Epcot’s Future World Being Replaced by 3 New Neighborhoods
At the 2019 D23 Expo Parks & Resorts panel, new details were revealed about the transformation of EPCOT, what we can expect as party of the radical overhaul of Future World, and when Walt Disney World guests will be able to enjoy all of this. Let’s get started, because we have a lot of details to share, plus my reactions to all of this big news.
First up is that Epcot’s Future World will be no more, replaced with three new neighborhoods: World Celebration, World Nature and World Discovery. These neighborhoods will pair with World Showcase and be filled with new innovative experiences and destinations, where the real is made fantastic in a celebration of curiosity, hands-on wonder and the magic of possibility.
World Celebration is essentially the central spine of EPCOT, and will offer new experiences that connect us to one another and the world around us. Spaceship Earth will remain the flagship attraction of the park’s core, presenting a voyage through time that now showcases the power of storytelling to unite the human experience.
New narration and an entirely new musical score will focus on the moments and ideas that define our story. Guests will follow a magical “story light” that brings the entire experience to life in dynamic ways, giving each scene energy and beauty that ties the entire journey together.
Disney hasn’t posted concept art online for the reimagined Spaceship Earth, but what was shared on-screen at the Expo showcased an animated version of the first few scenes of the ride, along with the glowing story light overhead. Per Bob Chapek, the current scenes that begin the attraction will be joined by new scenes–but no further details were provided beyond that.
Upon exiting Spaceship Earth, there will be a breathtaking new view of World Showcase from Dreamers Point, which will also feature a statue of Walt Disney seated on a curb (pictured below at the top of the “My Reaction” section). This area will also feature natural environments, a wishing tree in an enchanted forest, and a story fountain playing Disney music.
World Celebration will also be home to a new pavilion for live events, and the home base for Epcot’s signature festivals. Basically, this sounds like a new festival center now that the Wonders of Life is being converted to the Play Pavilion.
This new pavilion will be a three-level structure will have one of the most remarkable architectural designs at any Disney park, featuring a plaza level, a middle expo level, and a park that sits in the sky on the top level. The upper garden will provide a stunning elevated view of the entire park and an ideal view of Epcot’s new nighttime spectacular.
Finally, as previously shared, the park’s entrance plaza feature a reimagined fountain, new pathways, and sweeping green spaces that beautify the entryway and pay homage to the origins of EPCOT. No timeline was given for the debut of the new World Celebration, but we’re assuming it rolls out in phases, with most major sections between Spaceship Earth and World Showcase likely debuting at the tail end of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
Moving on to World Nature, which is dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty, awe and balance of the natural world. This neighborhood will include the Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilions. (And presumably, Journey into Imagination, although the presentation was silent as to its fate.)
As previously announced, this area will also be home to the new Journey of Water, inspired by Moana. This lush exploration trail will invite guests to meet and play with magical, living water. The water will have a life of its own — just like Moana’s friend, the ocean — and you’ll learn about the importance of the natural water cycle.
The Land pavilion’s new film, “Awesome Planet,” which showcases the beauty, diversity and dynamic story of the planet, will debut in January 2020. Although this post focuses on Future World, Disney also announced that the new Canada and Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along films will also debut in January 2020 during Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts.
Finally, World Discovery. This neighborhood showcases stories about science, technology and intergalactic adventure. This area is home to Test Track, Play Pavilion, Mission: Space, and the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at Epcot, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
This is the new name of the Guardians of the Galaxy story coaster, and a few new tidbits were released about it. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind begins in the “Galaxarium,” a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar.
Guests are invited to learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share, until the moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, and adventures across the cosmos ensue. The Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction will feature a new innovation from Imagineering: a storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus your attention on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.
Finally, Disney has given a new name to the space restaurant that will be located adjacent to Mission: Space and, sadly, it’s not Mission: Plates. The new restaurant will be called Space 220, and that inferior name was probably chosen so demand for ADRs does not reach stratospheric heights.
Space 220 will be a culinary experience featuring the celestial panorama of a space station, including daytime and nighttime views of Earth from 220 miles up. Guests will board a special elevator for a journey to a space station that is home to an incredible dining experience. Along the way, viewports will give you a real-time perspective as you travel high above the planet. The opening timeframe for Space 220 remains “this winter.”
My Reaction
I’m not really how much I can say about Epcot, its mission statement, and its loft aspirations that I have not already said in myriad posts over the last several years, most recently in our Moana Attraction & More Announced for EPCOT Transformation, which covered the broad brushstrokes of the new Future World concept art.
Before that, I succinctly covered why so many of the changes to Epcot made in the last two decades miss the mark, and why this park is so important in my Why We Can’t Let EPCOT Go post. I won’t rehash all of that here, but I will cover some thoughts on this latest announcement, specifically.
