50th Anniversary Trip Review

Disney World Celebrated their 50th Anniversary and I was there to celebrate too!

Disney World celebrated it’s biggest milestone yet, and it was not only largely promoted due to social media, but many guests were excited to return to a world of magic after having been quarantined most of 2020! So here is my review of how Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration was and what we can look forward to over the next 18th months!

Decorations

Disney World was glowing with their EARidescent theme! Everything was shimmering and sparkling like we have never seen it before. With hues of gold, blues, and pinks, the entire Disney World – parks, resorts, transportation – was completely iridescent.

New additions were added throughout the parks, such as the Fab 50 Gold Statues, and sparkling touches were added to already beautiful structures such as the under-glow lights on the monorails. Overall, the entire Disney World makeover was absolutely gorgeous and worth seeing in person!

Food & Beverages

The 50th Anniversary specialty foods were all labeled with a small 50th castle next to it and could be found at nearly all the food vendors. There were so many new food items, you could not try everything in one trip!

Whether it was a snack, a meal, a specialty drink, or a treat, the 50th food & beverages did not disappoint! The only downside of the beautiful treats was having to cut into these pieces of art!

Merchandise

One of the main focuses of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary was the 50th limited edition merchandise items. From head-to-toe, kitchen to bathroom, EARidescent 50th merchandise was available and guests could not get enough of it! Loungefly bags, Minnie ears, pajama sets, Starbucks sipper cups, pins, sweatshirts, Crocs, and more! Guests were lining up outside the Emporium at Magic Kingdom, Creations at Epcot, and World of Disney at Disney Springs from open to close in hopes of snagging those must-have items.

Due to low product supply and high demand, shopping turned a bit messy and the Disney magic seemed to leave guests as they began throwing fists in hopes of securing specific products. Fortunately, there were a few good-spirited Disney guests within the stores who offered a helping hand when it came to protecting Disney Cast Members. Unfortunately, lines to enter the Emporium, Creations, and World of Disney remained 1-2 hours throughout the entire weekend. However, there was still enough 50th merchandise for all guests to go home with at least something. Whether it was a pin or a small reusable bag, guests were able to bring home some 50th memories!

Entertainment

To celebrate 50 years of magic, Disney brought in lots of new attractions and entertainment for guests to enjoy! Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at Epcot debuted along with La Crêperie de Paris! This ride was the main attraction of the 50th and a must-do for all and it did not disappoint!

Disney also debuted two new nighttime firework shows! HarmoniUS being at Epcot and Disney’s Enchantment at Magic Kingdom along with a new day time show Kite Tail’s at Animal Kingdom! They also re-themed the Magic Kingdom parades and all the characters had on their EARidescent outfits and they looked absolutely stunning!

The last big debut was opening of Space 220, which is a new restaurant that allows guests to dine amongst the stars – in space!  I was not able to secure a reservation for this high demand experience, but I will keep trying for my next trip! Disney sure did release a lot of new entertainment and attractions guests of all ages to enjoy, and all were beautiful in their own way.

Overall Impressions

Overall, the 50th Anniversary trip was wonderful, and the magic at Disney is back! It is evident that Cast Members are happy to be celebrating 50 years of magic and that their focus is on Walt and what he wanted Disney World to be.

However, I think guests may have lost the magic. I have never been to Disney World and seen so many guests with so little Disney magic in them. I saw a lot of selfish people, bitter and angry people who didn’t get what they expected or hoped to get, or people who wanted to buy merchandise in hopes of reselling it without even caring about the meaning behind the items.

Disney did it’s part and made the 50th a beautiful, breath-taking world, bursting with pixie dust! The guests I saw on October 1st and 2nd were crazed for the merchandise and that’s not the guests Walt Disney would have been proud to have called his friends or family. But I think that was just for the beginning weekend, when guests wanted to be the first ones with certain merchandise.

Therefore, I look forward to returning to Disney again, spending more time in the parks and soaking up all the EARidescent beauty, and continuing to unlock my own magic within.