
On October 1, 2021, Walt Disney World kicked off its 50th Anniversary celebration. The massive celebration included the opening of a new attraction — Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT. As well as the introduction of two brand-new nighttime spectaculars — Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom and Harmonious around World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT. Disney also released a ton of new 50th-themed merchandise, as well as more than one hundred mouthwatering food and drink options.
Thousands of people have flocked to Walt Disney World since October 1 to experience The World’s Most Magical Celebration. While many have loved their experiences during their Disney vacation, others have not had as much of a magical time. Not long after the start of the 50th Anniversary, Disney introduced Disney Genie+ — the new paid-for front-of-the-line system that replaced the popular (and free) FastPass system.
The official Walt Disney World Resort Twitter account recently asked its followers what they loved most about its 50th Anniversary. Unfortunately, many of the answers may not have been what Disney was expecting. A number of the comments were far from positive, with Guests posting sarcastic comments about what they “loved”, including Linsey (@dopeydons), who said:
My highlights were having to get up at 7am to book genie+ then it not working on my phone,dining card not working & spending 45 mins at guest services, missing the fireworks at MK as park reservation was at Epcot & would have to scan in & out of there first even tho it was 9pm
https://twitter.com/dopeydons/status/1527944818772541442
Twitter user Michael (@OhMichaelG) shared a feeling echoed by many — they don’t feel that the company is truly celebrating the magic of 50 years of the Walt Disney World Resort.
Absolutely nothing. People should go visit Disneyland Paris for their superior 30th Anniversary instead! I don’t understand how you can even call the 50th a “celebration” after doing less than the bare minimum. The 50th is so sad, it’s funny!
https://twitter.com/OhMichaelG/status/1527712232951488512
Castaway RJ (@CastawayRj) voiced another sentiment common amongst Disney fans — that he would love the 50th to see the exit of CEO Bob Chapek. Chapek only took over as CEO one month before the pandemic forced the Parks to shut down, but he has never gained popularity with Disney’s massive fan base.
https://twitter.com/CastawayRj/status/1527858366491631616
Twitter user DeDisGirl (@ashelyrm) shared that, although she still loves Disney World, she has been incredibly underwhelmed by Disney World’s 50th. She also points out that Disneyland Resort’s 60th Anniversary was beloved by Guests, so much so that Disneyland Forever Fireworks — which were created for the 60th — are still being shown today.
Maybe you should have studied Disneyland’s 60th. It was amazing. DLP’s 30th looks pretty great too. I’ve been to WDW 4 times since 10/1/21 and it’s been completely underwhelming.
https://twitter.com/ashleyrm/status/1527792286725177345
While a lot of Guests voiced their disappointment in Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration, that hasn’t stopped the crowds from coming. With summer vacation about to come into full swing, Parks are seeing full reservation bookings. While crowds are always higher during the summer, a number of people will be heading to Disney World to experience EPCOT’s newest attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The new roller coaster will open in the World Discovery section of the Disney Park on May 27.
While the celebration may not be as magical as many were hoping, there is still an unending love for Disney that isn’t going anywhere. You can celebrate the of at not only EPCOT, , Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and , but also at .
What do you think about Disney World’s 50th Anniversary?