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EPCOT Experimental
Prototype Community of Tomorrow
After three years of
construction- at the time, the largest construction
project in the world- EPCOT Center opened on October 1,
1982. It was named in reference to the original EPCOT
idea- Walt Disney’s Experimental Prototype Community of
Tomorrow, which was a self-sustained town under the
Disney Company. The concept included people living in
EPCOT and working there and in the surrounding parks. In
1994, the name was changed to Epcot ’94, and the next
year, Epcot ’95. In 1996, it was left as Epcot, a
non-acronym word.
Epcot’s signature sphere- Spaceship Earth- houses an
attraction that follows human communication from the far
caveman past to present-day communications. Designed
with help from Ray Bradbury, a well-known science
fiction writer who also helped to develop the storyline
for the ride, the 18-story sphere took 26 months to
complete. The ride has been remodeled three times and is
currently running on its fourth version. For almost
seven years, the sphere has Mickey’s hand holding a wand
with “2000” written on it, then “Epcot.” In 2007 it was
removed and the sphere was restored to its original,
unadorned appearance.
There are two sides to Epcot because while creating the
theme park, two teams came up with two very different
ideas; at one point, both park models were pushed
together, and thus a new concept was born. Epcot is
formed of two separate ideals- one represents the
cutting edge of technology, while the other half
represents international cultures. Epcot is able to
successfully represent both, making it an extremely
unique theme park. Epcot consists of two main areas;
Future World and World Showcase
Future World is filled with technology that is just
beginning to be created; it features many new advances
in computer, auto, and other fields.
World Showcase is just that; it features small rides,
presentations, or pavilions based on those countries.
Cast members are usually natives, and merchandise and
foods are traditional [and delicious!]. This is where
culture and magic collide at Walt Disney World.
Take your family to the disney vacation they always wanted. Call and book one of our disney world vacation packages
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