Analysis: Epcot’s transformation and ‘completion’ of its new vision

On Dec. 5, 2023, Epcot will debut “Luminous: The Symphony of Us,” its new fireworks spectacular. Also sometime that month, the park will unveil its overhauled central plaza.

Disney has repeatedly referred to these projects as marking the “completion” of Epcot’s multi-year transformation, but let’s take a look at the overhaul’s philosophical approach, unbuilt attractions, and significance to the Epcot story.

A Dream Called Epcot

In embarking on our journey, it feels unnecessary to wind the clock all the way back to Walt Disney’s 1966 announcement of Epcot. After all, his plan for Epcot was a city, not a theme park.

However, the conclusion of the park’s transformation does involve a new statue (below) of the mythic entertainment legend, and Disney has used much of Walt’s script from that 1966 film over the past few years in detailing Epcot’s overhaul. Therefore, it is in 1966 where we must unavoidably begin.

During Walt’s recorded pitch — infamously one of his last on-camera appearances, filmed two months prior to his death — the dreamer set the bar high for Epcot’s place within Disney World at large.

“By far the most important part of our Florida project,” Walt proclaimed, “in fact, the heart of everything we’ll be doing in Disney World, will be our Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” Walt motioned to the conceptual artwork and models surrounding him. “Everything in this room may change time and time again as we move ahead.”

“The 21st Century Begins”

Following Walt’s passing, his artists and Imagineers struggled to adapt the vague Epcot concepts for a city of the future.

Former Imagineer (and Disney Legend) Bob Gurr extrapolated his team’s thought process in the Epcot episode of “Behind the Attraction.”

“Where are you gonna register to vote?” Gurr posited. “Where are your kids gonna go to school? All the details of residential and commercial life had not been fleshed out, but we agonized over it.” Gurr continued, “We saw how much of Epcot would never, never work. It just would not work for 10,000 reasons.”

For the time being, Imagineers implemented the spirit of Walt’s vision for Epcot into innovative technology. These many infrastructure marvels, from monorails to trash systems, were at use in time for the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971 (as detailed in “A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth” by Kevin M. Kern, Tim O’Day, and Steven Vagnini).

Beyond that, the team evolved the ideals of Epcot into a new theme park, to open in 1982. A teaser poster for the park read: “The 21st century begins October 1, 1982.”

“Biggest Transformation” in Disney Parks History

At a D23 event in 2016, Bob Chapek (chairman of Disney Parks at the time) revealed he’d instructed Imagineers to “dream big” in mapping out Epcot’s future. These plans became clearer at D23 Expo 2017 where Chapek shared the “guiding principles” behind Epcot’s transformation: the park would become “more timeless, more relevant, more family, and more Disney.”

Chapek’s four bullet points became mantras of the project. Imagineers and executives repeated the language as they spoke at events and posted on social media through an almost academic lens. Disney wouldn’t just be adding a few attractions to Epcot, but rather definitively and strategically re-imagining the park’s purpose.

Simultaneously, Disney acknowledged a cognizance of Epcot’s loyal fans.

“We’re aware, of course, that each time we touch Epcot, we are touching the setting for millions of precious family memories,” Thomas Smith, editorial content director of Disney Parks, wrote on the Disney Parks Blog in 2019. “So, we are very careful stewards of this park.”

By D23 Expo 2019, Chapek hailed the overhaul as “the biggest transformation of any park we’ve ever accomplished.”

“On the Brink of a New Age — October 1, 2019”

Epcot’s transformation would happen gradually over time, not all at once. Nevertheless, Disney kicked things into high gear following D23 Expo 2019, marking Oct. 1, 2019 as an important date for the project’s timeline. The company went as far as to recreate the 1982 teaser poster with the new 2019 date. The poster proclaimed the park was “on the brink of a new age.”

Oct. 1, 2019 was more symbolic than significant in terms of grand openings of major additions. On that day — the park’s 37th birthday — a preview center for upcoming attractions (The Epcot Experience) opened and the park’s limited-time interim fireworks show (Epcot Forever) debuted.

Epcot would henceforth embody “the magic of possibility.” The park’s new slogan was spoken aloud at D23 Expo 2019, potentially for the first time. If the transformation existed in the world of academia, this was its thesis.

To that end, Disney instated a re-zoning of the park’s geography. World Showcase would maintain its name and philosophy. However, the attractions of Future World — the science-driven front half of the park — would be re-organized into three separate neighborhoods: World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature.

The four years that followed saw major changes park-wide.

