Full Lineup Revealed for “Disney Celebrates America” at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disneyland & Beyond!

Disney has announced the full lineup of parks offerings and more at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disneyland for “Disney Celebrates America,” including all-new details for broadcast and primetime special. Here’s the latest, including what you need to know if you’re visiting over Independence Day, which should be one of the best weeks of the entire year at Walt Disney World.

“Disney Celebrates America” is a company-wide initiative honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States featuring unparalleled programming, activations, and storytelling from across its iconic brands and businesses. For more than a century, Disney has helped shape the American story—showcasing the imagination, optimism, and sense of possibility that connects generations. This campaign is a reflection of this legacy and provides an opportunity for fans of all ages to celebrate both a nation and a forward-looking spirit.

“As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, ‘Disney Celebrates America’ is our way of honoring this historic milestone by celebrating the people, places, and shared moments that define who we are,” said Ken Potrock, President of Major Events Integration, The Walt Disney Company. (Remember him, Disneyland fans?!?) “Through immersive and creative park experiences and unprecedented broadcast moments, Disney invites everyone to come together and celebrate America in a truly meaningful way by reflecting on where we’ve been and imagining the extraordinary future we can create together.”

Coast-to-Coast Celebrations at Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Soarin’ Across America, now open at EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort and debuting July 2, 2026 at Disney California Adventure at Disneyland, is a fresh flight experience that takes guests on a breathtaking journey across the United States. The new journey spotlights a tapestry of the nation’s natural beauty and iconic cityscapes in a uniquely Disney way, including more than a dozen locations such as the New England coastline, Mount Rushmore, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Grand Canyon West.

Created by Walt Disney Imagineering, fans will enjoy this all-new experience brought to life with the elements that they know and love from this attraction—the flight, sights, scents, and a new arrangement of the iconic Soarin’ score by composer Bruce Broughton.

This is the first new version of Soarin’ in a decade. It’s well worth checking out, and we hope it enjoys an 18 month debut flight, followed by seasonal departures in the summer in future years. Soarin’ Across America is superior to its predecessor but falls short of the original, for the reasons we explain in our Review: Soarin’ Across America is a Distinctly Patriotic Salute to One Nation. Here’s the Good, Bad & Ugly.

The celebration will continue across Walt Disney World with patriotic lighting on Spaceship Earth, special performances from Voices of Liberty and the beloved Electrical Water Pageant. Walt Disney World will also feature themed décor along Main Street, U.S.A., character experiences, and limited-time merchandise, food, and beverage offerings throughout the resort.

Separate from this announcement, Walt Disney World has already confirmed Bonus Nights of Independence Day 2026 Fireworks at Magic Kingdom & EPCOT! This will make for a great opportunity to see the Celebrate America fireworks at Magic Kingdom as well as the Heartbeat of Freedom tag at EPCOT with lower crowds.

Additional activities include flag retreat ceremonies, performances by the Dapper Dans and Main Street Philharmonic, an extended run of the Portraits of Courage exhibit honoring post-9/11 veterans through Fourth of July weekend, and more. Fans can head to Disney Springs for festive décor, plus special performances from the United States Air Force Band of the West.

During Los Angeles Fleet Week at Disneyland Resort on May 21, 2026, more than 100 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen participated in the event, which included special performances from Navy Band Southwest, a U.S. Navy flyover during a special flag retreat ceremony, and more.

An American flag flown over Disneyland Resort was presented to U.S. military leaders as a token of Disney’s appreciation of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ 250th anniversaries. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse also debuted their all-new patriotic attire, dressed in their best red, white, and blue to join in the celebration of an incredible milestone. With vibrant colors and iconic details, the new ensembles are a perfect nod to America’s enduring story.

At Disneyland Resort, West Coast offerings include special flag retreat ceremonies honoring veterans, themed décor along Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland Park and Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure, limited-time entertainment, and specialty food and beverage offerings.

Additional opportunities to celebrate over Fourth of July weekend include a pre-show fireworks tribute ahead of World of Color, the return of the Celebrate America! fireworks spectacular, patriotic themed attire for the Dapper Dans, military band performances, and a celebratory cavalcade honoring America.

Why You Should Do Independence Day at Disney

We have spent every single Fourth of July for as long as I can remember at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. If it weren’t for not wanting to take a toddler to Florida during the worst weather of the year, we’d absolutely be there.

Disneyland is nice for Independence Day (seeing everyone for Fleet Week is fantastic, and a uniquely Disneyland experience), but Walt Disney World is our favorite place for the spectacle of the holiday. It will also be your last chance to see the current Carousel of Progress, a distinctly patriotic attraction that itself has a Fourth of July scene.

If you can handle the heat, the week of Independence Day is a great time to visit Walt Disney World. That goes for summer, as a whole, really. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that Memorial Day through Labor Day is the busiest stretch of the year in Florida, summer crowds haven’t been as bad as in the past.

This ‘contrary to conventional wisdom’ bit about lower summer crowds applies to Independence Day at the very start of July 2025. That long weekend used to have 10/10 crowds and be among the busiest holidays of the year. It has become below-average.

