All New Shows, Attractions, And Lands Coming To Walt Disney World This Fall
With all-new shows, attractions and lands coming to Walt Disney World this fall, now more than ever it’s time to grab the family and head to the Walt Disney World Resort where the magic is ready and waiting for you.
One of the highlights of attending the recent Disney On The Road at the Walt Disney World Resort was getting to have a very special sneak peek at what guests will be able to experience over the next few months at Walt Disney World.
We were lucky enough to have a very special behind the scenes visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and it is everything you imagined it to be and so much more. Epcot’s International Food And Wine Festival is back with more days than ever before.
Transportation takes flight with the brand new Skyliners and there are all-new fireworks and shows to behold at Mickey’s Very Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Although we will bid farewell to a beloved classic at Epcot, Illuminations, “Epcot Forever” will light up the sky this fall. Here’s a closer look at just a few of the things you can experience over the next few months at the most magical place on earth, the Walt Disney World Resort. 
Travel To A Galaxy Far, Far Away Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
The wait is almost over and next month you are invited to a galaxy far, far away when you step foot into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios offering guests the chance to live their own Star Wars stories.
The action takes place on Batuu, a far-flung planet populated by scoundrels and adventurers.
While visiting the land, guests can stop for a drink at Oga’s Cantina or discover rare artifacts at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities, among other immersive Star Wars experiences.
The groundbreaking attraction Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run gives guests control of the iconic spacecraft as the ship hurtles through space on a smuggling mission. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, a second attraction opening later in 2019, will put guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.
DID YOU KNOW … Guests will play one of three unique and critical roles in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – pilots, gunners or flight engineers – providing multiple ways to experience the attraction.
Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Celebrating the rich cultures and vibrant landscapes of Spain, Mexico, and the American Southwest through contemporary design and Old World traditions, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort shines with renewed luster. The addition of the Gran Destino Tower completes a multiyear re-imagining focused on today’s travelers, marking the official debut of a new tower, new restaurants, and a new arrival experience.
The new Gran Destino Tower rises dramatically on the southeastern shores of Lago Dorado (“Golden Lake”), the resort’s 22-acre lake.
The tower offers 545 modern guest rooms (including 50 suites and club-level services), a grand two-story lobby, new meeting venues, and a rooftop restaurant and lounge with spectacular views. The distinctive tower becomes the stylish new gateway to the 2,385-room resort.
Bounce Into The NBA Experience At Disney Springs
Basketball is officially “in season” this fall, after NBA Experience holds a championship-worthy grand opening Aug. 12 at Disney Springs. When guests step into this re-creation of a modern NBA arena, they’ll feel what it’s like to be a basketball superstar. The one-of-a-kind destination features 13 unique interactive and hands-on experiences where Disney magic merges with the thrills of the NBA and WNBA.
NBA Experience is part of the ever-evolving Disney Springs area. Also new is Jaleo, offering the very best of Spanish cuisine and design seen through the creative lens of renowned Chef José Andrés. Jaleo (which means “revelry” in Spanish) treats diners to an extensive tapas menu, reflecting the rich regional diversity of traditional and contemporary Spanish cuisine, complemented by sangrias and a premier selection of Spanish wines. Just off the main entrance is Pepe by José Andrés, the first brick-and-mortar location of the chef’s wildly popular Spanish food truck.
Jaleo is one of six restaurants at Disney Springs featuring James Beard Award-winning chefs, and dining venues throughout the district will offer sample-sized fall food and drinks. With the help of a printed guide, guests can make their way through Disney Springs and sample all the flavors of the season from select locations.
The fall season is also a great time to enjoy entertainment and shopping at Disney Springs. Colorful backdrops will make great seasonal photos for the entire family, while new fall looks will be available in shops throughout the shopping district, including Halloween costumes for kids and clothing for adults featuring their favorite Disney characters.
Disney Skyliner Takes Flight
The dawn of a new era in Disney transportation is right around the corner! On September 29, Disney Skyliner gondolas will take flight and officially begin transporting guests around Walt Disney World Resort.
This state-of-the-art transportation system offers a new way to experience the resort with amazing views only available from the sky. 
Disney Skyliner connects Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resort hotels- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the new Disney’s Riviera Resort scheduled to open in December 2019.
New Fireworks, Enhanced Attractions At Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park
A new Halloween-themed fireworks show debuts this year during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. This new show will feature state-of-the-art projection effects, lasers, lighting and dazzling fireworks that come together to tell a not-so-scary story about how anything can happen on Halloween night. The show will take guests along for a trick-or-treating adventure, where four friends – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy – find themselves drawn into a mysterious haunted house.
