New Disney World 2020 Attractions
New Disney World attractions will be springing up all over Orlando in the next several years. Disney is introducing new Disney Vacation Club resorts, rides, restaurants, attractions & shows! Much of it will be ready for the 50th Disney World Anniversary (2021). So if you are thinking of visiting Disney World anytime soon, you’ll want to know what is new and what will be open when you are here.
My favorite “New” is something I didn’t even know how to categorize – so… you get to hear about it first! It’s the Disney Genie. At the D23 Expo in 2019, Disney revealed they would be debuting a new way for guests to plan Disney World trips. Think My Disney Experience…on steroids. This new app will be able to let guests focus on events and attractions that are most suited to their tastes: family, thrill seeking, food and more! Overall, it will help you make the most of your time at Disney World.
New & Refurbished DVC Resorts
Disney seems to be adding Deluxe Disney resorts at a record pace. Fortunately, they are taking the time to refurbish some of their older resorts as well. The newest DVC (Disney Vacation Club) resorts are the Riviera and Reflections. Saratoga Springs, Grand Floridian, Boulder Ridge, and even Disney’s Polynesian are all getting updates in the near future.
Reflections & Riviera
Reflections is the brand new DVC resort coming in 2022. So far, what we know about it is that it is located on Bay Lake and is themed towards nature. It’s slogan is, “a Disney Lakeside Lodge”, and it will be the host to A frame houses as well as treehouse lodging! One interesting fact (and my favorite) is that the resort restaurant will be themed toward Princess and the Frog!
The Riviera just opened, so we still consider it to be a new DVC resort. It has a European theme, complete with towers, terraces, archways, murals and porticos. It is gorgeous! And it is next to the new skyliner which is a transportation benefit. The skyliner can transport more guests than Disney’s bus system. In recent weeks, the best feedback Riviera has received has come from its restaurant: Topolino’s. Many have reported excellent entrees from breakfast to dinner!
Refurbishments
Saratoga Springs is currently getting a face-lift. And friends, it is beautiful! I had the privilege to stay in a 1 bedroom refurbished room in Fall 2019. The rooms are very much like the brand new Riviera bedrooms with a murphy bed coming down from the wall. Not only does this make great use of space, but it is also much more comfortable to sleep on than the sleeper couches. This refurb is an all around win, and I expect more DVC members will be staying at Saratoga Springs in the next several years thanks to the updates and its proximity to Disney Springs!
Reports have been that some Boulder Ridge rooms have been in dire need of a refurb. Good news is that it’s coming in 2021! Grand Floridian gets refurbished in 2021, and Disney’s Polynesian Resort gets an update in 2022.
New & Refurbished Disney World Rides
NEW Disney Rides
Another ride, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is open March 4, 2020! According to Imagineer Charita Carter, “Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the first ride-through attraction for Mickey and Minnie.” For any history buffs – this is a great tribute to some of the first Mickey Shorts that were filmed. And – the best part of all – this ride is great for littles as well as adults.
Maybe one of the biggest new rides, TRON is currently being built in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. It sounds like many guests have absolutely loved the TRON ride in Shanghai, and many are excited to see it come to the Magic Kingdom! Rumor has it that it may be one of the fastest roller coasters at Disney, coming in at 60mph. Others have said that riding it during the day is different than riding it at night – and guests should try to do both. 🙂 That shouldn’t be too hard to do, right? It should be done by 2021, in time for the 50th Walt Disney World Celebration!
New Epcot Rides
One of the new rides to come includes Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. This should arrive in the summer of 2020 in the France pavilion in Epcot! Construction seems to reveal that everything is underway as it should be and we’ll soon get to fly around in little cars that look like Remy. The ride creates an appearance that we have all shrunk down to mice size and are adventuring around Gusteau’s kitchen!
