Despite the parks being closed, there are a ton of NEW and exciting things in the works as well as very recent additions to the parks that we can’t wait to check out!

From new rides and attractions to the latest and greatest in Disney World dining, there will be plenty to see and do when we get to return to the parks. Here are 13 new things that we can’t wait to do when Disney World reopens.

1. Check Out the New Additions to the France Pavilion

The France Pavilion in Epcot is going to look VERY different this summer! That’s because two highly anticipated additions are currently slated to open this summer. These additions include Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and La Crêperie de Paris!

While we could see some delays as a result of the temporary closures, we’re hoping to see these open as close to “on time” as possible!

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is an innovative dark ride that should be fun for the whole family! A very similar version of this trackless ride that allows guests to shrink down to the size of a rat already exists at Disneyland Paris.

While we don’t have an opening date just yet, we do know that the attraction is set to open this summer. Disney even installed new signage that reflected this opening season before the closure.

We also hopped on the Skyliner to take a look at the construction progress and it was really coming along!

We can’t wait to go on a rat-sized adventure this summer!

Everything you need to know about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure!

La Crêperie de Paris

Opening alongside Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure this summer is La Crêperie de Paris. This table and quick-service style restaurant will feature a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse. 

While Disney hasn’t yet shared the Le Crêperie de Paris menu, they have stated the restaurant will draw its inspiration from the Brittany region of France! They’ve also shared that the location will serve savory crêpes called “galettes” and sweet crêpes among its offerings!

We are SO eager to see what all this new spot has to offer and we can’t wait to check it out!

Wondering why we’re so excited about this new dining location? Get all the details here!

2. Attend a Performance of Drawn to Life

The newest show from the imaginative minds of Cirque du Soleil will soon appear in Disney Springs! Drawn to Life combines the spectacle of Cirque du Soleil with the magic of Disney animation to bring an entirely new and original story to life.

Drawn to Life was originally scheduled to begin previews on March 20th with an official opening on April 17th. With the temporary closures at Disney World, performances had to be suspended. Before the closure, we were lucky enough to see a preview of the show, and we really enjoyed it. Now, we can’t wait to see the full show.

At this time we don’t know of an updated opening and performance schedule, but we hope it debuts as soon as possible once the parks are open again!

And, as always, we will keep you up-to-date with all the deets so you can grab your tix to see this brand new show!

Get a first look at Drawn to Life here!

3. Take in the Sights and Sounds of Harmonious

The newest nighttime spectacular to hit Disney World will be Harmonious at Epcot. As of the parks’ closures in March, Epcot Forever (the temporary fill-in until Harmonius kicks off) was performing nightly around World Showcase Lagoon.

Harmonious will take its place as the new resident fireworks show, replacing IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, which played its final performance in the fall of 2019.

We had heard of a spring 2020 opening for Harmonious, and as of this writing, we don’t have an official opening date. According to Disney, the new show will be “the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney Park” And it will include massive floating set pieces, dancing fountains, fireworks, lasers. Therefore, we’re SUPER excited to check this out when Harmonious is able to open!

Click here to learn more about Harmonious! 

4. Dine at TWO New Locations in Disney Springs!

Disney Springs has not one but TWO new spots in the works to grab something tasty while you shop.

Beatrix

We have had our sights set on the opening of Beatrix, a new dining location at Disney Springs, for a long while now! The opening timeline may have changed due to these closures, but we’ve been following the construction for some time.

What we know about Beatrix is that it will be a “neighborhood restaurant, coffeehouse, and grab-and-go market featuring healthy food options including vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan along with fresh-squeezed juice cocktails.” It will take over the previous location of Bongos, which closed last summer.

We’ll be ready to check it out as soon as we can!

Click here to see the latest construction updates on Beatrix!

Ample Hills

We’re also anxiously awaiting the opening of Ample Hills! This ice cream chain is one of our favorite sweet spots at the BoardWalk Inn, so we’re thrilled to see a second location coming to Disney World. Unfortunately, after the closures began in Disney World Ample Hills (who also have locations outside of Disney) filed for Chaper 11 Bankruptcy. 

