The fireworks keep coming! It’s been a week full of news and posts on nighttime spectaculars and today we got a little bit more as Disney announced further plans for WDW’s 50th anniversary on October 1st, 2021. In this post, we’ll cover today’s news which includes Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom and offer some thoughts of our own.

“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” (as termed by Disney) will run for 18 months and will feature a new nighttime spectacular, “Disney Enchantment,” at Magic Kingdom. Created to launch with the anniversary, this evening extravaganza will take you on a journey filled with adventure, wonder and empowerment. “Disney Enchantment” will feature music, enhanced lighting, stunning fireworks and, for the first time, immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A.

Joining “Disney Enchantment” on Oct. 1 will be “Harmonious” at EPCOT. This new show will bring the globe together at World Showcase Lagoon in a celebration of Disney music. It’s a tribute to the stories and songs that unite us, embracing new technical magic that incorporates pyrotechnics, choreographed moving fountains, lighting and media in new ways. “Harmonious” will invite you to travel the globe through new interpretations of classic Disney songs as you’ve never heard them before, reimagined in more than a dozen languages by a diverse group of 240 artists from around the world.

In slightly smaller news, there’s also new daytime entertainment stirring at Disney’s Animal Kingdom called “Disney KiteTails”. Performers will fly windcatchers and kites of all shapes and sizes, while out on the water elaborate three-dimensional kites – some stretching to 30 feet long – will depict Disney animal friends, including Simba, Zazu, Baloo and King Louie. These colorful creations will dance through the sky to the beat of favorite Disney songs in an uplifting, vibrant experience for the whole family.

Magic Kingdom will also host “Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade” several times a day. This will feature Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale all in their 50th anniversary, custom made best. Those same characters will also receive golden sculptures throughout Magic Kingdom. The golden sculptures don’t stop there as there will be 50 placed throughout the theme parks. More announcements on them will be forthcoming including how they will be interactive.

That’s the news! As for our thoughts, we’ll start with the smaller pieces and work our way up. I don’t think anyone is going to go crazy over golden sculptures but these are a nice touch. We were at Tokyo Disneyland for their 35th anniversary and they had similar sculptures throughout the parks. They were each themed with the land they were in and it was fun to spot them. It’s nothing to write home about but this should add a nice little decorative reminder of the anniversary through all the parks.

Similarly, I don’t get too excited about character cavalcades and I was hoping for a new daytime parade. That could still be in the works and premier later in the anniversary as the two aren’t mutually exclusive. People love to wave at characters, including me if it’s the right character, so having Mickey and his friends in their unique costumes coming up and down Main Street a few times a day will add to the atmosphere. Is Pluto just getting a new bow tie? Does a dog need clothes? What about Chip ‘n’ Dale? Will they be excessively warm if they’re adding an outfit if they’re used to being mostly naked? Time will tell, my friends.

Animal Kingdom adding something to the giant outdoor theater is an excellent choice, even if the show sounds a little… boring? I’ve watched kites on a beach many times and enjoy it for the most part. While I’m mostly kidding, I’m curious how this show will take form. Either way, it will be pretty and will add some kinetic energy to a park that’s already full of it!

Harmonious debuting in Epcot on October 1st is no surprise as the show probably could run in the next month if they weren’t already holding it back. When the return of Epcot Forever was announced last week it became clear that this new show will debut for the anniversary. Despite concerns about the inspiration of Harmonious and the massive structure in the middle of the lagoon, having a new show in Epcot should be a boost to that park. Combining it with the opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will make for an exciting day in Epcot!

As for the biggest news of the day, I’m very excited about Magic Kingdom’s 50th anniversary nighttime show. The announcement is a little light on details but adding projections all the way down Main Street makes a lot of sense and should make for a beautiful atmosphere. Last week I thought Happily Ever After would be the show to run through the anniversary but getting something specific for the 50th is great news.

I’m hopeful that “Disney Enchantment” will be park focused instead of just a broad Disney focus. There’s some precedent for that, both with Remember… Dreams Come True in Disneyland and Celebrate Tokyo Disneyland. Of course, things could break the other way too as Disneyland Forever, which debuted for that resort’s 60th anniversary, is a broad Disney show. Either way, we’re excited to see all of this new entertainment coming to the Disney Parks and look forward to watching it all soon!

What do you think about these upcoming additions? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out. If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!