Written by: Rinni Finley
It is an exciting time for Walt Disney World right now with the celebration of its 50th anniversary! After opening the gates to the Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando, Florida on October 1st, 1971, the magic has only grown. From the time of the park’s opening to now, Disney has released over 640 movies including the Marvel and Star Wars franchises. With the constant production of content for fans as well as the ever-evolving parks, Disney and its resorts are one of the most influential companies in the world. As they celebrate their 50th anniversary of the Walt Disney World theme park, the company has introduced some new and redesigned features in the park to honor its semi-centennial celebration.
Evolution of the Walt Disney World Park Over 50 Years
When the park first opened, Walt Disney had already passed away. Therefore, the responsibility and overseeing of the park fell to his brother, Roy Disney. The park opened with a fully functioning monorail system that took guests to and from the Transportation and Ticket center as well as the hotels. Once inside the park, there were attractions such as Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents, it’s a Small World, and more. Over time, Disney installed more attractions like their rides, as well as more hotels and resort portions allowing for a more overall inclusive experience for guests. Currently, Walt Disney World has 4 parks inside including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. Between all the parks, there are just over 50 rides and over 100 attractions.
Redesign of the Annual Pass and Special Merchandise
In homage to the 50th year of the park’s success, Disney has reimagined their annual passes to have an “EARidescent” finish complete with an iconic character in full gold color on the front of the pass. To go along with the “50” theme, there are 50 different characters that will be featured on the new passes, from Mickey Mouse to Olaf. There are also new golden statues of the same “Disney Fab 50” characters spread throughout the park which create more magic and more photo-ops! Disney has added in some smaller details as well such as 50th anniversary cups in their restaurants. On top of details added to the parks, there is a new line of 50th anniversary merchandise as well. With multiple collections that dropped in the park’s stores on October 1st, the exact 50th anniversary, guests can find merchandise in themes of Celebration, Disney Castle, The Vault, EARidescent, and more.
From annual pass designs to new statues to new, limited edition merchandise, Disney has thought of it all to honor 50 years of the happiest place on Earth.