A Brief History of Disney World's EPCOT Center

EPCOT Center, which was rebranded as simply "Epcot" in 1996, is one of the most iconic creations ever conceived by Disney engineers and is as well-known as a part of Walt Disney World as Cinderella's Castle. It opened to much fanfare in October of 1982, and remained the largest of Disney's various theme parks until 1998 when Disney's Animal Kingdom opened nearby. Epcot was designed by Walt Disney himself as one of his greatest creations, though unfortunately he did not live to see its construction or the changes that were made to his original plans.

Envisioning EPCOT

EPCOT, which is an acronym that stands for, "Experimental Prototype Community (or sometimes City) Of Tomorrow", was originally conceived by Walt Disney during the 1960's while he was developing plans for Walt Disney World in Florida. The EPCOT idea existed even before the plans for the Florida location were set in stone, and was based upon the amount of experience that Disney's "Imagineers" had acquired in building construction and advanced concept designs. Disney imagined EPCOT to be a thriving community with up to 20,000 residents, where shopping, schools, civil services, and all of the residents' needs would be more or less self-contained within the community itself. The EPCOT city was to be designed as a radial community, with shopping and commerce being centrally located. Beyond that, the schools and civil services that the residents would need would make up the second ring (and would thus be closer to the residents themselves.) The outermost ring would be made up of the residential sector, and those living there would have the advantage of being the same distance from everything that they would need (as opposed to the sprawl that is encountered in modern cities.) Disney envisioned EPCOT as a city that would never be completed, as new technology and innovation would keep improving the designs and the lives of all who lived there.

A Change of Plans

The board of directors however did not like the idea of Disney opening a city with no central attractions, and though Walt Disney was opposed to the idea of making a "sequel" theme park to Disneyland he eventually relented and allowed the construction of the Magic Kingdom to be planned for the Florida property. He still expected to make EPCOT a reality, though he passed away before the city of his dreams could be built. Not wanting to be responsible for a full-fledged city, the board of directors refused to continue with the plans for EPCOT (though they did allow Walt Disney's brother, Roy, to complete the Magic Kingdom.) Several of the ideas which had been created for EPCOT were included in the final design of Walt Disney World, including some of the unique solutions that the park employed for transportation and its water and electrical supplies.

EPCOT Center Opens

E. Cardon Walker, the CEO of Disney at the time, decided in the late 1970's that he wanted to revisit the EPCOT theme. The board of directors still did not like the idea, and Walker himself agreed with them that the idea wouldn't work the way that Walt Disney had originally designed it. A compromise was eventually reached which would enable some of the concepts of the original plan to survive without the need for a full-fledged city to be built. The new design would come to be known as the EPCOT Center, and would showcase the innovative ideas that Disney had prized before his death in a manner similar to the presentations at a World's Fair. EPCOT Center opened in late 1982, with a short speech by Walker paying tribute to both Walt Disney's innovative ideal for EPCOT and the wonder that Disney had hoped that EPCOT would present to the world. Keeping with the radial design of Disney's original plan, the centerpiece of EPCOT Center was a giant sphere known as Spaceship Earth.

Epcot Today

Though the name of Epcot has changed a few times over the years (first to "Epcot '94", then "Epcot ?95", and finally just "Epcot"), it still stands as a representation of the best that humanity can strive for. The entire park is dedicated to themes of diversity and peace in a futuristic setting, and contains amazing displays and technological innovations which can leave audiences full of wonder. The park is divided into several sections, including Future World and the World Showcase. Future World is the location of Spaceship Earth, Mission: SPACE, and other innovation and exploration themed attractions. In addition to Future World, the World Showcase features pavilions that represent 11 different countries and the 13-minute fireworks show at closing time known as IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Epcot also features international events annually, including food, flower, and holiday showcases.

Craig Elliott is a freelance writer who writes about topics pertaining to vacations and the travel industry such as Walt Disney World | Disney Vacation