Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Kicks Off!
Happy 50th Anniversary to Walt Disney World! Today kicks off the World’s Most Magical Celebration, the 18-month long event in honor of the milestone. We’re in Magic Kingdom today, Epcot tomorrow, and the other parks throughout the rest of the weekend, but wanted to bring you a quick photo update.
On a quick personal note, the World’s Most Magical Celebration has already been a success. We were a bit (ahem) apprehensive going into the 50th Anniversary, as a lot of the celebration has felt focused on things unrelated to the rich history of the Vacation Kingdom of the World. On top of that, there have been a range of other announcements in the last few months that haven’t exactly been the best precursor to a joyous occasion.
Those concerns still exist. Some will be addressed in our reviews of Disney Enchantment, Harmonious, and the World’s Most Magical Celebration as a whole. Others we’ll be dealing with for months to come, with the inevitable rollout of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, After Hours events, and gradual restoration of stage shows and entertainment. Setting that aside, today is a cause for celebration–50 years of Walt Disney World is a huge deal.
Walt Disney famously once said: “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” Today has been another great reminder of that for us. It has been incredible simply wandering around Main Street and Magic Kingdom, talking to people and feeding off the collective energy of the crowd. The park has a great vibe today and almost everyone is in a great mood.
The first major celebration Sarah and I attended together as adults was back on October 1, 2011–for Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary. We had started this blog a few months prior to that, and had been in the community on forums and social media for a few years before that. That anniversary event is when it really coalesced for us–we spent the entire day with fellow fans and formed a few friendships that are still going strong a decade later.
Walt Disney World has introduced us to a community of like-minded people, inspired us to see the world in a different way, sparked our curiosities and passions–changing the trajectory of our lives in the process. None of that is even a remote exaggeration. If anything, we’re downplaying how much Walt Disney World has meant to us–it’s impossible to fully articulate the indelible mark it has left on our lives.
Being in Magic Kingdom today, seeing some old friends for the first time since before last March, and meeting several of you has been a wonderful reminder of this all. For those who haven’t yet said hello but see us in the parks these weekend, please see hello. I’m running on about zero sleep, am fully fueled by caffeine at this point, and planned on taking today off to fully immerse myself in the experience of “being there,” but thought I should at least drop in with a quick note.
Whether you’re visiting this weekend for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary kickoff or sometime in the 18 months to come, we hope you enjoy the World’s Most Magical Celebration. The last 18 months or so leading up to those point have been rough on everyone, which is a colossal understatement for many of you. Taking a step back, I think it’s fair to say we could all use a big bash that offers homage to the past while looking forward to the future. While it’s not everything we imagined it would be back when the ambitious plans were unveiled at the last two D23 Expos, it’s nevertheless a breath of fresh air right now.
We’ll be back with more coherent thoughts later this weekend or on Monday. For now, here are some photos from the last few days:
That’s a wrap on Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary for now. Again, lots of exhaustive coverage, reviews, and planning post updates coming once the dust settles on this weekend.
Whether you’re in Florida for the milestone or far away, we hope that you take a moment to reflect on the memories you’ve made and what Walt Disney World means to you! Maybe take some time to go through old photos, family films–or even watch a classic Vacation Kingdom television special or two.
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
Any thoughts of your own on Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Are you excited to experience the World’s Most Magical Celebration for yourself, or are you underwhelmed by its offerings? Does the substance of the celebration matter to you, or is it about the jovial atmosphere and guest energy? Do you agree or disagree with our perspective here? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
AWESOME pictures as always!!
Phenomenal photos! Take time to enjoy the weekend – have a wonderful time!
Tom was cool to see Sarah and you today. My wife and I always say we have to have coffee with you guys sometime lol. We’re the ones who called you by “Disney tourist blog” thanks for all your hard work on the blog!!
Awww we saw y’all walk by but didn’t want to interrupt your day. I totally agree about the festive mood at MK today. It was so fun talking to people while we waited in crazy merch lines. Everyone just had so much love and excitement for the parks, which was refreshing after all the disappointment that’s been going around. Things change, but the magic will always be there.
