(Credit: Disney)
Walt Disney announced this week that Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL will be undergoing some enhancements! The Park aims to debut the renovations in time for Walt Disney World Parks’ 50th Anniversary in 2021.
Through Disney magic, the EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) park inspires guests to see the real world in fantastical ways. Along those lines, the new enhancements are a new play pavilion, a reimagined main entrance and an Experience Center showcasing the park’s future.
(Credit: Disney)
New EPCOT Play Pavilion
The new pavilion will include first-of-their-kind experiences devoted to playful fun. It will invite guests into an innovative, interactive city bursting with games and hands-on activities. Friends and family will interact with favorite Disney characters in an energetic metropolis unlike anything ever seen before at Epcot.
The as-yet-unnamed space will come to life under the vast dome of the pavilion previously known as Wonders of Life (more recently the Festival Center). It will debut to guests in time for the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary in 2021. (Disney World originally opened in 1971 with the Magic Kingdom.)
New Epcot Plaza
Another project includes changes to Epcot’s main entrance. The new plaza will welcome guests with new pathways, sweeping green spaces and a newly reimagined fountain. This new design will pay homage to the original park entrance – before the Leave a Legacy photo took up residence (and which our family has a small spot!) As a result, the Leave A Legacy photos at Epcot will move into a beautiful setting just outside the park’s gateway.
Lastly, redevelopment will begin between Spaceship Earth and World Showcase Promenade. More details about the transformation of this area will be announced at a later date. (I would expect more green space to soften the concrete center.)
EPCOT Renovations Previews
Guests will be able to visualize the exciting plans for Epcot when doors open later this year on a new Experience Center in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. They will discover engaging and interactive exhibits that showcase the relentless innovation, energy and excitement driving the future of the park.
These new announcements join other projects already underway as part of the Epcot evolution. Larger-than-life Super Heroes will descend upon the park with the opening of a Guardians of the Galaxy-themed attraction. This new experience will be one of the longest enclosed roller coasters in the world. It will feature a brand-new ride system when it also opens in time for the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary.
Future EPCOT Enhancements
Other exciting new developments underway at Epcot include:
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction in the France pavilion, patterned after the number-one family attraction at Disneyland Paris.
- “Beauty and the Beast” sing-along in the France pavilion, showing in addition to the pavilion’s current film, Impressions de France.
- Circle-Vision 360 film for the China pavilion.
- Updated O Canada! 360-degree show.
- Signature Dining experience inspired by the natural beauty of Japan.
- Space-themed table-service restaurant adjacent to Mission: SPACE, inviting guests to travel high above the earth for an unforgettable dining experience.
- Epcot Forever, a 2019 limited-time nighttime experience over World Showcase Lagoon set to classic Epcot tunes, followed by an all-new nighttime spectacular debuting in 2020.
