Disney World Is Undergoing Some Very Exciting Changes This Year — Learn About Them All!

Epcot is going to be the spot to be for new dining in 2020. The first new option is Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts and Barbecue, which will be located in the American Adventure pavilion. The fast-casual restaurant will be serving up regional BBQ from around the United States along with quite a few craft beers.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts and Barbecue is set to open Winter 2020.

Inside The Land pavilion at Epcot, a new film debuted at the start of the year just in time for Epcot's International Festival of the Arts. Awesome Planet is a short film that takes viewers through the wonders of nature and Earth's natural biomes. Creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering Tom Fitzgerald told POPSUGAR, "Awesome Planet is a call-to-action film about our planet and the importance of us pitching in to restore balance to this planet."

Awesome Planet is now open at Epcot.

This year also brings a new fireworks show to Epcot called Harmonious. In fact, the show is the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park! The show is going to celebrate the magic of Disney music and how it inspires people. Harmonious will also feature huge floating sets, LED panels, choreographed fountains, lasers, pyrotechnics, and more!

Harmonious does not have an announced date to debut, so be sure to stay tuned for updates!

Epcot's newest attraction is set to open this Summer inside the France pavilion. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure will take guests on a zany adventure where they shrink down to the size of Chef Remy, a rat, and race though Gusteau's restaurant. A similar attraction has proven to be very popular at Disneyland Paris, so we are excited to see this one come to Walt Disney World.

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure opens Summer 2020.

Along with Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, the France pavilion is also set to get a new restaurant. La Crêperie de Paris will offer both table service and quick service options and feature a menu from famed chef Jérôme Bocuse.

La Crêperie de Paris is set to open Summer 2020.

Families with kiddos will love the new Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along at the France pavilion at Epcot. The show has a unique twist on the classic Disney film — LeFou is the star! This show will rotate with the classic film Impressions de France.

Tom Fitzgerald, Creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, told POPSUGAR, "The beauty on this one, no pun intended, was that we went directly to Don Hahn, who was the original producer of Beauty and the Beast and asked him if he would work with us on a twisted tale of Beauty and the Beast. And he came back to us and said, what if LeFou was the cupid who brought Belle and the Beast together? And we said go for it!"

The Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along is now playing at Epcot!

The last of the new films inside Epcot is Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360, which is showing inside the Canada pavilion. The show runs about 10 minutes and features all of the beauty and wonder of Canada, from large cities to rustic landscapes. Fans of the old O Canada film will love this one, especially since it still includes the very singable "Canada (You're a Lifetime Journey)."

Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360 is now playing at Epcot!

The long-awaited Space 220 restaurant is getting close to liftoff! The table service restaurant will be located at Epcot near Mission: SPACE and will give guests the feel of dining 220 miles above Earth's surface. A menu has not been announced as of writing, but new details have emerged on the restaurant. You'll "dock" next to the Centauri Space Station, which is suspended just beyond the orbit of Mission: SPACE. You'll also look out into space to see other planets, stars, and maybe even an astronaut.

Space 220 is set to open Winter 2020.

Disney's Hollywood Studios is getting even more Mickey magic with the debut of a Mickey Shorts Theater. The new space will show an original short film in the same style as the Disney Channel animated series "Mickey Mouse." The theater will also feature some unique photo spots. We can imagine that this theater will be popular during the Summer months as a refuge from the heat or the sudden downpours Florida is known for.

The Mickey Shorts Theater will open March 2020.

Even though Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge just debuted at Disney's Hollywood Studios, another attraction is already getting ready to open! Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, the first Disney attraction featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, is gearing up. On the attraction, guests will be transported into the cartoon world of a Mickey Mouse short, where only mouse rules apply.

During a panel discussion about the ride, Kevin Rafferty, creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering, said, "When I originally pitched this to management, the one line I used was 'You get to ride inside a Mickey cartoon short.' You get to have an adventure where you're a fish out of water story in the cartoon world. It's all about your adventure. It's a full family attraction. With Goofy as your engineer, what could possibly go wrong."

