After delays, a pandemic, some updates, and then more delays, the reimagining of EPCOT is finally complete. Or is it?
It took 4 years, 9 months, and 7 days (yes, we counted) for the EPCOT construction walls to come down. And, in recent days, EPCOT Vice President Kartika Rodriguez declared EPCOT’s transformation a success. She said:
“It’s a very exciting time to be at EPCOT – after years of creative vision, innovation and dedicated work, I’m thrilled to share that the historic transformation of our park is complete.”
Let’s take a look at how EPCOT has changed over the years, as well as a little look at the future of this park.
How Has EPCOT Changed?
The first major change to EPCOT – in this series of updates, at least – came on 1st October 2021. Future World was split into World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery, and World Showcase (the latter remained the same.)
Since then, EPCOT has also received a slew of new attractions and expansions, one of the largest being the extended France Pavilion and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride. This also opened in October 2021 and doubled the size of the existing pavilion. Other new attractions include Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and the Journey of Water Inspired by Moana.
In December 2023, the area between Spaceship Earth and World Showcase, known as World Celebration Gardens, opened to the public for the first time. This area boasts Dreamers Point and the Walt the Dreamer statue, along with a multitude of green spaces and a new fountain.
Likewise, the Creations Shop and Connections Cafe and Eatery have been added to the park. Next to Mission Space, Space 220 has been one of the most exciting dining locations to open in Walt Disney World in recent years.
CommuniCore Hall and Plaza: A Major Fail?
That brings us to the most recent addition to EPCOT, the CommuniCore Hall and Plaza. Located in World Celebration, this new space houses indoor and outdoor festival hubs, a new Mickey and Friends meet and greet, and the ¡Celebración Encanto! show.
But the general reaction to the CommuniCore Hall and Plaza was negative, with fans sharing their disappointment on social media. The new space left much to be desired, looking more like an office than a place where magic can be found.
So that leaves the question: is the EPCOT transformation really complete? And what happened to all the blue-sky projects that never made the cut? Let’s take a look…
Scrapped EPCOT Projects
Numerous EPCOT projects have been teased, but the most solid of all is the Spaceship Earth revamp. The attraction was scheduled to close in May 2020, but this was delayed due to COVID-19.
It’s believed that the ride, which would be renamed Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story, would receive fresh scenes and a new narration, plus a general refresh. The last Spaceship Earth update was in 2007.
While we don’t think this is completely cancelled – after all, Spaceship Earth is the spearhead of EPCOT – it will likely be a few years until this project is underway.
UK Pavilion Expansion + Mary Poppins Ride
Similar to France’s expansion, the UK Pavilion was due to receive a Cherry Tree Lane expansion and a new Mary Poppins attraction. According to leaked concept art, this ride would be a teacup-style attraction.
Then, in 2022, ex-CEO Bob Chapek confirmed that the project was on hold indefinitely. Sadly, the new area and attraction have not been mentioned by Disney since this and have most likely been scrapped.
Play! Pavillion
One of the most popular potential additions to EPCOT is the Play! Pavilion. First announced in 2019, the new area would be a futuristic space where guests could meet a variety of popular characters.
The original concept art and details referenced an Edna Mode-run animation academy, a Zootopia interactive game, an arcade, and a water balloon fight video game featuring multiple characters. Disney has since shared that the company is “re-evaluating the original concept that was planned,” which, to us, sounds like the Play! Pavilion project is a no-go.
What’s Next for EPCOT?
EPCOT was wall-free for a single week before new ones were erected around Test Track on June 17. The attraction, still sponsored by Chevrolet, is undergoing a mega transformation inspired by World of Motion (the attraction Test Track replaced.)
Not much is known about the reimagined ride, but we expect it to be closed for longer than a year as Imagineers work their magic.
Aside from this, there are no other major projects planned. For now, it looks like EPCOT’s makeover is complete, although Walt Disney himself said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” We imagine Disney has already got some more plans hidden up their sleeve for this park.
What would you like to see in the future of EPCOT?
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