EPCOT Lighting Testing, 50th Anniversary Statues, and MORE Disney News You Missed!

Okay, so a LOT going on at Disney World this week, as well as with Disney, in general.

The 50th Anniversary is going to be BIG!

And we get that it’s hard to keep up with all the news when so much has been happening. So we’re putting together some of the top stories you might have missed this week to get you up to speed fast.

Disney World’s 50th Anniversary

Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration is only weeks away, and we are starting to see a lot of new 50th anniversary details at the parks. The first of the golden character statues have turned up in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom.

Some Cast Members have also received their new “Earidescent” Name Tags. We even got a preview of a song from the new Enchantment fireworks show arriving with the celebration. And there’s been testing of EPCOT’s new nighttime show, Harmonious, happening.

A look at EPCOT's Spaceship Earth doing lighting testing earlier this morning! 📸katie_froelich on Instagram pic.twitter.com/OJsDgCmJGe

— AllEars.Net (@AllEarsNet) September 7, 2021

There’s also a brand new Disney World 50th anniversary commercial, AND AT Disney World, we saw a Skyliner gondola AND a Disney bus wrapped in 50th anniversary designs.

And Disney World’s entrance has also received a 50th anniversary upgrade. It’s almost time to celebrate!

PHOTOS: Disney World 50th Anniversary Happy Meal Toys Are Coming to McDonald’s!

Muppets Haunted Mansion

Over on Disney+, we’ve been eagerly awaiting more news on the Muppets Haunted Mansion special. And after getting a bit of a sneak peek, we also now know when the special will debut on the streaming service.

Mark your calendars because we foolish mortals can watch the Muppets Haunted Mansion special on October 8th. Disney+ also released its full lineup for Hallowstream.

Here’s What to Stream This Halloween on Disney+

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is breaking box office records for Marvel. First, it broke the record for the biggest box office take over a Labor Day weekend. The movie debuted with $71.4 million in its opening weekend.

Shang-Chi also broke the IMAX box office record for “best global September and Labor Day weekend opening” ever at the global box office over the holiday weekend.

5 Reasons I Loved Marvel’s ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’

Disney World Annual Passes

Disney World Annual Passes officially went back on sale this week. There are three tiers that Annual Passholders can choose from, with the highest tier, the Disney Incredi-Pass priced at $1,299 — this tier features no blackout dates and comes with the ability to hold up to five park pass reservations at once.

Under that is the Disney Sorcerer Pass for $899 which features minimal blackout dates and the ability to hold up to five park pass reservations at once. This pass is only available to DVC members and Florida residents.

Under that is the Disney Pirate Pass for $699 — this pass features blackout dates on peak days and holidays, and comes with the ability to hold up to four park pass reservations at once. Only Florida residents are eligible to buy into this tier.

The lowest tier is the Disney Pixie Pass for $399, which features blackout dates on peak days, weekends, and holidays. Guests with this pass can hold up to three park pass reservations at once. This tier is also only available to Florida residents.

Each of these passes also include free theme park parking, free park hopping (for parks that aren’t blocked out), and shopping and dining discounts. Also, certain dates will be available as “bonus reservations” throughout the year that won’t count towards the park pass reservation limit of each pass.

You May Want to WAIT Before Adding PhotoPass to Your New Disney World Annual Pass

EPCOT Opening Dates

We’ve got some exciting opening date news for EPCOT! The new EPCOT flagship shop that will replace Mouse Gear, Creations Shop, will open on September 15th.