Today is the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort! We talk a lot about our founder Walt Disney and the incredible change he brought into the world through the power of his imagination; on milestones such as this anniversary, it’s important to recognize that our cast members and guests carry Walt’s vision forward every day as they create the countless memories that make Disney so special.
So, to all who enter this happy place to fill it with love, joy, passion, and dreams – welcome, and thank you.
When the Disney brothers unveiled their plans for the Florida Project at that historic press conference in 1965, they imagined a place that would never stop evolving. And that vision has been fulfilled in so many remarkable ways since.
In just the last five years since we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, we’ve added nearly a theme park’s worth of experiences, with over 70 experiences opened or refreshed since 2021. And we’re not done growing! If we were handing out “most likely” and “best of” awards, I’d have to award Walt Disney World with “Most Likely To Keep Moving Forward, Opening Up New Doors, and Doing New Things.”
In fact – in the spirit of looking back and celebrating the 55th anniversary of the resort, here are a few more recent “best-of” moments since our last milestone:
- Best New Memories Under the Stars – “Luminous The Symphony of Us” (2023) and “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” (2025): From the fireworks, fountains, and heartfelt music of the nighttime spectacular at EPCOT, to the starlit procession of dreamers and doers from beloved Disney tales at Magic Kingdom, “Luminous The Symphony of Us” and “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” are the perfect ways to end a Disney day.
- Best Use of the Magic of Possibility – the transformation of EPCOT: Celebrating all the things that make EPCOT, EPCOT, the massive, multi-year transformation touched every neighborhood of the park and brought all-new experiences for guests to discover, including Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (2021), Space 220 (2021), Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (2023), the beautiful Dreamers Point and World Celebration Gardens (2023), CommuniCore Hall and Plaza (2024), and more.
- Best Thrills – TRON Lightcycle / Run Presented by Enterprise (2023), Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (2024), Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets (2026): If you ask my 10- and 8-year-old nephews what they like most about visiting Walt Disney World, the answer is going to be coasters, coasters, and more coasters (and Tower of Terror, a perennial favorite for the 10-year-old). The resort is full of thrilling experiences, and nothing makes your heart race and your imagination soar like riding a lightcycle, making an exhilarating 55-foot drop in a log flume, or racing higgledy-piggledy (sorry, Miss Piggy) to get to a sold-out Electric Mayhem concert.
- Best Immersion into the Magic – Round Up Rodeo BBQ (2023), The Beak and Barrel (2025), Zootopia: Better Zoogether! (2025): Storytelling is what Disney does best, and these three new experiences are perfect examples of just how immersive a well-told tale can be. You believe you’re a toy when you hear “Andy’s coming!” and freeze, mid-meal at Roundup Rodeo BBQ; you feel like a true pirate when you quench your thirst at the rowdiest tavern in Adventureland at The Beak and Barrel; and you know we’re all better Zoogether while the Tree of Life Theater comes to life around you.
- Best Place for Childlike Joy – Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station (2026), Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! Show (2026), The Magic of Disney Animation (2026): Is there any better smile than that of a kiddo spotting Bluey and Bingo in real life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Or any better sound than families laughing together while they dance and play with Mickey Mouse and his friends? And personally, I felt like a kid again when Olaf teamed up with legendary Disney Animation artists to teach me how to draw favorite Disney characters at The Magic of Disney Animation.
- Best Chance for a Standing Ovation – Country Bear Musical Jamboree (2024), “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” (2025), “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” (2025): It’s no surprise that some of the finest stage performances can be found across Walt Disney World, including these three new and refreshed experiences. You can’t help but cheer hearing the Country Bears growl out bluegrass and country-western versions of classic Disney songs. And there’s theater magic to be found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when you’re swimming under the sea with Ariel or judging which Disney villain was treated the most unfairly of them all.
- Best Night’s Sleep in the Magic – More than 18,000 refreshed rooms across 10 Resort hotels (2021-2025); Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (2024); New cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (2024): Home, sweet magical home! When you stay at Walt Disney World in any of these beautiful and modern rooms and hotels, you wake up only steps away from your next Disney adventure. Plus… Mickey waffles!
- Best Glow Ups – Test Track presented by General Motors (2025), Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (2026), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (2026), the new mission at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (2026): I love the way these classic experiences got pixie-dusted with new magic! From getting target practice tips from Buddy the Star Command support bot at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, to hanging out with Grogu on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, it feels like all the classic favorites have something new to discover.
- Best New Look for an Icon – Cinderella’s Castle (2026): In a category all of its own, Cinderella Castle has been a beacon of hope and the picture-perfect icon of Walt Disney World Resort for 55 years. The recent return to a classic storybook color scheme of blues, creams, grays and golds feels like a nostalgic hug and a fresh, shiny look for Cinderella Castle.
I could go on and on – as I mentioned, there are over 70 new or refreshed experiences at the resort since the 50th anniversary! The power of The Most Magical Place on Earth to spread joy can be felt with all the new things to experience and across every reimagined favorite. And with new projects like Carousel of Progress, the Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there’s plenty more growth on our horizon.
So, here’s to the 55th anniversary – and to a beloved past, exciting present, and bright future of The Most Magical Place on Earth.
