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Credit: DisneyWalt Disney World — The Most Magical Place on Earth. However, with so many changes due to the pandemic, some are finding there is a lack of magic. With this being said, we wanted to find out how many people are most likely to visit Walt Disney World this year compared to waiting another year and visiting in 2022 instead?
Related: Travel in 2021 and 2022: Booking a Disney Trip Far in Advance
In 2021, Disney World will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, but in 2022, Disney CEO Bob Chapek expects face mask-wearing and social distancing measures to not be the same as they are today. So, are Walt Disney World fans more likely to visit the theme parks in 2021 or 2022?
Let’s take a look at the key differences between the two years as well as what our Inside the Magic audience has said.
Related: Planning a Disney World Trip? Your Questions Answered!
Visiting Disney World in 2021
From one of the biggest milestones in Walt Disney World history — the 50th anniversary — to the elimination of one of the most beloved Disney World perks — the Magical Express — to the debut of some new attractions and nighttime spectaculars, there are several reasons as to why Guests may want to visit in 2021 rather than wait until 2022.
Related: Everything to Know About Visiting Disney World in 2021
50th Anniversary at Disney World
On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World, The Most Magical Place on Earth, opened to the public, and before we knew it, it became one of the most popular vacation destinations around the world. Now, here we are, almost 50 years later!
Disney World fans everywhere have been eager to celebrate the Resort’s 50th Anniversary this year, though, at this time, not many details have been released surrounding the theme park property’s plan for this milestone celebration.
However, we do know that they are, in fact, beginning to prepare for Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary as Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle, who took over for former President Josh D’Amaro, shared that Cast Members who “make the Disney magic come alive for millions of Guests every year” will be at the “heart of the parks’ momentum around the milestone.”
Therefore, Guests could still want to try and visit the Most Magical Place on Earth to celebrate this milestone within the theme parks, despite how big the celebrations actually end up being.
Magical Express is Ending
One of the best parts about arriving at Walt Disney World Resort is being aboard the Magical Express bus. In case you aren’t familiar, the Magical Express bus transportation picks Guests up from Orlando International Airport (MCO) and brings them directly to their Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
Unfortunately, Disney World announced that this complimentary service will no longer be available to Disney World Guests beginning in 2022. This could impact if Guests want to try and visit Walt Disney World Resort one more time before Magical Express officially retires beginning on January 1, 2022.
Related: Why Ticketed Events at Disney World Might Return in 2021
HarmonioUS
It wasn’t too long ago that Walt Disney World confirmed the new, highly anticipated nighttime spectacular, HarmonioUS, would be finally making its debut in 2021:
Additionally, our nights are about to be brighter with the addition of the new nighttime extravaganza, Harmonious, one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created.
If people want to be among the first Guests to experience the new nighttime spectacular live, they will want to visit the theme park before the end of 2021. Though at this time we do not have an exact date for the debut of HarmonioUS, testing has been going on frequently and Inside the Magic will keep you updated as we get information regarding the nighttime spectacular.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
In addition to EPCOT’s new nighttime spectacular, Walt Disney World is also nearing completion on the highly anticipated attraction, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
The upcoming attraction is a trackless 4D dark ride based off of the 2007 Disney Pixar animated film, Ratatouille. The new ride is set to shrink down riders to the size of a rat. Riders will then have to scurry along with Chef Remy through Gusteau’s Restaurant in an adorable rat-shaped ride vehicle, which you can see in the photo above.
The ride is based on the Ratatouille: The Adventure ride at Disneyland Paris’s Walt Disney Studios Park.
Deemed a priority project, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in the expanded France pavilion at EPCOT is expected to open sometime in 2021.
Visiting Disney World in 2022
Despite the 50th anniversary, Magical Express coming to an end, and EPCOT planning to debut two new projects (one ride and one nighttime spectacular), Guests could still want to wait until 2022 to visit the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Safety Protocols
During The Walt Disney Company’s Q1 2021 Conference Call, Bob Chapek discussed how long he expects health and safety measures, such as face mask requirements and social distancing measures, to be in place at Walt Disney World.
Chapek explained that the expectations are in terms of the state of the world by 2022, however, he believes that six-foot social distance and mask-wearing in 2022 will not be the same as it is today.
Personal Preference
With the vaccine currently rolling out within the United States, more people may not feel safe until a majority of Americans have received the COVID-19 vaccine. This means that some could be waiting to visit a theme park again until everyone who wants to be vaccinated gets the vaccine. With this pandemic still being so unpredictable, some would rather stay home until they know it is safe again and then they will visit public places, including Walt Disney World.
The Hype of New Attractions Will Die Down With Others on the Way
Even though EPCOT is debuting both HarmonioUS and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in 2021, come 2022 the hype for these attractions will be lower than when they first open. Additionally, there are other attractions on the way that will more than likely open in 2022 — Including TRON Lightcycle / Run and the new Guardians roller coaster — Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Guests could be waning to wait until 2022 to visit so they can experience all of these new attractions at the same time rather than visiting in 2021 and then coming back in 2022.
Disney World in 2021 or 2022? The Results
We decided to poll our Inside the Magic audience to find out when exactly they plan to visit Walt Disney World Resort again — and the answers may surprise you.
This poll was extremely close — In fact, 49% of our audience said they are going to visit Walt Disney World in 2021 but 51% of our audience said they are waiting until 2022 to visit once again.
If you want to visit Walt Disney World — whether it be this year or next year — be sure to get in touch with our friends over at Academy Travel, who will be with you every step of the way when planning your magical vacation. Get started today!
When do you plan on visiting Walt Disney World again? Let us know in the comments below.