Walt Disney World turns 55 today, and Disney says the resort has “more development in the works today than at any other moment in our history.” Since 2021, the resort has opened or refreshed more than 70 experiences, and Walt Disney World is not slowing down. Monstropolis, Tropical Americas, and the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history are among the projects guests can look forward to in the future. Here’s a look at the recent projects at Walt Disney World, and where the resort is heading next.
Walt Disney World 55th Anniversary: Growth by the Numbers
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- A look at what Disney has opened or refreshed at Walt Disney World since 2021
- Our breakdown of the experiences Disney named, sorted by park and year
- A look at what’s next, including what’s opening next year
Walt Disney World opened in 1971 with one theme park, two hotels, and a campground. Since then, Disney has embarked on a massive expansion of The Most Magical Place on Earth. The resort is now the largest and most visited theme park destination in the world, according to the Themed Entertainment Association. It has four theme parks, two water parks, more than 25 resort hotels with more than 29,000 rooms, and approximately 80,000 Cast Members. The property spans nearly 30,000 acres and holds 150+ rides, live shows, and characters, plus 675+ shops and eateries.
Over the last ten years, Walt Disney World has added:
- Three new lands
- 18+ new attractions
- Four new resorts and additions
- 25+ new entertainment offerings
- Two new modes of transportation
Based on the ten-year window, the new lands are Pandora – The World of Avatar, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Toy Story Land. In terms of the modes of transportation, the Disney Skyliner and Minnie Vans opened during the timeframe being discussed.
During that time, Dinsey has continued to support its Cast Members and Central Florida community as well. Full-time Cast Members average 12 years of tenure, which Disney says is three times the national average. Disney also lists 5,000 new jobs to be added over the next five years. A fiscal 2022 Oxford Economics study cited by Disney puts its economic impact at $40.3 billion across Florida. Disney says one of every 32 jobs in Florida traces back to Disney, and it lists three figures for its charitable giving:
- $37 million in financial and in-kind donations to nonprofits, schools, children’s hospitals and more
- 1 million VoluntEAR hours contributed by Cast Members over the last five years
- $5 million raised for Florida Wish Kids through the specialty license plate
Joe Schott became Walt Disney World’s president on August 3rd. This morning, he delivered brief remarks in front of Cinderella Castle, where Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other characters joined him on stage. He said Walt Disney World first welcomed guests 55 years ago today and recalled that his first job with the company was at the Jungle Cruise. Schott says the company is proud of its Cast Members and looks forward to the opportunities ahead as Walt Disney World continues to grow. “That growth creates opportunity across Central Florida, and it reflects our long-term confidence in this community and in the future of Walt Disney World,” Schott said in a statement.
What’s New Since 2021 at Walt Disney World
Disney describes the past five years as creating “nearly a theme park’s worth of experiences”. That’s pretty extraordinary when you think about it. Furthermore, Disney lists new experiences by park, with a separate list of ride refreshes.
We counted 46 new experiences and 12 named refreshes in Disney’s lists. By park or area, the new experiences break down this way:
- EPCOT: 15
- Disney Springs: 9
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7
- Magic Kingdom: 6
- Resort hotels: 6
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 3
EPCOT leads Disney’s list with 15 new experiences, at least one in every year from 2021 through 2026. Magic Kingdom has six, and the largest expansion in its history is still under construction. Disney Springs has three each in 2023 and 2026, and Hollywood Studios has three in 2026, its most of any year.
By year, the new experiences break down this way:
- 2021: 5
- 2022: 3
- 2023: 11
- 2024: 9
- 2025: 7
- 2026: 11
2023 and 2026 tie for the most new experiences, with 11 each. New cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground also appear on the refresh list, along with more than 18,000 refreshed rooms across Resort hotels and 24 refreshed Resort hotel lobbies.
The 2026 list has 11 new experiences and five refreshes listed, and several of the biggest ones arrived within days of each other in late May:
- May 22: the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run update debuts with Mandalorian and Grogu elements
- May 25: Bluey’s Wild World opens at Conservation Station a day ahead of its announced date
- May 26: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets and Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! debut at Hollywood Studios
- May 26: Soarin’ Across America has its official opening at EPCOT after earlier soft openings
Magic Kingdom’s 2026 entries are all refreshes as Disney continues to invest in the classics. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened after 16 months with fully replaced track and new scenes. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin had an official reopening date of April 8th. The repainted Cinderella Castle replaced its rose pink look with a classic look featuring grey, cream, blue and gold color scheme.
What’s on the Horizon
Disney’s construction list has five entries:
- Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with a theater show, dining experiences and a merchandise shop opening in 2027
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge, opening July 1st, 2027
- Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions, opening in 2027
- The largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, including Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land, with no opening date given
- Room refurbishments at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
As we reported, Disney confirmed which four Monstropolis locations open in 2027: the Glob Theater, two restaurants and a merchandise shop. Construction on the Door Vault coaster will continue beyond 2027, and Disney has not announced an opening date for that attraction. Tropical Americas is also slated for 2027, despite rumblings that the land had been delayed to 2028.
As we previously reported, Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge opens July 1st, 2027. The 967-room resort sits on the shores of Bay Lake near Fort Wilderness, and is poised to be a beautiful hotel, perhaps even a flagship offering.
In September, Disney announced dates for the Art of Animation room refurbishments. That work runs from mid-June 2027 through October 2028, moving through the resort one themed area at a time.
Turning to Magic Kingdom, we still don’t have an opening year for either Piston Peak National Park or Villains Land. As we reported, Disney filed a permit with a December 2027 estimated completion date for potable water work supporting Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land. The infrastructure work is early in the construction process, but a new tower crane is poised to begin the next phase of construction for the new attractions.
Investing in Our Parks also has an “On the Horizon” section. It adds three projects that the construction list leaves out:
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
- Spaceship Earth Reimagining
- Expedition Everest Yeti, captioned “Coming Back to Life”
Disney lists no timeframes for any of them. As we reported, the Carousel of Progress will reopen in Spring 2027. Disney confirmed the Yeti fix at Expedition Everest at D23 without a start or end date. Spaceship Earth Reimagining is the only EPCOT project in the On the Horizon section, and we’re not sure when that will begin either.
Keep Reading
- Watch the video and see photos of Joe Schott’s anniversary remarks at Cinderella Castle.
- Get the full rundown on what opens first at Monstropolis in 2027, including the Glob Theater show, two restaurants and the Scareporium shop.
- Follow the Tropical Americas project through our dedicated page, which covers the Encanto attraction, the Indiana Jones ride and the Woodcarver Carousel.
- Check the Art of Animation refurbishment schedule.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!