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway officially opens March 4, 2020.

Since it's opening, Toy Story Land has been a huge success, especially with families who have smaller kids. This year, a brand new table service restaurant called Roundup Rodeo BBQ is coming to Toy Story Land. Inside and outside of Roundup Rodeo BBQ, you'll notice that everything is built from play sets and games right from Andy's Room!

No official opening date has been said for Roundup Rodeo BBQ.

A brand new Cirque du Soleil show is coming to Disney Springs later this year. The show will be called "Drawn to Life" and is a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Imagineering. The show will follow the story of a girl who discovers a gift of an unfinished animation piece left by her late father. An exciting adventure is sure to unfold with the magic of Disney storytelling.

Drawn to Life debuts April 17, 2020.

The popular ice cream shop Ample Hills Creamery is opening soon at Disney Springs' West Side. There is already one Ample Hills location at Walt Disney World at The BoardWalk, but the one at Disney Springs should be more accessible to guests.

No official opening date has been announced for Ample Hills at Disney Springs.

RunDisney races are a popular event throughout the year at Walt Disney World. This year, the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon will be getting a new villainous theme for all of the distances. While we don't know what characters will represent what villains, we are so excited for a unique twist on the race theme.

Registration for the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon opens March 10, 2020. The event will take place Nov. 5-8, 2020.

Disney's Riviera Resort is the latest resort hotel to welcome guests at Walt Disney World. The resort combines a modern European destination with old-world glamour and Disney charm. While the resort is technically a Disney Vacation Club resort, non DVC members are welcome to stay here.

The resort also has quite a few new dining locations, including Topolino's Terrace, which offers character dining for breakfast and traditional table service dining at dinner, with expansive views of Walt Disney World. The resort is also connected to the Disney Skyliner, making it an easy resort to get to and from the parks.

Disney's Riviera Resort is now open!

Coming back in 2020 are four of Epcot's most beloved events: festivals! Even though the names of the festivals never change, food offerings, entertainment, and experiences are always been refreshed and added to make each year different.

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts runs from Jan. 17 through Feb. 24, 2020.
The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival runs from March 4 through June 1, 2020.
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival's official dates have not been announced, but the festival typically runs Summer to late Fall.
The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays' official dates have not been announced, but the festival typically runs through Winer.

Beaches and Cream is a Walt Disney World favorite . . . and recently got a huge makeover. The entire interior of the restaurant was reimagined, and new menu items were added, including a French Dip Sandwich, loaded tots, and cookie fries! But don't worry, the ultimate ice cream challenge, the kitchen sink, is still on the menu.

Beaches and Cream is open now, and reservations are highly recommended.

Disney PhotoPass is launching a new program called Capture Your Moment. With this package, guests can reserve a time for a PhotoPass photographer to take their photos at Magic Kingdom during a personalized photo session. This is a great way for families to celebrate and capture milestones like a proposal, baby announcement, or family reunion.

Each session is 20 minutes and costs $50 for one location. Photo sessions are available starting Feb. 10, 2020.

Epcot is getting a new interactive game called "Disney's DuckTales World Showcase Adventure," which guests can play by downloading the Play Disney Parks app. The game brings together Scrooge McDuck, Donald and his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Launchpad, and Webby, who are in search of treasure. The game will take families around World Showcase as they explore and encounter new destinations.

No official launch date has been announced for Disney's DuckTales World Showcase Adventure.

A new restaurant and bar has opened at Disney Springs! City Works Eatery and Pour House will feature over 90 beers on tap and classic American bar food. It's located on Disney Springs' West Side next to the NBA Experience. The bar is going to be the spot to be at Disney World for watching sports since they have 17 large-screen TVs and a state-of-the-art sound system.

City Works Eatery and Pour House is now open!