2021 has been a BIG year for Disney World!
Disney World just turned 50!
We’ve seen changing health and safety measures, new restaurants, new rides, and the start of the 50th Anniversary celebration. But even with all that, 2022 is going to be pretty big as well! Here’s everything we know that’s coming to Disney World next year.
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
First up on the list is the highly anticipated Star Wars hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
©Disney
This experience takes guests on a 2-day cruise-like expedition through the galaxy aboard the Halcyon. Throughout your stay, you’ll participate in interactive stories, enjoy food from “other worlds,” and learn about the inner workings of the ship.
©Disney
Besides those things, you can partake in special missions or try activities like lightsaber training and games of Sabacc.
©Disney
This new hotel/experience opens to the public on March 1st, 2022. General bookings are available beginning October 28th, 2021, with early booking windows for select groups like Annual Passholder and DVC members.
©Disney (Posted by Jeff Vahle via Instagram @jeffvahle)
Throughout your 2-day stay, you’ll be “onboard” the ship the whole time, except when you “dock” at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Read MORE about the Star Wars Hotel HERE!
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Sometime in 2022 (although an exact date has not yet been shared), we’ll be able to experience the all-new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT!
©Disney
The new ride will be what’s known as an omnicoaster, where the ride vehicles can rotate on the track to turn the guests to face the action happening around them.
©Good Morning America
We’ve had our first glimpse inside the ride building, and we’re looking forward to finding out the official opening date sometime soon. We also had the opportunity to see the ride vehicle in person.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Ride Vehicle
It’s going to be a great addition to the EPCOT transformation!
Go INSIDE the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster with us!
MagicBand+
There’s a new type of MagicBand coming to Disney World, MagicBand+!
Several new options for MagicBand+!
The new accessory is filled with interactive features, including color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition.
Simple Mickey!
The new bands will allow guests to interact with the Disney Fab 50 golden character statues and the fireworks shows in the parks.
MagicBand+
These bands will be available starting next year, and Disney Resort guests and Annual Passholders can get a discounted price!
Read all about MagicBand+ here!
Amazon’s Alexa in Disney World Hotel Rooms
A new service called “Hey, Disney!” was just announced for Amazon’s Alexa, and soon this new feature will be a complimentary option at Disney World Resort hotels! It will begin to roll out in 2022 as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.
Amazon’s Alexa in Disney Resort rooms
“Hey, Disney!” will be a virtual assistant that can introduce guests to Disney characters, set alarms (useful for those early morning wake-ups during vacation), answer questions, and even guide guests to surprises. You can check transportation wait times, park hours, and even make requests for deliveries to your room.
See how Hey, Disney will impact your Disney World vacation here!
Mears Connect
Disney’s Magical Express transportation to and from the airport is being discontinued at the end of the year. However, it will soon be replaced by a paid transportation option on January 1st, 2022 — Mears Connect.
©Mears
Pricing for the new shuttle depends on the number of guests in your party and the type of service that you book. If you’re traveling in 2022, you can go ahead and reserve your spot on this new transportation option!
Read more about the new Mears service here!
Announced With No Opening Timeline:
Moana — Journey of Water
If you’re excited about new offerings coming to EPCOT as part of the park-wide transformation, then you definitely need to check out Moana — Journey of Water. This new walkthrough attraction will be coming to the World Nature section of the park and will allow guests to interact with water in new and unusual ways, just like Moana does in her film!
Journey of Water Concept Art © Disney
An opening date hasn’t been announced yet for this attraction, but based on a report from USA Today, it seems to be delayed until after 2021. Right now, guests who want to learn more about this upcoming offering should check out the EPCOT Experience, where the concept art of Moana — Journey of Water is on display in the short film.
Click here to read all about Moana — Journey of Water.
More of the EPCOT Transformation
And speaking of things coming to EPCOT, let’s talk about the transformation as a whole. When Disney revamps an entire park, it’s likely to be a multi-year process, and with the delays caused by the pandemic, it’s unclear when EPCOT’s full-scale remodel will be completed.
Epcot Concept Art ©Disney
However, we recently got the addition of the Creations Shop, Club Cool, and Space 220 in the park, and with the announced opening of Cosmic Rewind next year, it’s likely that more construction walls will come down in the park and we may get to enjoy more of the new options coming soon!
Tron Coaster
And finally, we need to discuss the elephant in the room…the Tron coaster. This project has been underway in Magic Kingdom for several years, and it isn’t exactly secretive, considering you can see the construction clearly from several spots around the park. However, Disney has kept much information about this coaster under wraps.
Tron Coaster construction progress
It’s another attraction that seems to have been delayed until post-2021, but unlike Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Disney hasn’t even shared a potential timeline for opening. On the bright side, construction seems to be moving along, so maybe we’ll get an upate soon!
Disney hasn’t shared anything in a while!
There you have it — everything we know that is coming to Disney World in 2022! We’ll keep you updated with all the latest opening dates, so stay tuned to DFB.
Click Here to Learn More About Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser!
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What new addition are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!
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This won’t be a popular view, but Disney leadership may be wanting to push Tron to very late in the 50th anniversary celebration. The 50th will drive business by itself for awhile without relying on new attractions. There doesn’t appear to be anything significant on the radar for a 2023. They don’t need both the Guardians and Tron coasters driving business at the same time. Guests want everything open now, but a company like Disney wants to spread things so that there is consistently something new to drive visitation once the previous item(s) has slowed as a business driver.
I did a double take, but you did have one glaring omission. My wife and I. Yes, we are coming to WDW in December 2022!
Greg, how’d we miss that?! 😉 Have a wonderful trip!