A Timeline of EVERY Canceled Project in EPCOT History

No Walt Disney World park has transformed more than EPCOT. Over the park’s 40+ years, a litany of attractions and pavilions have been announced and designed only to be canceled as the park’s identity continued to shift.

From new versions of old attractions to full World Showcase pavilions, each of these potential additions would have significantly changed EPCOT had it been built. Of course, those who know their Disney history are aware that EPCOT itself could arguably be described as a canceled project, as Walt Disney’s original concept of the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow was never built and bears little to no resemblance to the theme park which was eventually built.

Hollywood Pavillion

At one point in the early 1980s, Disney was planning a Hollywood pavilion for the park’s then-Future World section. The pavilion would feature a massive E-Ticket attraction as well as other exhibits that would celebrate the “magic of the movies.” If that’s familiar, it should. Then-CEO Michael Eisner was so taken with the plan (and according to some knowledgeable of a similar idea of Universal) that he decided it deserved its own park, leading to the creation of Disney-MGM Studios.

Space 2.0

During the 1990s, Disney Imagineering drew up plans to renovate the beloved Horizons into a new Space Pavilion that would maintain many of the core elements of that attraction. Eventually, the idea was scrapped in favor of creating a completely new attraction, which became Mission Space.

Time Racers

In the early 2000s, Imagineering drafted a plan entitled Project Gemini, which would have completely renovated the majority of EPCOT. This would have included Spaceship Earth being completely gutted and replaced by a high-speed roller coaster known as Time Racers inside the sphere.

Yes, really.

Play! Pavilion

As part of the 2019 EPCOT reimagining, Disney announced that the long-abandoned Wonders of Life would be replaced by the Play! Pavilion, an “interactive futuristic city where guests would be able to interact with a variety of Disney characters.” However, as the rest of the project went into construction, the Play! Pavilion was seemingly left untouched. In 2023, it was dropped from the park’s guide maps, and Disney said that the attraction’s concept was being reevaluated.

Unbuilt World Showcase Pavilions

Over the years, a slew of countries have been planned and/or announced as being added to World Showcase. These include Iran, Costa Rica, Equatorial Africa, Israel, Puerto Rico, Soviet Union, Spain, Switzerland (which would have featured an east coast Matterhorn), United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. However, for various reasons – – including political and financial – – none have seen the light of day. The most recent country to have been added to World Showcase was Norway in 1988.

Germany Rhine River Cruise

The Germany Pavilion was initially planned to include a cruise down Germany’s most famous rivers, including the Rhine, the Tauber, the Ruhr and the Isar, where riders would pass detailed miniatures of famous landmarks, including the Cologne Cathedral. The ride was so close to being constructed that it’s entrance and elements of the show building were constructed at the back of the Germany pavilion before it was cut for budget reasons.

Japan Meet the World Show

Moving from Germany to Japan, that country’s World Showcase Pavilion was once planned to include a version of the Meet the World animatronic show that was developed for Tokyo Disneyland. Allegedly, the building that was meant to hold the theater was built incorrectly, and the show was not included. According to theme park urban legend, the space that was meant to hold the show is used for storage.

Japan Bullet Train Coster

The first of two planned thrill attractions for the Japan pavilion that were never built, this recreation of a Japanese bullet train would have had guests standing aboard a vibrating recreation of the passenger compartment of the famous transportation method as the screens surrounding the, served as oversized faux windows that played a high-speed travelogue of Japan’s scenery.

Japan Mt. Fuji Coaster

At one point, a Mount Fuji roller coaster was also planned for Japan as well. The massive indoor roller coaster would have allegedly culminated with an encounter with a massive Godzilla inside the mountain facade. The ride went unbuilt due to budget issues, though a longtime urban legend claims that Kodak objected to the ride because the recreation of Mount Fuji was too reminiscent of their then-rival Fuji film.

U.K Thames River Cruise

Moving over to the United Kingdom Pavilion, there were plans in the 1980s to build a full-scale water ride that would feature London landmarks including the Tower of London, Victoria’s Tower, and the Houses of Parliament. The ride was never built.

U.K. Mary Poppins Ride

At the 2019 D23 Expo Disney had Dick Van Dyke himself announce that a Mary Poppins-attraction (later revealed to be an indoor teacup style attraction) was going to be added to the U.K. Pavilion as part of EPCOT’s reiminagining. However, following the pandemic, the ride was cut. According to a Disney spokesperson. “As with most businesses during this period, we are further evaluating long-term project plans. The decision was made to postpone development of the Mary Poppins-inspired attraction…”

These are just the unbuilt EPCOT projects we know about, as there are likely dozens more whose plans have never leaked out of Disney Imagineering’s design library. Stay tuned to AllEars for more deep dives into unbuilt Disney history.

The 5 Abandoned Disney Decade Projects I WISH Had Been Built

Which of these attractions do you wish had been built at EPCOT? Let us know in the comments below.

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