An Award-Winning Coaster and a TikTok-Trending Rat

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened in 2022 as Epcot’s first roller coaster, and the Themed Entertainment Association honored the attraction as an outstanding achievement.

In 2021 (as part of Walt Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration), Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure debuted in a newly-expanded France Pavilion, importing the popular trackless family dark ride from Disneyland Paris. News of the Ratatouille attraction’s construction inspired TikTok user Emily Jacobsen to create an ode to Remy the rat. In her musical tribute, Jacobsen called Remy “the rat of all our dreams.” Her viral hit in turn inspired “Ratatouille: The Musical,” one of the most explosive Internet movements of the pandemic. Assessing the park’s transformation through Chapek’s aforementioned guiding principles, “Ratatouille: The Musical” effectively made Epcot “more relevant” than it had been in decades.

As the long-running “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” nighttime spectacular ended, a revolving door of successors followed: “Epcot Forever,” a tribute to the park’s music; “Harmonious,” a global songbook of Disney tunes; and the upcoming “Luminous: The Symphony of Us,” debuting Dec. 5, 2023, as part of Disney’s 100th-anniversary celebration.

To detail every attraction of Epcot’s renovations at length would be to commit to writing a book. Let’s go with the SparkNotes version. The project also included three new films (in France, Canada, and The Land), two new table-service restaurants (Space 220 and Shiki-Sai), a tech-savvy lighting package for Spaceship Earth, an outdoor “Moana” walk-through, a significant new transportation system in the Skyliner, and major overhauls of Epcot’s parking lot, main entrance, entire central plaza, flagship merchandise location, and biggest quick-service restaurant.

One could argue subjectively about whether the new Epcot is better than the old. However, the narrative that the park’s transformation amounted to a small number of additions is objectively false.

Unbuilt Attractions of Epcot’s Transformation

For as many new experiences Imagineers introduced at Epcot during this time, Disney publicly announced a handful of projects that never came to pass. Others appear to be scaled down from what Imagineers originally intended.

Granted, concept art changes for many attractions, from Disney and other companies, all the time. Concept art renderings are just that: concepts. They’re subject to the whims of the creative process, and anything could fluctuate, whether due to artistic or budgetary reasons alike (or, y’know, a global pandemic).

Therefore, in exploring the unbuilt attractions of Epcot’s transformation, we must do so with the business principle of “forward-looking statements” in mind. Things don’t always pan out according to plan. That being said, the heartbreak of what might have been is very real.

Mary Poppins and Cherry Tree Lane

Cherry Tree Lane from “Mary Poppins” was to be “an entirely new neighborhood” in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Chapek announced the news at D23 Expo 2019 with the help of no one less than Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke himself.

“Walt Disney was a creative genius who looked at the world through a child’s eyes,” Van Dyke told the crowd following a standing ovation for his surprise appearance. “That’s what affected us. He came on the set every day and tried to bring out the child in us, that sense of wonder in everything. It all worked. That’s the magic, and I’d do it all over again right now.”

There was a certain poetry to “Mary Poppins” (arguably Walt Disney’s career high point) arriving to Epcot (Walt’s last dream).

“You’ll be able to step down Cherry Tree Lane,” Chapek said, “past Admiral Boom’s home, and then enter Number 17 — the home of the Banks family — where your adventure begins. We’ll share more as this project develops, but we know you’re going to love stepping into this magical world for the first time.”

While no specific attractions were ever detailed, Chapek described the experience as “a practically perfect adventure” that would have guests “laughing with delight.”

The concept art and The Epcot Experience notably depicted 2018’s “Mary Poppins Returns” rather than the 1964 original. “Everything is possible,” Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins declared in a voiceover during The Epcot Experience, “even the impossible.”

Sadly, United Kingdom at Epcot remains without Cherry Tree Lane (or any visible signs of construction).

Spaceship Earth Re-Imagining

Since being part of Epcot’s opening-day lineup in 1982, Spaceship Earth has received major updates for each generation. The most recent was a 2007 refurbishment, during which Dame Judi Dench replaced Jeremy Irons as the attraction’s narrator. Disney announced plans for another extensive Spaceship Earth renovation at D23 Expo 2019.

At the time, the Disney Parks Blog shared:

The iconic Spaceship Earth will remain a voyage through time as the journey transforms to reflect the power of storytelling to unite the human experience. New narration and an entirely new musical score will focus on the moments and ideas that define our story. You will follow a magical “story light” that brings the entire experience to life in dynamic ways, giving each scene energy and beauty that ties the entire journey together.

