2019 at Walt Disney World- Endless Fun and New Adventures

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2019 is going to be an amazing year at Walt Disney World. Get ready to travel to a galaxy far, far away and experience madcap fun aboard a runaway railway. Kids can MousekeDance themselves silly or play basketball like a pro. Maybe you will want to take in beautiful views while dining 15 stories high above a new resort tower or glide across the sky in a gondola. The possibilities are endless at Walt Disney World in 2019!

2019 at Walt Disney World

Here are 19 events, attractions and additions to Walt Disney World that we can expect to see this year!

1. Anything Can Happen at Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration – Starting Jan. 18, 2019, Magic Kingdom is honoring the originals, Mickey and Minnie Mouse. The new “Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party” will parade up Main Street, U.S.A. several times daily. You can also meet Mickey and Minnie together, wearing their brand new birthday outfits only in Town Square Theater.

2. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hollywood Studios – On May 1, 2019, Walt Disney World will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hollywood Studios. The park is honoring this achievement all year with a new 30th anniversary logo and other fun and excitement.

3. Say a Fond Farewell to IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth – After nearly 20 years of illuminating Epcot nightly through music, fireworks, fire torches and more, this nighttime show will be ending the second half of 2019. Now, more than ever you will want to spend another evening around World Showcase Lagoon to celebrate this classic show that has entertained millions since its October 1999 debut.

4. Jaleo Cooks Up Fresh Tastes at Disney Springs – Chef José Andrés will bring the spirit and flavors of Spain to Disney Springs with his new Jaleo restaurant, opening this winter. The tapas experience will offer a lively setting befitting its name, which means “revelry.”

5. Party with Pixar Pals at Hollywood Studios – Starting Jan. 18, 2019, you can celebrate the park’s 30th anniversary with The Incredibles, who will host a dance party at Pixar Avenue (where Guests can also meet the one and only Edna Mode!). A door to the monster world will open at Walt Disney Presents, where Mike and Sulley from Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” will greet Guests. And Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the rest of the gang are ready to welcome you into Andy’s backyard in Toy Story Land.

6. Disney on Broadway Concert Series Expands During Epcot International Festival of the Arts – This celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts returns Jan. 18-Feb. 25, 2019. This year, the Disney on Broadway Concert Series will expand to seven days a week, so you can bask in live Disney magic more than ever. The festival also will feature 13 Food Studios, a variety of workshops led by professional artists, interactive exhibits and activities, and much more.

Performances and Dates, Performances are at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM and 8:00 PM 

• January 18 to January 19, 2019 – Kerry Butler & Kevin Massey
• January 20 to January 21, 2019 – Meredith Inglesby & Steve Blanchard
• January 22 to January 23, 2019 – Kerry Butler & Kevin Massey
• January 24 to January 25, 2019 – Meredith Inglesby & Steve Blanchard
• January 26, 2019 – Kerry Butler & Kevin Massey
• January 27, 2019 – Meredith Inglesby & Steve Blanchard
• January 28 to January 29, 2019 – Arielle Jacobs & Adam Jacobs
• January 30 to January 31, 2019 – Heidi Blickenstaff & Gavin Lee
• February 1 to February 2, 2019 – Arielle Jacobs & Adam Jacobs
• February 3 to February 4, 2019 – Heidi Blickenstaff & Gavin Lee
• February 5 to February 6, 2019 – Arielle Jacobs & Adam Jacobs
• February 7 to February 8, 2019 – Heidi Blickenstaff & Gavin Lee
• February 9, 2019 – Arielle Jacobs & Adam Jacobs
• February 10, 2019 – Heidi Blickenstaff & Gavin Lee
• February 11 to February 12, 2019 – Ashley Brown & Josh Strickland
• February 13 to February 14, 2019 – Kissy Simmons & Alton Fitzgerald White
• February 15 to February 16, 2019 – Ashley Brown & Josh Strickland
• February 17 to February 18, 2019 – Kissy Simmons & Alton Fitzgerald White
• February 19 to February 20, 2019 – Ashley Brown & Josh Strickland
• February 21 to February 22, 2019 – Kissy Simmons & Alton Fitzgerald White
• February 23, 2019 – Ashley Brown & Josh Strickland
• February 24, 2019 – Kissy Simmons & Alton Fitzgerald White
• February 25, 2019 – Ashley Brown, Josh Strickland, Kissy Simmons, Alton Fitzgerald White

7. “The Lion King” Roars Again at Animal Kingdom – 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney Pictures’ animated classic “The Lion King.” To mark this occasion, starting Jan. 18, 2019 Rafiki and Timon will lead Guests in dances and games during the “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party” on Discovery Island.

8. Take in the Topiaries During Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival –Welcome spring’s arrival with this popular festival, which returns March 6-June 3, 2019. This year’s event will feature delectable bites at outdoor kitchens, as well as dozens of world-renowned, Disney-themed topiaries.

