EPCOT Center Vintage Character Photos

scan0001-001 - Jessica

Since opening day on October 1, 1982, EPCOT Center had walk-around meet & greet characters. The most famous of these were Figment & Dreamfinder, who are still sorely missed by Epcot fans (for more photos of them, check out our Vintage Journey into Imagination Photos page). There were also some other bizarre and short-lived characters, such as the World Showcase dolls and various robots, such as SMRT-1. In more recent years, Disney has reprised odd characters with “Figzilla” a giant walk-around Figment character that met guests outside the third version of Journey into Imagination.

When EPCOT Center opened, there were not walk around characters, with that ‘void’ instead being filled by the above aforementioned odd characters, as well as Figment & Dreamfinder. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending upon how creepy you find those other characters), only Figment & Dreamfinder caught on. The other unique characters were abandoned relatively quickly, and by the late 1980s, Disney characters made appearances in EPCOT Center.

These characters consisted of Disney characters in World Showcase clothed in attire representative of their host countries and also random characters that rode around the double-decker World Showcase buses. Neither these country-specific costumes nor the double decker buses are currently used. Instead, characters from stories set in the various countries do meet and greets in those countries. For example, you’ll often find Marie of Aristocats or Belle of Beauty and the Beast in France.

As EPCOT Center fans continue to celebrate the park’s 30th Anniversary until October 1, 2013, we will continue to share these vintage reader-submitted EPCOT Center photos from time to time. If you have EPCOT Center photos you’d like to share with our readers, please click here for details on submitting them! We *NEED* more photos to complete the series!

For photographer attribution and other information, hover your cursor over each photo. Also, be sure to check out our photo credits page. If you haven’t caught the other installments in this EPCOT30 tribute series, check them out here!

EPCOT 1989_IsaB (3) - Isabelle Boivin

Epcot 97

Epcot 12 - Caitlin Corsello

Epcot 9 - Caitlin Corsello

Epcot 7 - Caitlin Corsello

Epcot 1 - Caitlin Corsello

DISNEY_005 - Caitlin Corsello

DISNEY_003 - Caitlin Corsello

DISNEY(1) - Caitlin Corsello

sharonpluto19861 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonpluto19862 - Sharon Blickensderfer

world showcase- Jessica Durfee

032 - KatyBeth Schmid

094 - KatyBeth Schmid

116 - KatyBeth Schmid

201103100073-L - Heather Harvey

Canada Character 3-83 - Patricia Brown

Christine Costello

sharonminniejapan19862 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonminniejapan1986 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonmickey1986 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonfigment1986 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonchip19862 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonchip1986 - Sharon Blickensderfer

scan0338 - Katie Bray

scan0293 - Katie Bray

scan0292 - Katie Bray

Old School Epcot - Danielle Magnuson

photo2

Santa

scan 25 - Jeff Lipack

scan 28 - Jeff Lipack

scan0001-001 - Jessica

scan0253 - Katie Bray

scan0254 - Katie Bray

scan0291 - Katie Bray

Moroccan Character 3-83 - Patricia Brown

Minnie in Future World 10-85 - Patricia Brown

Mickey's Express 10-85 - Patricia Brown

Mexico Characters 3-83 - Patricia Brown

i-ZH5bFZN-L - Heather Harvey

i-z8JqbMm-L - Heather Harvey

i-XfmkvMS-L - Heather Harvey

i-VHVM8bg-L - Heather Harvey

i-t3P8rJC-L - Heather Harvey

img729

img031

img004 - Sarah Vineyard

img003 - Sarah Vineyard

img001 -- Sarah Vineyard

img_0008 - Ron Duphily

img_0007 - Ron Duphily

i-G9856x5-L - Heather Harvey

i-hQ2h2dv-L - Heather Harvey

i-KNbpvrR-L - Heather Harvey

Image (58) - Katie Bray

Image (59) - Katie Bray

Image (121) - Katie Bray

Image (130) - Katie Bray

Image (131) - Katie Bray

image3 - Paul Sac

img033

i-CzC7KNm-L - Heather Harvey

i-4wBkL2H-L - Heather Harvey

Goofy At Epcot Chad Erickson

Epcot4 - Adrienne Spratford

Epcot3 - Adrienne Spratford

EPCOT 1989_IsaB (5) - Isabelle Boivin

img_0009 - Ron Duphily

sharonmickey1986 - Sharon Blickensderfer

sharonminniejapan19862 - Sharon Blickensderfer

Moroccan Character 3-83 - Patricia Brown

Your Thoughts

What do you think of these EPCOT Center characters? Do you miss the old World Showcase costumes or the double decker bus? What about those rad robots?! Surely everyone misses Figment and Dreamfinder…right? Share your thoughts in the comments!

14 Responses to “EPCOT Center Vintage Character Photos”
  1. Oli August 12, 2020
  2. Ryan Serowinski October 1, 2017
  3. MrsM February 17, 2014
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  5. Heather S. March 13, 2013
  6. Lisa March 12, 2013
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  7. Tim March 12, 2013
    • Tom Bricker March 12, 2013
  8. Casey ODonnell March 11, 2013
  9. Kevin March 11, 2013
    • Tom Bricker March 12, 2013

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