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Future
World is open from
9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
World
Showcase is open
11 a.m to 9 p.m.
IllumiNations
Nightly at 9 p.m.
**********
To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome.
Epcot Center is inspired by Walt Disney's creative genius. Here, human
achievements are celebrated through imagination, the wonders of enterprise,
and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for
all.
May Epcot Center entertain, inform and inspire. And, above all, may
it instill a new sense of belief and pride in man's ability to shape
a world that offers hope to people everywhere. (Dedication Plaque)
**********
On October
1, 1979 ground broke for the second Theme Park at Walt Disney World. Three
years and $1.4 billion later, on October 1, 1982, Epcot Center opened
at the Walt Disney World resort. The new Experimental Prototype City of
Tomorrow was connected via monorail to the familiar Magic Kingdom theme
park.
It was
Walt's Dream to have a self-contained city reside here... unfortunately
he passed away before it could be built. The Walt Disney Company created
a theme park which incorporated Walt's love for World's Fairs and the
promise of the future!
Epcot
has come along way since the early days. On October 1, 2007, Epcot
celebrated it's 25th Anniversary!
**********
OVERVIEW
Welcome to
Epcot, a theme park design to both entertain and educate. Epcot is twice
the size of the Magic Kingdom, so be prepared to walk. You really
won't be able to see it all in one day, so if that's all the time you
have, plan carefully.
The 9,000
space parking lot rarely fills. Trams take you to the main entrance
of Epcot where you enter the turnstiles and find yourself right in front
of Spaceship Earth.
Epcot is
made up of Future World and World Showcase. Future World
is where you can experience the past and future of technology advancements.
World Showcase highlights the art, architecture and culture of the countries
that surround the World Showcase Lagoon.
Epcot is
open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Most of Future World remains open
until 7 p.m.; World Showcase opens at 11 a.m. and remains open until 9
p.m. IllumiNations is shown nightly, at closing, around the World
Showcase Lagoon. On busy holidays (4th of July, Christmas, Easter) Epcot
may remain open until 10 p.m. or later.
Ever wonder
what EPCOT stands for? The official answer is Experimental Prototype Community
of Tomorrow. Epcot visitors and cast members have other answers: Every
Person Comes Out Tired, Employee Paychecks Come Out Tuesday, and so on.
What's
New?
The
Great Piggy Bank Adventure,
the interactive exhibit is scheduled to open this spring at Innoventions.
The exhibit will "bring basic saving and investing concepts to life
in a fun and captivating way" and will encourage families to "engage
in regular dialogue about the importance of saving and how to manage money
responsibly."
Ratatouille
Remy -- As of March 9, guests who dine at Les Chefs de France restaurant
are being treated to a unique kind of entertainment, allowing them to
meet the culinary rat Remy, from the movie Ratatouille. Remy is an Audio-Animatronics
puppet who, along with the restaurant maitre d' (a comedic actor), engages
guests by performing a series of humorous, theatrical vignettes, using
a moving food cart with a silver-domed cheese platter as their stage.
Remy can be seen 12:30 - 6 p.m. at Les Chefs de France through September
5, 2009.
Kim
Possible World Showcase Adventure
- A new interactive adventure officially opened January 28, 2009. Guests
can play Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure in seven
of the World Showcase pavilions: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan,
France and United Kingdom. Each pavilion features a unique mission including
distinctive visual events and a different super villain from the animated
series.
Nine
Dragons Restaurant in China reopened September 25, 2008.
StormStruck
- Innoventions Exhibit! - Opened
August 2008 - 3D Virtual Weather Experience
What's
Coming?
The
"Sounds Like Summer" Concert Series returns to the America
Gardens Theatre in Epcot's World Showcase again this year, June 15 through
August 9.
Epcot's
Food and Wine Festival - September 25 - November 8, 2009 and Eat
to the Beat concerts
What's
Going - Going - Gone...
Epcot's
Flower and Garden Festival -
March 18 - May 31, 2009
Living
Seas Manatee Returned to Sea - Marine mammal experts from Walt Disney
World Resort returned a manatee to its natural habitat in the warm waters
of the St. John's River. The manatee, named "Bock," was rescued
as an orphan from the St. John's River in 2001 and arrived at The Seas
with Nemo and Friends at Epcot in 2003, weighing about 500 pounds.
“Epcot
Creating the World of Tomorrow” gallery, which celebrates
the past 25 years, is located in Innoventions West in Future World. Photographs,
memorabilia and models highlight the exhibit. Closed late September 2008.
The
Great American Farm - Innoventions Exhibit - Closed September 27,
2008
A
wide variety of sources were used to obtain the Epcot information found
on AllEars.net including: Fact Sheets obtained from the former Discovery
Center at Epcot, Discussions with Cast Members, various Epcot Center and
Epcot Guidemaps, "Walt Disney Imagineering" by the Imagineers,
"WDW 20 Magical Years" by The Walt Disney Company, Disney A
to Z The Official Encyclopedia (Dave Smith), The Imagineering Field Guide
to Epcot, Eyes and Ears (WDW cast newspapers) and "The Art and Science
of Gardening at WDW" 1984 a WDW Production.
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