There are some elements of the EPCOT transformation that make my eyes roll. Specifically, Dreamers Point and the new statue of Walt Disney. It strikes me as hollow and transparent–much like using a Walt Disney quote about progress to justify adding characters to somewhere they don’t belong.
More and more, it feels like Walt Disney is a corporate mascot to give ‘cover’ to various, potentially controversial changes. It’s an easy and mostly superficial way to score points with fans, sort of like the original pavilion logos. The D23 Expo audience went absolutely nuts for this Walt Disney statue, so maybe I’m alone in my jaded and cynical perspective.
In general, I’m also disappointed by the lack of substance. Perhaps I feel this way because we already spent a lot of time in the EPCOT booth on the show floor watching the montage video and examining that concept art, and perhaps it’s because I pay attention to Walt Disney World rumors (almost all of which have been on the money and provided more detail about EPCOT’s future).
The jury is still out on Spaceship Earth’s overhaul (although it wasn’t explicitly stated, we’re assuming the longstanding 2-Year Spaceship Earth Overhaul Rumors are accurate–get your last rides on the current version as soon as possible!) We also don’t know what’s going to happen with Journey into Imagination. It would appear I got my hopes up there for no reason, and am now actively worried about its future since literally nothing was mentioned about it in the presentation.
With that said, my overall impressions of the aesthetic style of Future World’s redesign, in a broad and sweeping sense, are generally positive. As I’ve said elsewhere, Future World has felt like a dead mall for the better part of a decade. There was a time when the design of Communicore, the lush landscape, and water features made this area beautiful and inspiring. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case since before the Millennium Celebration.
The area’s central spine that runs between EPCOT’s entrance and World Showcase lagoon has been limping along without any cohesive vision for even longer than that. It’s been a duct tape approach with new paint schemes, whirlygigs, and other aesthetic flourishes trying to fake a sense of life and kinetic energy.
The new design of EPCOT’s central spine, and specifically the area replacing Innoventions West, looks like its a modern take on futurism. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot over the weekend, and I have to give credit where it’s due, as this was spurred by this comment from Pete on our Moana Attraction & More Announced for EPCOT Transformation post:
“I think it’s interesting that when EPCOT Center opened, it was pretty much a given that the future world (lower case) would be a “hard” landscape of concrete, steel, and glass. That was what progress looked like to Walt Disney (and countless futurists, science fiction authors, movie producers, etc.) throughout the majority of the 20th century. Sure, elements of the nature world would be present, but they would be tamed and constrained – whether in a water tank, a modern high-tech greenhouse, etc. Even World Showcase represents the “urban” version of all of the featured countries.
I feel like beyond the IP draw, this Moana attraction shows Disney continuing to adjust to a shift in how our culture views the future – where once nature was an enemy for humankind to subdue, most of us now recognize that we are interconnected with the natural environment and that a healthy symbiosis will be an element of an “idealized” future (which Epcot still represents in some ways).”
He’s exactly right. Here’s a good overview of the evolution of futuristic design principles, from modern architecture post-World War II to the digital revolution (and a variety of styles in between) that would’ve informed the original aesthetic of EPCOT Center.
Towards the end of that, you’ll see that the current trends include sustainable and eco-friendly design, plus a variety of futuristic skyscrapers. Obviously, the latter is not a viable option for EPCOT (although that could help explain-away the hideous Guardians of the Galaxy show building!), leaving options that embrace and harness the natural environment.
While some examples of sustainable design are chic, trendy, and (arguably) vapid, there is also a lot of innovation in this realm. Architects and urban planners are starting to leverage these styles out of necessity to lessen their environmental impact and make more inviting spaces.
Previously, we pointed to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art as an example of potential inspiration for the festival center that will be built in Future World. This is one of many popping up around cities like Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and elsewhere. Perhaps the best example of all is Disney’s own Villages Nature Paris, which opened a couple of years ago and embraces this form of futurism.
Evolving perspectives of futurism aside, I think Disney’s best themed areas are, at their core, reassuring and welcoming. In recent posts about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we’ve talked about romanticized design versus gritty authenticity. Even though it’s not themed to a specific time or place, Future World absolutely falls into the former category of romanticized spaces.
At its best, Future World (or these new neighborhoods, if you’d prefer) should represent our best hopes and dreams for the future. As much as I love mid-century modern, brutalism, and other styles from around the time when EPCOT Center was built, I think tastes and real-world concerns that inform design have changed radically in the last several decades. For me, this aesthetic transformation reflects that–or at least it could. Change is really difficult, especially when it comes to EPCOT, but I’m optimistic that the new-look Future World will embody the spirit of EPCOT Center’s original vision. Maybe I’m naive or delusional, but the alternative to hopefulness is simply saying goodbye to EPCOT, and I’m not ready to do that.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think of the Epcot Future World neighborhood announcement at the D23 Expo? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment that this is not the change that Epcot needs? Are you excited about this, or do you wish Epcot would return to the vision of the EPCOT Center era? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
Was there any talk of incorporating some type of transportation from World Showcase to the entrance/exit and monorail? That is a *long* walk at the end of an already long walk around the world, and while it would be slammed after Illuminations/replacement ends, during the rest of the day it would be heaven-sent! (Or maybe the skyliner will serve this purpose?)