Independence Day 2023 was downright dead at Walt Disney World. It was such a hot topic that it drew an explanation from Bob Iger, who attributed the slowness to an exhaustion of pent-up demand and bad weather. Really, it was more about higher travel costs and ticket blockouts.

Those things have not changed since, resulting in similarly low crowds in 2024 and 2025. In each of these years, the week of Independence Day has been the slowest of June or July as measured by wait times. It’s been a similar story at Disneyland, to the point that this is our favorite time to take family to the parks (more favorable weather than Florida, too).

The potential wildcard for 2026 is that Americans might deem in important to do something for the United States Semiquincentennial, and Disney might be deemed a distinctly patriotic destination. If that is the case, we’d expect that to be happening outside of this “Disney Celebrates America” announcement, as I don’t really think there’s anything here that truly moves the needle. Although inconclusive of crowds on its own, hotel availability still looks fine for the holiday weekend.

Accordingly, it still remains to be seen whether Fourth of July ends up being one of the busiest or slowest times to visit Walt Disney World this summer. We don’t want to build unreasonable expectations about the holiday weekend being as dead as 2022-2025, as the US Semiquincentennial could change the equation.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re fearing this week will be on par with Presidents’ Day, Easter, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve, we’re completely confident that it will not be that bad. There’s a ceiling on summer for a number of reasons that prevent it from having peak season crowds.

Our money at this point is on history repeating itself and it being another quiet holiday weekend with 1/10 to 3/10 crowds, and higher ‘feels like’ numbers (but not wait times) at EPCOT on July 4th. See Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2026 & 2027.

Primetime Specials & 24-Hour Event

In honor of “Disney Celebrates America” ABC will air a 2-hour primetime special entitled Disney Celebrates America: The Pursuit of Happiness on June 29, 2026. The special is hosted by 20/20 co-anchor Deborah Roberts from Walt Disney World Resort and national correspondent Will Reeve from Disneyland Resort.

From Main Street, U.S.A. and its turn-of-the-century nostalgia to Tomorrowland where the nation lifts its gaze to the future, each stop will play host to true tales of American “firsts.” ​In this coast-to-coast event, Disney Parks and attractions are the portal through which America’s greatest stories, triumphs, and traditions are celebrated. The special will air from 8-10 p.m. PT/ET.

Beginning the evening of July 3 and continuing through July 4, 2026, ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic will present a 24-hour, cross-platform broadcast pretty much every platform and network Disney owns. Led by World News Tonight anchor David Muir and featuring anchor Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America co-anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, Michael Strahan and many more, the event takes viewers across all 50 states to explore the people, places, and defining moments of the nation’s 250-year history.

Alongside a special edition of Good Morning America, World News Tonight with David Muir, and Nightline, curated segments include:

• America Expands Westward highlighting America’s growth through a cross-country adventure including broadcasts from Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder with celebrations from Ketchikan, Alaska
• Disney Celebrates America: Nashville’s Star-Spangled Bash is a one-of-a-kind live celebration with must-see performances by iconic artists and musical acts spanning multiple genres. In collaboration with the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and ITV America Nashville, hundreds of thousands are expected to gather in-person in the heart of downtown Nashville for this milestone event, which will also feature one of the largest fireworks and drone shows in the United States set to a live score by the GRAMMY Award winning Nashville Symphony.
• Countdown to America’s 250th reporting features rare access inside the Statue of Liberty with a once-in-a-lifetime tribute, produced in close partnership with the Consulate General of France in New York
• GMA’s “50 States in 50 Weeks: America The Beautiful,” a culmination of the showcase series of the beauty of America’s land and people
• Dawn of America tracing American history from colonial times through the Declaration of Independence
• A look at the brave U.S. military service members, veterans, and their families who have helped defend their country for two and half centuries
• Innovation and Invention presenting a special look at the birth of Hollywood cinema, the history of American fashion, the space race, and more
• Wonders of America, a special collaboration between ABC News anchors and National Geographic Explorers

The Wonders of America broadcast segment will feature the newly announced “Seven Natural Wonders of America,” a list created in collaboration between National Geographic and ABC News, highlighting the extraordinary and awe-inspiring locations across the country that represent the beauty of the United States of America.

ESPN’s flagship news and information program, SportsCenter, will present a special two-hour edition live on ABC on July 4 from 2-4 p.m. PT/5-7 p.m. ET, celebrating the people, moments, and stories that have shaped American sports culture.

From themed activities onboard Disney Cruise Line to a Sam Eagle merchandise collection featuring the beloved patriotic character from The Muppets available in select Disney Stores and on DisneyStore.com, there will be many opportunities for fans to join in on the celebration. Disney will continue the countdown to America’s 250th anniversary in the coming months, with even more ways to celebrate on Fourth of July weekend.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

If you’ve done Walt Disney World over the last few Independence Day holidays, what was your experience? Was it worth hitting the lower crowds, or was the weather too hot and humid? Expectations for the “Disney Celebrates America” event? Thoughts about anything else covered here? If you’re a frequent visitor during this timeframe, what’s your take on crowds, wait times, seasonal offerings, weather, etc? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!