Held for a record 36 select nights from Aug. 16-Nov. 1, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a specially ticketed event that captures the spirit of the season with spooky décor, lighting and music parkwide, along with returning favorites such as “Mickey’s Boo to You Parade,” the “Hocus Pocus Villains Spelltacular” castle stage show and trick-or-treating throughout the park.
Also returning for this year’s party will be special attraction experiences for Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain. Children are encouraged to dress in costume and enjoy the spirit of Halloween with their families. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a ticketed, after-hours special event. Tickets start at $79. Book through Disneyworld.com or the Disney Reservations Center at (407) 827-7350.
Epcot Forever
“Epcot Forever,” a new nighttime spectacular at Walt Disney World Resort, will debut Oct. 1, 2019, on World Showcase Lagoon at Epcot. The limited-time show will be a celebration of the past, present and future of Epcot, built around the magical soundtrack guests have come to know and love at the park.
The new show will feature fireworks, lighting, lasers and choreographed, special effects kites, accompanied by a stirring collection of songs that paints a colorful picture of Epcot. Disney Parks Live Entertainment is collaborating on the show with noted conductor and composer Don Harper, who is producing all-new arrangements of classic Epcot tunes to weave into the soundtrack of “Epcot Forever.”
Record Number Of Days For Epcot International Food And Wine Festival
The Epcot celebration of cuisine, music and more takes place Aug. 29-Nov. 23 – a record 87 days. During this foodie festival, the park will brim with marketplaces, culinary demonstrations, beverage seminars, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, specialty merchandise and much more.
In some fun for the whole family, Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak will send guests on an adventure searching for Remy in a savory scavenger hunt around the festival. Eat to the Beat concerts will bring a lineup of pop, rock, R&B, country, Christian, swing and Latin artists, with three shows every night of the festival through Nov. 19. Families will find a play area for kids and an international flair – including kid-approved menu items – at many of the 30-plus Global Marketplaces.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lights Up The Night
As the sun sets earlier and earlier this fall, these nighttime experiences will come to life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
- “Rivers of Light: We Are One” is the next chapter for this nighttime show on Discovery River. Updates include dramatic new imagery and familiar animal characters from Disneynature films along with a colorful tapestry of unforgettable moments from Disney animated films.
- Pandora – The World of Avatar continues to come to life each night with bioluminescent fauna and flora as guests hike amid floating mountains, fly on their own mountain banshee, take a mystical river ride and more.
2019 Wine And Dine Half Marathon Celebrates 10 Years
This fall’s runDisney race season is a delectable celebration 10 years in the making as the 2019 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 3. Filled with a delicious slate of events and Disney magic along every mile, this year’s event includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon and kids’ races. During this year’s Disney Fall Feast 5K, guests can run, jog or walk their way around Epcot for the first time during this fall event.
At the Nov. 3 post-race party, guests enjoy after-hours access to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, including marketplaces and select Epcot attractions. For all race-season details, visit runDisney.com. Guests can also register via the celebrated charity for this year’s event, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
New Minnie Mouse Fireworks Show To Debut At Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This holiday season, the skies above Magic Kingdom Park will sparkle to life like never before during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with the debut of an all-new fireworks show that can be enjoyed across the park!
Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks show, hosted by the one-and-only Minnie Mouse, will celebrate the magic of Christmas with medleys of beloved holiday songs, from “Joy to the World” and “Deck the Halls” to “Up on the House Top” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas.” The holiday music will evoke heartfelt moments of home and family, as well as the festive fun of the season before an incredible finale you won’t want to miss.
You’ll be able to see the fireworks show during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on select nights November 8 – December 22, 2019.
Now more than ever, there’s no better time to visit the Walt Disney World Resort. From new shows to old favorites and all-new destination resorts and lands to visit, what are you most looking forward to experiencing at Walt Disney World this fall?
Extra Extra Magic Hours!
From September 1 to November 2, 2019, Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels will have more opportunities to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours benefit with extra, Extra Magic Hours! It’s a special chance to enjoy more time at a select theme park—before the park’s regular operating hours—to enjoy select attractions and experiences.
The extra, Extra Magic Hours benefit will be offered every day from September 1 to November 2, 2019 at the following theme parks and times:
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios—including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land and more—from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM daily
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park—including Pandora – The World of Avatar and other attractions throughout the park—from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM daily
- Magic Kingdom park—including favorites in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland—from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM daily
Disclosure: I was invited by Walt Disney World to attend Disney On The Road at the Walt Disney World Resort however all thoughts and opinions expressed here are 100% my own. #DisneySMC #NowMoreThanEver #ad