In addition, the Garden Rocks Concert Series will include three shows a day for all 90 days of the event.

• March 6-8: Journey former lead vocalist STEVE AUGERI (NEW) “Don’t Stop Believin’ ”
• March 9-10: Glass Tiger (New to Garden Rocks) “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)”
• March 17-20: Simple Plan “Welcome to My Life”
• March 25-27: Air Supply (New to Garden Rocks) “All Out of Love”
• March 28-29: Berlin featuring Terri Nunn “Take My Breath Away”
• March 30-31: The Smithereens (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Top of the Pops”
• April 1-2: Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl”
• April 3-4: Christopher Cross (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Sailing”
• April 5-7: The Spinners “Working My Way Back to You”
• April 12-13: Sister Sledge (NEW to Garden Rocks) “We Are Family”
• April 17-19: Sister Hazel (NEW to Garden Rocks) “All For You”
• April 20-21: Steven Curtis Chapman (NEW) “Cinderella”
• April 22-23: TobyMac (NEW) “The Elements”
• April 24-26: Lonestar “Amazed”
• April 27-30: The Orchestra starring former members of ELO “Evil Woman”
• May 1-4: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry VIII I Am”
• May 5-7: Don Felder, Formerly of the Eagles “Hotel California”
• May 8-9: A Flock of Seagulls (NEW) “I Ran (So Far Away)”
• May 14-15: Richard Marx (New to Garden Rocks) “Right Here Waiting”
• May 16- 19: STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
• May 20-21: Colin Hay of Men at Work (NEW) “Who Can It Be Now?”
• May 28-29: Jon Secada “Just Another Day”
• May 30- June 1: Blood, Sweat and Tears “Spinning Wheel”

9. Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy Speeds into Hollywood Studios –When this new show experience opens this spring, you will come face to face with racing legend Lightning McQueen, who will teach them about racing from his years of experience on the track. This will be the untold story of Lightning McQueen … as told by Lightning McQueen!

10. H2O Glow Nights Return to Typhoon Lagoon – These evening beach parties happen Thursdays and Saturdays from May 30 through Aug. 24, 2019, transforming the water park into a new nighttime experience through special music, lighting and food. Party with friends from Pixar’s “Toy Story” films during the 30th anniversary summer of Typhoon Lagoon!

11. New Cinematic Nighttime Experience Coming to Hollywood Studios – As part of the theme park’s 30th anniversary, Wonderful World of Animation will debut May 1, 2019. The show will use state-of-the-art technology to take you on a magical journey through more than 90 years of Disney animation, all beginning with Mickey.

12. Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort to Open New Tower – This summer, the resort will complete a total re-imagining, including the new 15-story Gran Destino tower featuring a rooftop restaurant and 545 new Guest rooms. A second new restaurant will be located on an island in the middle of the resort’s 14-acre lake, while all of its existing 1,800-plus rooms have been fully updated with new fixtures and furnishings.

13. NBA Experience at Disney Springs – This brand-new destination will allow you to participate in your own scouting report, take you through pregame preparations and step onto the court to make clutch shots and highlight reel-worthy slam dunks. By participating in 13 unique and innovative hands-on activities, Guests will feel like a star player.

14. Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Will Spice Up Fall – The aromas and flavors of global marketplaces will welcome Guests to the 24th year of this renowned festival. You will have a chance to meet celebrity chefs, try new food and wine pairings, and listen to great music during the Eat to the Beat Concert Series.

15. Major Youth Sporting Events Return to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex – The Jr. NBA World Championship will return to the complex, showcasing top boys and girls basketball teams from around the world. In December, the 63rd Pop Warner Super Bowl will bring hundreds of young football players to Walt Disney World to compete in national championship games.

16. Explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – You can live your own Star Wars adventure when this deeply immersive land opens at Hollywood Studios this fall. Get ready to explore Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu, where you will find all manner of new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, characters and creatures from a galaxy far, far away. The land will also feature two thrilling new attractions: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

17. Take a Ride on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Opening later this year at Hollywood Studios, this will be the first ride-through attraction themed to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. It will feature a new original story and lovable theme song, taking you on a journey inside the wacky and unpredictable world of Disney Channel’s Emmy Award-winning Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts.

18. Glide Through the Air in the Disney Skyliner – Disney Skyliner will offer Tinker Bell views later this year as Guests float in gondolas to either Epcot or Hollywood Studios on roundtrip rides from Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and the new Disney’s Riviera Resort.

19. Disney’s Riviera Resort Will Be 15th Disney Vacation Club Resort – Scheduled to open by the end of this year, Disney’s Riviera Resort will reflect an elegant early 20th-century design, inspired by Walt Disney’s travels to the Mediterranean. The deluxe DVC resort is slated to offer approximately 300 family-friendly vacation home units.

There you have it! 19 reasons to visit Walt Disney World in 2019. If you are looking for the best week to visit, take a look at my crowd calendar. What are you most excited for?