Tom – was there any updates for the world showcase? Brazil?
No Brazil. Punishment for Amazonia fires.
I’m not a Disney Blogger or one that visits every three weeks.
But how easy was it to see by the Moana artwork that they will be using the fountains outside of Journey To IMagination? how do you people miss this? Journey will be gone.
They will undoubtedly ruin Spaceship Earth, and they will re-do EPCOT and raise prices at 50 times the rate of inflation until finally only the rich will be able to afford Disney.
Replacing Journey into Imagination was my first thought when I heard the name “Journey of Water,” but turns out it’s not the case. Journey of Water is going where Innoventions West used to be, around where Art of Disney was. You can even see it in the concept art. Nothing’s been said about the Imagination Pavilion.
My first visit to Epcot was in the 2000’s, so feel free to dismiss all of my opinions based on this if it pleases you. I like Epcot a lot, but it’s hard to describe why it’s good to people who haven’t been.
I have a tendency to be a very nostalgic person, so I get it, I really do. However, future world was doomed to fail. A land based on the near future is unsustainable. It would have to be constantly upgraded and reimagined. Which also means changing or replacing attractions often (so the rides you loved were inherently not going to stick around as they were). Also, here is where I will lose you, the rides that used to be there were not as good as you remember, and to new guests they were underwhelming (opinions). If you think about it, most of the land was not future-focused anyway, so the whole land was a bit of a misnomer from the get go.
It may not be perfect, but this future world reimagining was inevitable and needed (opinions). I am optimistic that it will be great, and it seems to be headed in the right direction.
This is really nicely stated, and I very much appreciate (and needed) this perspective. Thank you.
While I’m not *convinced* a future world is ‘unsustainable’ (especially given the history of corporate sponsorship), I genuinely understand the sentiment here.
I do think this is better, but I am still longing for more.
🙂
“I do think this is better, but I am still longing for more.”
I agree with this. My optimism is that this is laying the foundation for a new clearer theme to the front of the park that will set it up for the future.
Unrelated side note. I really like how all the attractions in world showcase are very inconspicuous and hidden from view. I really hope they keep it that way. You can walk from country to country and never hear a loud rumble with people screaming as they rush past.
Thank you very much Tom for the write-up. I was busy today packing for our wdw trip (leaving tomorrow) and didn’t have any time to follow the news. I really appreciate having everything summarized here 🙂
I’m excited for these changes. As someone who visits every 18-36 months, I appreciate the familiar but really look forward to the new. The new “worlds” at first blush appear to blend the purpose of Epcot together, even with the addition of IP. As a kid Epcot was always my favorite, maybe because of the lack of IP, but now I understand their place in garnering interest. Instead of the “It” celebrity of the time taking part of the attraction (e.g. Ellen), it’s now perhaps a longer lasting character that will inspire broader audiences. Future World has needed something and I really like this direction and am hopeful that it is executed tastefully and beautifully.
Beautifully stated, thank you. And, thank you too to Pete! He phrased that so well, and he’s right.
I feel like perhaps some Joe Rohde philosophy may have been in the mix with fleshing out this new future view? I also get some Pandora vibes with some of the design.
I apologize beforehand for the rambling. I largely agree with your discussion of futurism and how its evolving perception relates to the design of Epcot. I’m tempted to share your optimism on the new aesthetic. Still, I can’t help but feel a sense of loss. Although the “central spine” of the park has deteriorated over the past few decades due to poor design decisions (removal of ponds, alteration of landscaping, installation of stage in front of FON, lousy paint jobs, etc.), this area in between the Communicore buildings was once quite aesthetically pleasing. While EPCOT should reflect our dreams for the future (and those have definitely evolved since 1982), it’s still a shame to lose such a brilliant and cohesive design, arguably the most integrated piece of themed design ever (at least in its early years). It was (is?) a brilliant specimen of 20th century design; an inspired work of architecture and design; an example of how Disney theme parks can appeal to people who wouldn’t necessarily be into “Disney” stuff. An architecture and/or design enthusiast can enjoy Disney theme parks because of the parks’ artistic merit. EPCOT Center (and many other things in the parks) have/had artistic merit, something most people don’t stop to appreciate or even realize. It’s an objective loss that the remarkable original design will be lost. So while I share your hope/optimism in the new aesthetic, it’s still somewhat sad; it’s the loss of a great piece of art. I also have concerns over how this new 21st century futurist design will coalesce with the remaining 20th century elements. Would it have been better to restore the original design to its former glory and “update” (whatever that means to modern Disney) the material within, especially when much of the original design has gone from “dated” (the 1990s critique of Future World) to “retro”? The original/current aesthetic may not reflect today’s concept of futurism but its still an objectively good piece of design (especially if it could be restored). My ideal (and unrealistic) scenario would have been to preserve and restore Future World’s design purity and make the messages of the pavilions relevant to today. Will this new design feel cohesive or will it be a directionless hodgepodge? Regardless, I’ve long accepted that EPCOT Center is never coming back, so I want to remain optimistic.
