With the news that dropped on February 19th for Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration, I spent some time reflecting on the announcements and have a few thoughts to share.
First and foremost, I think it's important to resist the urge to say "that's it?". Clearly, this only one of the first (post-COVID) announcements of what will be more to come. When Disney first started making announcements at D23 in 2019, it was a much different world than it is today and we need to keep that in mind. Things needed to (and have changed) the plan and it's more of a work in progress than anyone may hope it to be at this point.
Second, it's not realistic to expect "big bang" approaches where multiple things all hit at once, since its not likely anything (beyond the actual anniversary dates of October 1, 2021 for the resort and October 1, 2022 for EPCOT's 40th) is going to be well announced ahead of time in an effort to manage park capacity and guest expectations. It's fair to expect numerous things to go live this year (including Remy's, Harmonious, and other things already advertised for 2021) and more will gradually come online during the 18 month celebration. This means, that unless you absolutely need to be on property for October 1, 2021 (the actual 50th anniversary of the resort), holding off on a trip will likely see both fewer restrictions in place and more open. However, if there are bumps along the way (either construction, financial, or pandemic-related), that may change quickly.
Third, it's an 18-month celebration and new attractions and experiences will need to stay spaced out over that timeframe to keep it interesting for guests. Cosmic Rewind, PLAY Pavilion, and Tron will all open in their due time. Space220, the Galactic Starcruiser, and other food and lodging experiences will also open over the course of the 18-month celebration. So again, I think delaying a trip (unless it's crucial you're there on the exact date) will pay off, unless you plan to go in 2021 and 2022 regardless.
To summarize my thoughts, I think the 50th will be fantastic. It may start with less of a bang but I'm fairly confident that as the world slowly re-opens, "The World's Most Magical Celebration" will blossom. Pack your patience...we're in this for a full 18-months.
To keep up-to-date on the plans, visit the WDW 50th page on our website.
