EPCOT May Be the Park to Beat for Disney's 50th Anniversary

With the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort around the corner, Disney lovers are getting ready to join in on the 18-month celebration which will commence on October 1, 2021. The 50th anniversary is technically just representative of the Magic Kingdom, which opened as Orlando’s first Disney park in 1971. However, the entire resort as a whole will be joining in the fun!

Due to the ongoing pandemic, Disney World currently has a reduced capacity of 35%. All Guests visiting must make a Disney Park Pass reservation for the date and park of their choice, if available. At the moment, October 1 is currently at capacity for Magic Kingdom, but EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom still have availability — at least for now.

Of course, Magic Kingdom would be the popular choice for Guests to pick when attending the first day of the 50th anniversary celebration, but now with the news about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure debuting on October 1, it is likely that Disney Park Passes for EPCOT will disappear next.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was meant to open in summer 2020, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the opening of the attraction was delayed. Until today, we did not know when the attraction would allow Guests to see the newly expanded France pavilion, but now, during The Walt Disney Company’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced that the attraction will open on October 1, 2021.

Disney describes the attraction and expansion as:

In this delicious new attraction, you’ll feel like you’ve shrunk to the size of Chef Remy as you scurry through Gusteau’s famous restaurant on a wild adventure for the whole family (no height requirement!). Based on Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning “Ratatouille,” the experience will be part of a newly expanded France pavilion inside EPCOT that will also open Oct. 1.

When you round the corner into this new portion of the pavilion, you’ll be transported into a fanciful version of Paris that feels straight out of the animated film. As you can see in this beautiful nighttime photo we’re sharing today, it’s easy to understand why little Remy fell so head-over-heels in love with the “city of lights.”

This highly anticipated attraction based on the Disneyland Paris fan-favorite ride is opening alongside another food location in EPCOT! As noted by Disney, “Also opening Oct. 1 will be La Crêperie de Paris, a new restaurant offering both table- and quick-service options. The menu will feature sweet crepes, savory buckwheat galettes (naturally gluten-friendly), and authentic French hard cider.”

So, although Magic Kingdom is the original theme park, it is not going to have any brand new attractions to debut for the first day of the 50th anniversary celebration (at least that we know of at this time). Considering this is the first new attraction to debut at Disney World since the pandemic began, this reporter has a feeling that Disney fans alike will be flocking to EPCOT to be one of the first rats on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

EPCOT is also gearing up to debut HarmonioUS, which will be the park’s newest nighttime spectacular. Although we do not know exactly when it will debut, Disney has announced that the show will premier this year. At the moment, HarmonioUS is the only guaranteed nighttime show that Guests can expect to return to Disney World this year, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the show debut on October 1, as well. With the barges testing on the water, it seems Disney is getting ready to showcase the show.

The pull to bring Guests into EPCOT is also a great tactic to ensure Guests are spread out through the parks. Until now, all Guests were trying to get into Magic Kingdom, which as we noted, is currently at capacity. So by offering fun opportunities and experiences at other parks, Disney is dispersing their Guests without letting them feel disappointed. It will be interesting to see if Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Disney’s Animal Kingdom also announce exciting news to draw in Guests.

Are you excited to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure? If you could pick one park to attend on October 1, which would it be?

If you want to be at the 50th Anniversary Celebrations, you need to get booking today to ensure you arrive on time in Orlando! You can visit Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT to celebrate with Mickey Mouse. Disney Park Pass reservations are selling fast, so click here to get started!