The 4 Most Unexpected Disney World Announcements from the Week

This is a big week, as Disney World’s 50th anniversary officially kicks off.

Happy 50th, Disney World!

Disney dropped some HUGE news bombs ahead of the 50th debut, and we’re here to go over all the surprises from this week!

Big Opening News

Disney announced opening timelines for two highly anticipated Disney World projects.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

The immersive Star Wars hotel, known officially as Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, finally has both reservation dates AND opening dates! Reservations will open to the public on October 28th, with Disney Vacation Club Members and Annual Passholders able to book reservations early from October 7th-9th.

©Disney

The first “voyage” of the Galactic Starcruiser will launch on March 1st, 2022, so if you want to be one of the first to stay at this unique hotel, make sure you mark your calendar now!

Click here to learn more about the Star Wars hotel opening!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Disney also announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT finally has an opening timeline! The indoor roller coaster will be opening sometime in 2022.

©Disney

This ride will launch guests backward and the ride vehicles even spin 360 degrees while traveling at high speeds! We will be watching closely for a more definite opening date.

MagicBand+

The next generation of MagicBands is coming next year in 2022, and it will be a new, interactive way for guests to interact in Disney World. Along with haptic vibrations, color-changing lights, and even gesture recognition, there will be ways for guests to participate in activities around Disney World, like being a bounty hunter in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

©Disney

And at night, you’ll be able to watch fireworks shows like Harmonious in EPCOT and Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom as your MagicBand+ lights up in sync with the shows! MagicBand+ will go on sale in 2022.

Monorail Lighting

Another big surprise this week was discovering new nighttime lighting underneath the Disney Monorail! Each Monorail has new lighting that matches the colors of the trains.

The Monorail is glowing!

This view of the new Monorail lighting alongside Spaceship Earth’s Beacon of Magic lights is breathtaking.

Beacon of Light

And we can’t wait to see the Monorail zoom by other areas of Disney World!

See more pictures of the new Monorail lights here!

And that was the three most unexpected surprises of this week in Disney World! Keep reading DFB as we cover everything for Disney World’s 50th anniversary, from food and merchandise and beyond!