Top 5 Attractions at Walt Disney World Resorts in 2016

The first, and now flagship, Disney resort opened in Bay Lake, Florida, on October 1, 1971. However, neither Walt nor Roy Disney could have predicted the immense popularity of this theme park concept. Today, the theme parks of this corporate empire are visited by 52 million people each year, according to statistics revealed by US City Traveler.

In fact, six of the top 10 theme parks visited across the world belong to Disney, according to the same statistics. The TEA/AECOM Theme Park Attendance Report for 2014 puts 9 of the top 10 theme parks in the world as Disney properties, seeing an average of almost 53,000 visitors a day. If you still haven’t visited these parks, here are five reasons why 2016 might be a good year to plan a trip.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is scheduled to open its newest Star Wars-based experience on January 5, 2016, with the launch of “Symphony in the Stars: A Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party.” Making this the sweetest experience, guests can enjoy some spectacular, otherworldly desserts and firework shows, along with specialty drinks, with a separate ticket for this attraction right till March 19, 2016.

This attraction complements the other Star Wars based experiences the parks have to offer, including the Star Wars Launch Bay, where you get the real Jedi experience with special exhibits, opportunities to interact with Darth Vader and Chewbacca and special merchandise to carry memories back home. There is even a Star Wars Half Marathon scheduled for April, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The Norway pavilion at Epcot welcomes the all-new Frozen experience in the spring of 2016. A showboat will transport guests to the Winter Wonderland, as portrayed in the animated movie, with visits to Elsa’s Ice Palace on the North Mountain and even the Nay of Arendelle. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet with Elsa and Anna at the new dedicated character greeting location at the Royal Summerhus in the Norway Pavilion, according to Inside the Magic, a Disney-dedicated blog.

Disney will allow visitors an experience of the African savanna at night when its Animal Kingdom becomes a full-day park in Spring 2016, which will treat guests to views of African animal life against the glow of the setting sun. The park intends to introduce African wild dogs and hyenas to the Kilimajaro Safaris.

There will also be a new restaurant here, called Tiffins. In addition, the new “Rivers of Light” experience will also debut at this time on Discovery River, between the Expedition Everest roller coaster and Discovery Island. This will be a unique show, featuring floating lanterns, swirling animal imagery, water screens and entertainers, all of which will bring the night life in the animal kingdom truly alive, according to Disney Parks Blog.

New Jungle Navigation Co Ltd’s Skipper Canteen was launched in December 2015 in Magic Kingdom Park. With several jungle themed dining rooms, this restaurant offers visitors the opportunity to try “World Famous Jungle Cuisine” in just the right ambience.

Guests can choose to eat at a crew mess hall and even the once-secret meeting room of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. “The restaurant is staffed by friendly Jungle Cruise Skippers, known for their clever jokes,” says a January 1, 2015 post on Inside the Magic.

The iconic Soarin’ Over California ride at Epcot gets an international update to Soarin’ Around the World in the summer of 2016. The new version will take guests on a simulated tour of the world, simulating a flights over some of the most famous man-made and natural landmarks around the world, from the Great Wall of Chine to the African plains. The park intends to add a third theater and new screens, making dreams come true for the old and young, says online travel agent, Know Before You Go.