From the time it debuted on October 1, 1982, Epcot quickly became my favorite park at Walt Disney World. Over the years, I have been sad to see many of my most beloved attractions like Horizons, World of Motion, Body Wars and more disappear. While change is always difficult, I am truly thrilled about all of the new additions coming to Epcot over the next few years. Now guests can explore Walt Disney Imagineering presents the Epcot Experience to get a glimpse of what’s in store for this park. Here’s a brief description of what you can expect to see courtesy of Disney:
At Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot continues the biggest transformation of any Disney theme park in history, developing groundbreaking attractions, magnificent new landscapes and unforgettable entertainment spectaculars. Guests are now invited to see an enticing glimpse into this bright future when they visit Walt Disney Imagineering presents the Epcot Experience, an engaging and immersive new showcase of exciting changes on the way for this beloved theme park.
The Epcot Experience provides the first in-depth look at the park’s transformation, blending cutting-edge technology and fun with personal moments to create an environment that honors everything guests love about Epcot. Located inside the Odyssey Events Pavilion – between Test Track and the Mexico pavilion – the Epcot Experience invites guests into a multi-faceted celebration of the past, present and future of the park:
360-Degree Film Presentation
- Guests enter a large, circular, darkened room where they are surrounded by a seamless, 360-degree, floor-to-ceiling screen showing a continuous 12-minute film celebrating the past, present and future of Epcot.
- The immersive presentation displays archival footage going back well before Epcot opened in 1982, taking guests on a journey to present day and beyond. It showcases new pavilion icons that will integrate into the park, and previews experiences in development with vignettes featuring:
- The PLAY! pavilion
- A new vision for Spaceship Earth
- Sensational new attractions based on popular films
- The park’s forthcoming nighttime spectacular, “HarmonioUS”
- In the center of the room, a three-dimensional artfully designed model of Epcot appears to continuously change in time with the film, as projection-mapping technology highlights different areas of the park in special ways.
- Altogether, the space uses 30 projectors to bring the experience to life and take guests along on the journey of this ambitious next chapter in Epcot’s legacy.
Dimensional Photo Opportunities
Guests can have their pictures taken inside four dimensional photo locations specially designed for the Epcot Experience. Perfect for sharing on social media, these photo ops make it seem as if guests are standing atop the iconic Spaceship Earth geosphere or shrunk to the size of Remy from Disney and Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” among others.
Display Cases Showcasing Special Items
Throughout the Epcot Experience, display cases feature artifacts, memorabilia and other fascinating items showcasing the past, present and future of Epcot. Pieces include:
- An Epcot park map and medallion from opening day, October 1, 1982, plus a commemorative opening day park ticket
- Epcot pin sets from 1982 and present day
- Models and concept art for future Epcot experiences
The Epcot Experience also features attraction posters from throughout the park’s history, plus experiences still on the horizon. Grab-and-go food and drinks are available inside, as well, along with tables and seating.
New Epcot Merchandise
The new Epcot logo unveiled at D23 Expo in August adorns a wide array of new merchandise available inside the park beginning October 1, 2019, including:
- Short- and long-sleeve shirts
- Baseball cap
- Hoodie
- Tote bag
- Journal
- Water bottle
- Mickey Mouse ear hat
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Disney World Enthusiast 