It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The Epcot Transformation has finally been revealed at the D23 Expo today! Walt Disney himself always meant for Epcot to be a place that changes with the times. We can expect the theme park to live up to that promise over the next few years! This will be the biggest transformation of any Disney park in HISTORY!
To start off, the Epcot logo will get a fresh brand new look! We revealed this earlier this weekend when we first arrived at D23. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Bob Chapek, joined by Zach Riddley of Walt Disney Imagineering and other special guests, took the stage to announce all of the exciting news for the future of the park.
The re-imagining of Epcot will see four “neighborhoods” Each of these neighborhoods will touch on important aspects of the world and its people:
- World Showcase
- World Celebration
- World Nature
- World Discovery
These neighborhoods will delight guests with new experiences that center on authenticity and innovation! Guests will go on a journey to new destinations, where real life meets fantastic possibilities!
The World Showcase will still be around, but it will be infused with even more magic!
Disney Parks Blog has given us official descriptions of what to expect:
- The United Kingdom pavilion will welcome the first attraction inspired by Mary Poppins. You will step in time down Cherry Tree Lane past Admiral Boom’s house, then enter Number 17, home of the Banks family, where your adventure will begin.
- In 2020, following the limited-time run of “Epcot Forever,” the new “HarmonioUS” will debut as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. It will celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over, carrying you away harmoniously on a stream of familiar Disney tunes reinterpreted by a diverse group of artists from around the globe. “HarmonioUS” will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more.
- In summer 2020, the France pavilion will offer even more for you to discover, including the much-anticipated attraction Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, where you’ll shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant on a wild adventure. Summer 2020 will also see the debut of a delicious new restaurant in the France pavilion, La Crêperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options featuring a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.
- Also in the France pavilion, the classic Impressions de France film will be joined by the new “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along,” debuting in January 2020 and directed by Don Hahn, producer of both the animated and live-action versions of this tale as old as time.
- “Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” will debut in January 2020 in the Canada pavilion with new scenes and a new story.
- In the China pavilion, “Wondrous China” will take guests on a spectacular journey across the country, filmed and presented in a completely seamless 360-degree digital format.
World Celebration
World Celebration is a “neighborhood” that will offer new experiences to connect one another to the world around us.
Don’t worry, Spaceship Earth isn’t going anywhere! It will still be the voyage through time, but the journey will transform to reflect the power of storytelling to unite the human experience. Spaceship Earth’s future has become out now, so a welcomed new narration with a new musical score will focus on the moments and ideas that define our story.
A new pavilion located in the neighborhood will be perfect for live events, and serve as a homebase for the signature festivals of Epcot we’ve all come to know and love. An elevated view of the entire park will be offered, and will provide a sport to enjoy Epcot’s new nighttime spectacular. It will be an incredible three-level structure that will have one of the most fantastical architectural designs! It will feature a plaza level, a middle expo level, and a gorgeous green space that sits beneath the Florida sky at the top.
The entrance plaza of Epcot will be transformed with new experiences designed to connect us to the world around us. Highlights will include a reimagined fountain, new pathways, welcomed green spaces! Disney promises that the new designs will still pay homage to the origins of Epcot.
As you leave Spaceship Earth, you’ll be enchanted by a beautiful view of the World Showcase from Dreamers Point. A new statue celebrating of Walt Disney, sitting in reflection will also be featured at the World Celebration.
World Nature
World Nature will be dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty, and balance of the natural world. It will include The Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilions.
- Journey of Water, Inspired by “Moana” will be the first experience inspired by the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film. This lush exploration trail will invite you to meet and play with magical, living water. The water will have a life of its own – just like Moana’s friend, the ocean – and you’ll learn about the importance of the natural water cycle.
- The Land pavilion’s new film, “Awesome Planet,” which showcases the beauty, diversity and dynamic story of the planet, will debut in January 2020.
World Discovery
World Discovery is where we will find our favorite stories about science, technology and intergalactic adventure!
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at Epcot. The adventure starts in the “Galaxarium,” a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar. You will be invited to learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share – until the moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, and adventures across the cosmos ensue. The attraction will feature a new innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering – a storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus your attention on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.
- An expansion of the Mission: SPACE pavilion, the new restaurant Space 220 will be a culinary experience featuring the celestial panorama of a space station, including daytime and nighttime views of Earth from 220 miles up. You’ll board a special elevator for a journey to a space station that is home to an incredible dining experience. Along the way, viewports will give you a real-time perspective as you travel high above the planet. Once you arrive, you’ll enjoy fantastic meals and drinks while taking in views that are truly out of this world. Opening this winter, Space 220 will be operated by the Patina Group.
- The PLAY! pavilion will open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. In this digital metropolis, you’ll discover an interactive city bursting with games, activities and experiences that connect you with friends, family and beloved Disney characters – both real and virtual – like never before. As part of this new pavilion, you’ll have the chance to help legendary fashion icon Edna Mode on her quest to rid the world of uninspired style, or make a splash competing in a water-balloon fight hosted by Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby.
Guests can visualize the Epcot Transformation plans on Oct. 1, 2019, at “Walt Disney Imagineering presents: The Epcot Experience” in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. The experience will showcase the innovation driving the park’s transformation over the coming years!
Which new Epcot experience are you most excited about?
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Hi. Thanks got all the info. Did they say anything about Test Track or Journey into Imagination?