Can you believe it we will shortly be welcoming 2020? 2017, 2018 & 2019 were fantastic years at Walt Disney World. The opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar, Toy Story Land, and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has a new level of quality to Walt Disney World. While there will be no new lands in 2020 at Walt Disney World, there will be several big new attractions. Here is everything that we currently know will be New at Walt Disney World in 2020.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Taking the place of The Great Movie Ride in the Chinese Theatre at Hollywood Studios will be the first attraction to star Mickey Mouse in any Disney Park. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway was initially scheduled to open in Fall 2019. The opening has now been pushed back to Spring 2020.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will make guests part of a Mickey Mouse short. Disney promises new technology for the attraction, which will offer a 3D experience without the need for glasses. Guests will experience unique music, an original story, and an immersive multidimensional “toon” experience.
Walt Disney World is promising a special unique experience for their big new attraction:
Once you step into the cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie, you’ll board a train with Goofy as the engineer. Then, one magical moment after the next leads you to a zany, out-of-control adventure filled with surprising twists and turns.
Disney Parks Blog
Mickey Shorts Theater
A new Mickey Shorts Theater will be opening at Hollywood Studios. The new attraction will open in Spring 2020 and will be in the theater, which has previously been showing Star Wars: Path of the Jedi.
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant
We have been surprised that there have not been any table-service restaurants added to Hollywood Studios during the recent expansions. However, this will soon change with the opening of the Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant.
The new restaurant will be located in Toy Story Land, and guests will dine with a “kaleidoscope of toys, games, and playsets.“
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a new Ratatouille Attraction opening in Epcot. The attraction will be similar to the attraction which opened at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris in 2014.
Guests will wear 3D glasses, and the attraction will use a trackless ride system. During the ride, you will shrink to the size of a rat and cause mayhem in Gustav’s kitchen. The attraction in France is superb, and we expect the Epcot version to be even better.
The attraction will be located in the France Pavilion with the show building being placed between Morocco and France Pavilion. The entrance for the attraction will be on the International Gateway side of the France Pavilion.
Summer 2020 opening has been confirmed by Disney.
La Crêperie de Paris
Also opening in Summer 2020 in the France pavilion at Epcot is the new restaurant La Crêperie de Paris. The venue will have both table- and quick-service options featuring a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.
Beauty & the Beast Sing-Along
This new show will also be opening in the France Pavilion. I’m sure it will prove to be very popular, but it is hardly an E-Ticket attraction. This attraction was expected to open in spring 2019. However, January 2020 has now been confirmed.
Wondrous China
A new film for the China Pavilion Epcot was confirmed at D23 in 2017. “Wondrous China” will take guests on a spectacular journey across the country, filmed and presented in a completely seamless 360-degree digital format.
Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360
O Canada! at the Canada Pavilion in Epcot recently closed.“Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” will debut in January 2020 in the Canada pavilion with new scenes and a new story. We do not know if previous host Martin Short will star in the latest version.
“HarmonioUS”
Epcot Forever is the replacement show for IllumiNations and opened on October 1, 2019. However, Epcot Forever is only an interim show before the opening of “HarmonioUS” in 2020. During D23 we were told a little bit more about the new show:
“HarmonioUS”will debut as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. It will celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over, carrying them away harmoniously on a stream of familiar Disney tunes reinterpreted by a diverse group of artists from around the globe. “HarmonioUS” will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more.
D23
An opening date has not yet been announced for “HarmonioUS” but we suspect it will not be until October 1, 2020.
Awesome Planet
Opening in January 2020 is a new film at Epcot’s Harvest Theater in The Land Pavilion. The theater was previously home to the Circle of Life. The new movie will be called Awesome Planet and will be partly created by Industrial Light & Magic
“Awesome Planet,” an on-screen exploration of the realm we call home, showcases the spectacular beauty, diversity and dynamic story of our earth with all the grandeur guests have come to expect.
Disney Parks Blog
Cirque du Soleil
A new Cirque du Soleil show is opening at Disney Springs in 2020.
Set your imagination in motion and get ready for an enlivening collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering, iconic memory makers.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil transports you into an inspiring world where Disney animation can be experienced like never before.
Leap into a live acrobatic journey where an animator’s desk becomes the stage and drawings come to life. This love letter to the art of Disney animation is a celebration of life and all of its deliberate and unanticipated movements.
The new show will begin previews on March 20, 2020, with an official opening on April 17, 2020.
2020 Rumors
There are likely to be further new minor attractions announced as we approach 2020. Also, Disney likes to make the odd surprise announcement. Currently, there is nothing new slated for either the Magic Kingdom or the Animal Kingdom, expect this to change.
There is also a slight possibility the following big attractions may open in 2020:
- TRON Lightcycle Run is a new coaster opening in the Magic Kingdom in 2021. However, there have been some rumors it might open late 2020.
- Play Pavilion at Epcot is expected to open in 2021, but there have been rumors of a late 2020 opening.
2021 will be Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. Expect some of the celebrations to start as we approach the end of 2020. We will update our New at Walt Disney World in 2020 Guide when we learn more.
Read More
Our Guide to Walt Disney World is a great place to start planning your 2020 vacation.
I’ll bet the new Canada film is narrated by Ryan Reynolds. He is the new “it” guy for Canada, plus, he seems to have a new affinity for Disney films….
Sorry for the delay in replying. The new film will be released on January 17th. It has now been cinfirmed the film will feature narration by Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy.