connected to the Skyliner system.
Epcot Forever
Before the new Disney music-themed Epcot® nighttime spectacular opens in 2020, fall 2019 will see this show, centered around classic music from the park, hold its place.
Gran Destino Tower
The new building, complete with a rooftop dining experience, is scheduled to open summer 2019. Coronado Springs™ is already one of our favorite moderate resorts, so the fact that a brand new host of rooms is almost complete is nothing short of thrilling. In addition to the new tower, there’s another restaurant on the way that’s planned to be set in the middle of the resort’s lake, which could very well rival the views of the similarly-constructed Geyser Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Coming next to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster®Starring Aerosmith, the new show scheduled to open early next year is going to see guests as rookie racers and will feature Lightning and some of his famous friends. Fans of the now-defunct Lights, Motors, Action!® Extreme Stunt Showshould only have a few months to wait before getting another piece car-centric entertainment.
Metroville City Block
Pixar Place, the previous housing site for Toy Story Midway Mania!® Attraction is set to reopen as an Incredibles-themed area starting Jan. 18. There’ll be all sorts of activities in the area, including a dance party featuring Mrs. Incredible, Mr. Incredible, and Frozone.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
It seems The Great Movie Ride® Attraction was effectively shut down ages ago, but fortunately its replacement, an innovative trackless ride starring Mickey and Minnie, doesn’t have much longer to go. Taking place in the centerpiece of Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, the Chinese Theatre, hopefully there’ll finally be a ride worth hosting the mouse that started it all.
It’s set to open fall 2019.
The NBA Experience:
Did you know that Disney sponsors the Orlando Magic, one of Florida’s two NBA teams? You do now, although the new center opening up on the west side of Disney Springs™ next summer is going to be centered around the league as a whole. There’ll be competitions and interactive games, as well as what Disney is calling immersive experiences. Those will all go hand-in-hand with the store and restaurant that are coming with it, too.
The Skyliner
Taking inspiration from some of the Disney parks’ oldest transportation, the new aerial gondola transportation system should be ready to go by the fall. It’ll be coming at just the right time, as the opening of several new attractions, resort refurbishments, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge might call for a way for the influx of guests to safely and efficiently get to the parks.
The Space Restaurant
It was announced earlier this year that Epcot®’s Future World would be seeing a space-themed dining experience, set between Mission: SPACE®and Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®. Filled with video screens and immersive technology that looks to make the restaurant an entire experience, but not a lot of concrete details and art have been shared. There’s no official opening window, but it’s speculated to be ready in either late 2019 or early 2020.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
The Star Wars-themed land, which for many will be the most exciting addition to U.S. parks since they first opened, is scheduled to be completed late fall 2019. Disneyland® Resort’s is set to open first, with the one in Florida hopefully trailing quickly behind. It’s said to be the most immersive land Disney has ever created, with the mere concept of the interactive Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run providing a small window into the innovation that the area should hold.
Wonderful World of Animation
Disney’s Hollywood Studios® is going to see yet another new addition with an all-new nighttime experience, centered around Disney’s history of animation.
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