2020 is the year you MUST visit Walt Disney World

In 2018 we advised that it was perhaps the best year ever to visit Walt Disney World. However, in 2019, we urged you to consider skipping the resort. At the time, we advised that we thought both 2020 & 2021 looked like better years to visit Walt Disney World compared to 2019. We now believe 2020 is the year you MUST visit Walt Disney World.

There has recently been a lot of additions to Walt Disney World

If you have not been to Walt Disney World in recent years, there has been a lot of recent expansions. After many years of minimal investment in new attractions, Walt Disney World has upped its game in recent years.

The most significant new additions are:

• New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom which opened between 2012-2014
• Pandora – The World of Avatar opened during 2017 at Animal Kingdom.
• Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios opened in 2018
• Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge opened in 2019 at Hollywood Studios

Each of these new areas has big E-Ticket attractions that will potentially spread out the crowd. While there is no likelihood that the attractions in Pandora or Galaxy’s Edge will have no wait, we do suspect that the crowds might be a little more spread out in 2020. Adding to this spread will be the addition of 2 further big E-Ticket attractions in 2020.

There will be more big attractions opening in 2020

There are scheduled to be several new attractions opening at Walt Disney World during 2020. Many of these attractions will be small attractions in Epcot. However, there will be two big new attractions opening during the year:

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, and guests will become part of a Mickey Mouse short. 

Disney promises new technology for this unique attraction, which will offer a 3D experience without the need for glasses. 

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 and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open in Spring 2020.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is a new Ratatouille Attraction opening in the France Pavilion at 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.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will open in Summer 2020.

There will possibly be a little bit less construction

We are not going to lie to you; there is a lot of construction happening at Walt Disney World. However, there might be a little less construction in 2020 compared to 2019.

Construction is going to be unavoidable when visiting Epcot. Epcot is currently undergoing a multi-year renovation, and development will be happening everywhere.

However, the majority of renovations are now complete at Hollywood Studios, and there are no significant works planned at the Animal Kingdom. While the construction of TRON Lightcycle Run will present some issues at the Magic Kingdom, it is a little out of the way.

Some of this construction will be completed by 2021, but there is an additional issue to consider.

2021 is Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary

2021 will be the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World and expect celebrations to last throughout 2021 and possibly into 2022. Details of the festivities have not been announced yet, but expect them to bring in the crowds. We expect 2021 to have record crowds throughout the year.

There will be several new attractions opening, in addition to the celebrations, including TRON Lightcycle Run at the Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot. However, we expect the additional crowds will offset this new attraction capacity.

2021 is going to be a special year at Walt Disney World, and we are reluctant to advise that you shouldn’t attend. However, if you have a choice between 2020 or 2021, we would pick 2020.

What do you think?

We think 2020 is the year you MUST visit Walt Disney World, but what do you think? Do you think 2019 was a better year, or are you planning to wait until the 50th-anniversary celebrations?

Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

If you are planning to visit Walt Disney World. Visit our Guide to Walt Disney World for all the latest planning advice.