Meeting you has been on my bucket list of ‘quintessential disney to-dos’ since I first started reading your blog in January 2020. I still remember thinking Disney was small enough that bumping into you was a sure thing! As such, it shocked me that on the most packed day I ran into you nearly immediately. (I was in the gold dress behind you during the first cavalcade.)
The way the day unfolded was surprising all around, between the low waits for rides and the high waits for food/merch, most of which can literally be bought online right now. The feeling of being part of the crowd was amazing though–a fully packed Country Bears show made it seem like it was brand new all over again, and there was energy and good will everywhere. After hearing your thoughts (and watching Enchantment online) I skipped out early and went to walk onto Rise, Falcon, and Tower in the last hour of park ops instead of waiting for the new show. Getting a free poster on the way out was nice! But I hope I didn’t miss out on anything too unique on opening night. If there was a dragon I will be so sad…
Happy 50th!
Can’t wait to read more and live vicariously through the posts over the coming days!
Thank you and enjoy.
Thanks for the post and the photos! Do you still put any of these up on Smugmug or elsewhere? I know you said a few years ago when the blog changed that you couldn’t get them to pop up to full size any more. But those pictures deserve more than the embedded shots here. The photos of Harmonius and the SSW lights are better than any I have seen Disney using in their own media.
I think I remember you mentioning the additional sparkly lights on the EPCOT globe with skepticism but they look ohhhh so pretty!
Here now by those pumpkins waiting for the fireworks.
Was very disappointed in the 2 minute show this morning but so many rides were walk on or low wait times. Lines for rides were light.. The lines for people trying to get into the Emporium were INSANE. But so glad those folks and ebay pirates waited for 2 hours to buy 50th souvenirs rather than clog up the rides.
I hope to meet you next trip but I know this is a busy work week for you. We’ll the castle changed colors again and I need to take a photo.
Tom, thank you so much for the update. Glad you and Sarah are there and enjoying such a special moment in history. My family and I are having a birthday party for the World at home tonight. I know WDW means so much to so many of us. It truly is a magical place. And let us always remember Mr. Walt Disney, a truly remarkable man, to whom we owe so much.
Grizz. I agree I could not believe how the wait times on the app. It seemed weird for the 50th but maybe folks were not concentrating on rides but on the celebration.
Have a wonderful (and magical) time! Thank you again for all that you do.
Thank you for the update, and I hope you and Sarah are having a fantastic time. Growing up, going to Disneyworld was among my favorite family trips. I never realized so much of that was because there was so much to do, that my Dad couldn’t work while we were there :-). Your blog allowed us to plan several amazing trips with my Dad, now as a Grandfather, before he passed. They are some of my best memories, and I owe you both a debt of gratitude for helping me navigate the parks. Cheers.
Happy 50th! Thank you for taking the time to share some photos. Enjoy the rest of the weekend celebrating!
“We were a bit (ahem) apprehensive going into the 50th Anniversary, as a lot of the celebration has felt focused on things unrelated to the rich history of the Vacation Kingdom of the World.” This is my feelings about Enchantment. I was hoping it would be similar to Remember Dream Comes True at Disneyland 50.
I am happy to see Country Bears, Mr. Toad, 20k Leagues, and Mission to Mars merchandise, decorations, or food items, even its small.
Thanks for these pictures and all your articles. I’d be all fan girl if I ever saw you and Sarah at the Parks! Hopefully we’ll see you in January our next trip!
Are the wait times really as low as they are showing on the app? Less than hour for mine train. 15 minutes or less for almost everything else. Would not of expected that.
Whew I could only do like 6 hours this am, I’m beat, don’t know how you do it! For the most part I was very happy at masking compliance and felt not too crammed- good attendance control!
Thanks for the update and wonderful pics! I hope you and Sarah have an amazing night. Enjoy!