No Disney World park has transformed more than EPCOT over the past 40+ years, with the park’s very thesis statement changing several times. Given those changes, it shouldn’t be a surprise that several pavilions have been announced and designed for the park, only to be canceled as the park’s identity continued to shift.
As someone who has been visiting EPCOT for over 30 years, each of these canceled pavilions fascinates me, as any or all of them could have changed the very foundation of the park, and in turn affected where it is sits today.
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 sounds familiar, it should. Then-CEO Michael Eisner was so taken with the plan (and according to some knowledgeable of a similar idea to Universal) that he decided it deserved its own park, leading to the creation of Disney-MGM Studios. That park’s initial headline attraction, The Great Movie Ride, would have been the centerpiece of the EPCOT pavilion.
Space 2.0 Pavilion
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.
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
While the most recent country added to World Showcase was Norway in 1988, over the years, there have been a slew of other countries planned and/or announced as being added, only to never see the light of day.
Some of these scrapped nations include:
- A Costa Rica Pavilion featuring a large greenhouse filled with tropical plants and birds.
- The Equatorial Africa Pavilion, which would have been built around a 60-foot treehouse, and the “Heartbeat of Africa” live show. Remnants of this planned area can still be seen in the Outpost between China and Germany.
- An Iran Pavilion would have featured a dark ride exploring different parts of Persian history and a shopping area based on a bazaar. All Plans were scrapped after the Iranian Revolution.
- An Israel Pavilion was advertised on billboards when Epcot opened, and would have recreated ancient Jerusalem and featuring a courtyard stage and open-air restaurant. The concept was scrapped due to budget problems and security issues.
- A Puerto Rico Pavilion was once planned for EPCOT’s ill-fated “Phase II” expansion.
- A Soviet Union or Russian-themed pavilion was planned for the projected “Phase II.” It would have been based on the Moscow Kremlin and dominated by a replica of St. Basil’s Cathedral.
- A Spain Pavilion was advertised on billboards in the mid-1980s, with a design blending elements of Barcelona and Madrid. It was planned to feature a boat ride, a film on Spanish history, and a restaurant.
- A Switzerland Pavilion intended to bring a Matterhorn Bobsleds-style ride to EPCOT was slotted into plans at one point.
- A United Arab Emirates Pavilion was planned to feature a magic carpet ride attraction and a show detailing the cultural and scientific achievements of the Middle East.
- A planned Venezuela Pavilion would have replicated a waterfall, a high-rise built into a cliff, and an aerial tram ride.
These unbuilt pavilions represent just some of the “roads not taken” in EPCOT’s evolution. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney history.
“It was Better than Mission Space.”: We Need to Talk About This ABANDONED EPCOT Pavilion
Which of these pavilions do you most wish had been built? Let us know in the comments below.
The Costa Rica pavilion sounds lovely, though that of course has been used at the Animal Kingdom within the walking safaris there. In fact, the attractions from many of these proposed lands seem to appeared in other parks. Whilst I like that, I think it would have been great to have had them in more World Showcase pavilions. Personally, I’ve always liked the ideas Russia, Egypt and the Netherlands pavilions.
Africa
Switzerland
Australia !!!
Switzerland. Africa. Spain
I would have liked to see areas for Switzerland and Sub Saharan Africa. Aside from these 2, Brazil or Argentina to represent South America, India.
Spain and/or Israel
I disagree with Epcot being the most changed park. That has to be Hollywood Studios as there is not a single opening day attraction left and only one attraction remains that has to do with making films (Indy). That said I still would love to see Russia and Equatorial Africa come as well as any representation of a South American country.
Spain of course