But don’t fret just yet. Chapter 11 is very different from Chapter 7, which means that when this is all over, they can work with debtors to decide the best course of action for the company. We’re hopeful that the Disney Springs location will be completed and continue to remain open alongside the BoardWalk location at Disney World. We’ll keep you posted if anything changes!

Click here to learn more about Ample Hills filing for Bankruptcy

5. Take Another Trip on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

We only had about ten short days to enjoy Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway before the parks closed. This new dark ride is the newest resident of the replica Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that used to be the home of The Great Movie Ride, which closed in the summer of 2017.

This is a great ride for guests of all ages and is the first major attraction to star Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse! We were planning on riding this ride throughout the spring, so we have to make up for some lost time as soon as we can!

Check out our first reactions to riding Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

6. Get a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance

We never thought we would say this, but we can’t WAIT to get to Hollywood Studios at rope drop again to grab a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance. This massive, one-of-a-kind attractions opened in Hollywood Studios in December of 2019 and the excitement hasn’t died down since!

We can likely assume that the masses will flock back to Rise of the Resistance, so don’t expect those Boarding Groups and Virtual Queues to go away anytime soon! But hey, if logging onto My Disney Experience at 7:00 AM sharp to grab a Boarding Group is a sign that we’ve returned to business as usual, then count us in!

Click here to see our first thoughts riding Rise of the Resistance!

7. Get Lunch at Regal Eagle Smokehouse

One of our first food stops when the parks reopen will for SURE be Regal Eagle Smokehouse at Epcot. This counter-service restaurant in The American Adventure opened in January of 2020, bringing barbecue in Epcot to a whole new level.

We can’t wait to get back and munch on some yummy brisket and wash it down with a refreshing beverage!

Situated right in the middle of World Showcase, it provides a great spot to kick back and relax in the middle of your journey ‘around the world.’

Read our full review of Regal Eagle Smokehouse here!

8. Enjoy Breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace

One of our favorite new restaurants in Disney World is Topolino’s Terrace at the new Riviera Resort! With sweeping views of the resort and excellent food, we’re looking forward to grabbing a reservation as soon as possible!

Not to mention this is a GREAT character meet and greet opportunity! Topolino’s breakfast is a character dining experience with Mickey and the gang in new, ADORABLE outfits.

This meal runs only one credit on the Disney Dining Plan, compared to the 2-credit signature dinner. It’s a great nice sit-down breakfast (no running to a buffet!) where you’ll meet some great characters to boot!

Check out our review of Topolino Terrace’s character breakfast here!

9. Spend a Night (or several nights) at Disney’s Riviera Resort!

Speaking of Riviera Resort, the newest Disney World Resort hotel will certainly be calling our names when its doors open once again!

Disney’s Riviera Resort is situated along the Skyliner route, providing easy access to Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and more! We love the dining locations, the attention to detail around the resort, the amenities, and room options.

If you want to feel like you’re in the Mediterranean while in the middle of Florida, this is a great resort to “escape it all.”

Go on a virtual photo tour of Disney’s Riviera Resort with us here!

10. Take a Ride on the Disney Skyliner

The Skyliner first took flight in September of 2019 as a new way of getting around the Disney World Resort! The gondola transportation system brings guests to and from various parks and resorts, including Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach, POP Century, and Art of Animation.

Not to mention you get some spectacular views of Disney World! Whether you’re using the Skyliner to get to a dining reservation, from park to park, or you just want to check out Disney World from an entirely new point of view, the Skyliner is your one-way ticket there! Oh, and did we mention we have a Skyliner Pub Crawl?

We’ve been pleasantly surprised by this new form of transportation. We can’t wait to get back in line and guess which color gondola we’ll get a ride in!

Take a ride on the Disney Skyliner with us here!

There are SO many things coming to Disney World that we really can’t wait to see or do! While we sadly don’t know when the parks will be able to open again, thinking of the future and all the things we will get to do keeps us going!

What’s the first thing YOU are going to do at Disney World when the parks reopen? Let us know in the comments!