Another new ride, and one I’m looking forward to the most, is Guardians of the Galaxy! It will be located in Epcot as well, and should be finished by 2021. This is one very large roller coaster, and according to Disney, it takes up more space than four Spaceship Earth exhibits would. Disney is trying to combine an “immersive experience” with a roller coaster. It may become one of the best rides at Disney!
Refurbished Rides
Speaking of Spaceship Earth, it is set to get refurbished starting the beginning of 2020. Rumor has it that refurbishment will take at least 2 years. This seems like a great amount of time for a refurbishment, but considering they are adding to Spaceship Earth’s exterior in order to do nighttime projections, as well as updating interior scenes and parts of the ride…the two year projection is probably right on track.
New Disney World Restaurants
If there is one thing Disney World could always use more of – it’s restaurants! Lucky for us, they are opening four new restaurants soon! Space 220, located in Epcot as an expansion of Mission:SPACE, offers views of earth from 220 miles into the atmosphere! And, while you are riding up into the restaurant, you’ll get to see aerial views of Epcot! This restaurant should be opening Winter of 2020.
Another Epcot restaurant soon to open (Spring 2020) is the Regal Eagle. It will serve barbeque and will be located in the American pavilion. The France pavilion in Epcot is also getting a new little restaurant summer of 2020, and it is called the Le Creperie de Paris. It will be table and quick-service, and it will be offering crepes! Yummm..
Hollywood Studios is making way for a new restaurant also: Roundup Rodeo BBQ. It is a table service restaurant coming in 2020 to Toy Story Land. Sounds like a lot of fun!
New Disney World Shows & Attractions
Moana:Journey of Water
Who is as excited as I am for the first ever Moana themed attraction at Disney World? I was slightly disappointed when I found out it was a water maze, but it still sounds beautiful. Maybe it will be a relaxing and refreshing attraction in the busy parks. It will be located in Epcot, and no official opening date has been released by Disney.
New Movies in Epcot
Starting January 17, 2020, there are several new movies debuting in Epcot during the International Festival of Arts! Awesome Planet is in the Land pavilion. Another new movie, a Beauty & Beast Sing-a-long will be showing in the France pavilion, and Canada is showcasing a new Circle-Vision 360 film. Wondrous China will be offered in the China pavilion as well!
HarmoniUS
This is the permanent replacement of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, and will be arriving in 2020. HarmoniUS is rumored to be one of the best nighttime shows that Disney has ever offered. In my opinion, that’s a huge feat considering how awesome Happily Ever After is – but hey, knock yourself out Disney!
Mary Poppins Attraction
Who doesn’t love Mary Poppins?! It’s about time she got her own attraction at Disney World! The United Kingdom pavilion in Epcot will get to be home to this new attraction that replicates Cherry Tree Lane! This attraction may be a ride, it may be a show, it may just be a walk-through area. Despite limited details, we’re excited to see what Disney creates for Mary Poppins!
Dreamers Point
Dreamers Point is a new area in Epcot that will be home to a statue honoring Walt Disney. It hasn’t gotten much hype, which may be because it is a statue…or it could be because very few details have been released. Other attractions at Dreamers Point include a wishing tree and a new interactive fountain. Much like the new Moana attraction, we don’t have a lot of details, but it sounds beautiful and peaceful.
New Countries in Epcot?
Two new countries coming to Epcot’s World Showcase? Possibly. It has been mostly rumors so far…and Disney has not announced anything officially. One source went so far as to mention Brazil is one of the next countries. Another source reported that Disney was doing research in India, so that may be one of the countries to be added. Again, Disney has not even said they are adding countries…so this one is probably a long ways off (at least more than 2 years away)
We hope this compilation of new attractions helps you plan for any upcoming Disney trips! If you are planning a trip to Disney in the near future, be sure to read How to Make Your 2020 Disney Vacation Easy! For other travel tips, check out How To Choose the Optimal 2020 Disney Dining Plan for Your Family, and How To Maximize FastPass+. Wishing you a magical day!