On Feb. 25, 2020, the Disney Parks Blog announced Spaceship Earth would close for its overhaul on May 26, 2020. The site revealed concept art for a new take on the ride’s existing Egypt scene (below).

“Many of the moments you know and love will be updated in amazing ways,” the Parks Blog shared, “blended with brand-new scenes to tell a story about our human experience.”

However, following the pandemic closure and re-opening of Walt Disney World, Spaceship Earth remains in its 2007 form

Play Pavilion

Epcot’s Wonders of Life Pavilion closed in 2007 following several years of seasonal-only operation. Thereafter, the shell of the formerly fitness-focused dome occasionally became flex space for Epcot festivals.

On Feb. 21, 2019, the Disney Parks Blog announced the long-forlorn Wonders of Life building would transform into something new called the Play pavilion.

Narration in The Epcot Experience described the Play pavilion as “the digital city, where playing is a way of life — a place to snap and share — a place to play and win — a place to play and create.

The initial Disney Parks Blog post teased “interactive experiences,” “hands-on activities,” and “engaging entertainment.” Disney announced the Play Pavilion would open “just in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort,” which would kick off in 2021.

In the same post, Zach Riddley, an Imagineering executive, called the Play Pavilion “an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot — and another signature element of our transformation.”

Six months later at D23 Expo 2019, Chapek shared more details:

“In this digital metropolis called Play! Pavilion, you’ll discover an interactive city bursting with experiences, games, and activities that connect you with your friends, family, and some of your favorite characters. You can use your creative skills to help the legendary fashion icon Edna Mode on her quest to rid the world of uninspired style and make a splash competing in an epic water balloon fight hosted by our favorite Disney ducks: Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby.”

Disney had commenced construction related to the Play Pavilion by October 2019. Despite this, the company ultimately changed course. In October 2022, Theme Park Insider reported the Play pavilion as canceled. In January 2023, Blog Mickey noticed Disney removed the future attraction from Epcot’s map.

The former Wonders of Life building, located next to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, remains inaccessible to guests.

Wondrous China

“Reflections of China,” a 360-degree film in Epcot’s China Pavilion had debuted in 2003, itself replacing the former “Wonders of China.” Tom Fitzgerald, an Imagineering executive, joined Chapek on stage at D23 Expo 2017 to announce a new film.

“Taking a cue from Walt and the original Circle-Vision,” Fitzgerald said, “we’re creating a next-generation, digital camera system, much as we did for Soarin’. We’re gonna be taking this rig on the road to film our very first seamless Circle-Vision show for the China Pavilion.”

At D23 Expo 2019, Chapek introduced this project as “Wondrous China.” He reiterated Fitzgerald’s sentiments about the new attraction’s innovative technology. The Disney Parks Blog’s report of Chapek’s presentation shared that “Wondrous China” would take guests “on a spectacular journey across China, filmed and presented in a completely seamless 360-degree digital format.”

Four years later, “Reflections of China” remains at Epcot. Its traditional Circle-Vision style retains the separated screens that “Wondrous China” would have improved upon.

Festival Center with Rooftop Fireworks Viewing

A festival center, designated as a permanent space for Epcot’s rotating seasonal events, is still part of Epcot’s transformation. It will be among the final additions to open in the coming weeks. However, Disney’s initial plans for the festival center were more elaborate than the finished version.

At D23 Expo 2019, Chapek described the proposed three-level building.

“It features a plaza level, a mid expo level, and a park that sits in the sky with a perfect vantage point for all our new nighttime spectaculars,” Chapek said. “This beautiful structure will have one of the most unique designs in any of our parks and will fast become a new icon for Epcot.”

The Future of Epcot

In the coming weeks (at the time of this writing), Epcot will culminate its journey with:

• “Luminous: The Symphony of Us,” a new nighttime spectacular
• Walt the Dreamer, a new statue of Walt Disney
• The first permanent festival center for Epcot seasonal events
• A permanent new character greeting location for Mickey and friends
• Completed walkways of World Celebration, opening foot traffic across the park’s center for the first time in over four years

The Walt Disney Company is fond of quoting its founder in saying “Disneyland will never be complete . . . as long as there is imagination left in the world.” With that same sentiment, Imagineers have already announced another project for Epcot beyond the imminent “completion” of the park’s transformation.

As announced at Destination D23 2023, Test Track will be re-imagined sometime in the future. This third iteration of the thrill ride — following the 1999 original and the 2012 refurbishment — will harken back to the “spirit of optimism” embodied by Test Track’s predecessor, World of Motion. Disney has not announced a timeframe.