Realistically, it can’t possibly be less cohesive and far from its original mission than it is now. So in that context, alright, thanks, I appreciate this direction.
But outside of that… really given the massive influx of IP everywhere, what is Disney World?
Perhaps AK and MK still have distinct identities, but “Hollywood Studios” and Epcot are quickly becoming indistinguishable and so if I’m being honest, my real thought is…
What a total disaster.
I like the new look so far. It is better than watching the continuous decay of Communicore/Innoventions. I like the addition of Walt’s statue
Spaceship Earth — I will happy be with the refurbishment if they are able to keep most of the scenes up to Apollo 11. I will not miss the scenes after the mainframe computer or any of the 2007 additions. I will miss the musical score since its seems they are creating a new soundtrack.
Too bad there was no announcement of a new Figment attraction but I would rather have the current version of Figment attraction rather than no attraction. I am happy no major changes (such as IP additions) or subtractions to current World Nature/FW West pavilions.
Even with these World Discovery/FW East announcements, none of World Discovery attractions will ever fill the void left by World of Motion or Horizons.
well you’re out of luck then because Journey and Figment are going bye bye
I found the imagineer’s speech about new EPCOT amazing- he made it sound “hopeful” and mentioned a purple dragon coming back. Then we got more shade, what is sure to be an expensive fireworks party ticket, and a statue of Walt.
How they figured lumping Imagination in with Nature would be accepted unquestioned, I don’t know. But then Play doesn’t fit its neighborhood either.
Sounds to me like they have a lot on the drawing board and are still figuring it out. Or should I say fleshing out the concept art.
What I want to know is if I need to block out a day to visit my beloved Spaceship Earth when we are in Orlando in two weeks for our Universal trip or if we are safe to wait for our Disney trip in January 2020? We spent the majority of our Epcot time in World Showcase on my only past visit to WDW and all these changes have me anxious we will miss out on Futureworld if we wait.
You can actually see the Imagination pyramids on the very edge of the blue section of satellite image. I too am a huge Dreamfinder fan and hope for his return. As an aside, I caused excitement with a few people at a MNSSHP a few years back when I dressed up as a girl version of Dreamfinder… and my husband as old school Figment. I would say that an Imagination pavilion (in any form) could fall under the World Celebration umbrella, especially since Imagination is a big part of “the power of storytelling” in your quote. In fact, if that paragraph is a direct quote from Disney, I’m imagining that Dreamfinder could also easily provide a “voyage through time”… and I would definitely be on board with a Dreamfinder meets Doctor Who. As long as he still has the blimp.
I wonder about why the new Canada film is debuting in just a few months versus the new China film which seems to have been in development for many years now.
No word on Brazil or another country?
It’s about time finally bury this rumor. How long do we have to put up with “It’s come!” or “It’s all but confirmed.”
It’s not coming!
Two Expos about announcement…it’s not coming.
Excitement is stirred up by the detailed concept art and descriptions for sure. It still feels like they left a lot of information out…especially considering this was all sort of already announced two years ago. I think dividing Future World into three areas will leave a lot of room for each section to kind of morph into its own space – which seems cool. If Epcot isn’t what it once was, then hopefully what it is becoming will be a new kind of inspiring!
I think the point about the evolution of the aesthetics and realities of futurism is right on the mark. And I think will distinguish the area more from the retro-futurist Tomorrowland. (At least I HOPE the plans for Tomorrowland are for it to return more to something along the lines of its original aesthetic roots, especially the Disneyland version)
Disney has proven an ability to blend futurism with natural environments (their take on the Afro-Futurist Wakanda in the Marvel movies is stunning) and I hope that it works in this this instance, taking away the “dead mall” feel of Epcot.
My wife and I were planning a February 2021 trip to the park. Should we delay until 2022 so we can appreciate there new changes? We don’t really want to come in the middle of construction.
LOL,
there’s ALWAYS construction
Future World was by far my favorite part of any Disney park in the 80s and early 90s. But things change and you can only hold onto nostalgia for so long. When I returned a couple of years ago, the entire place looked sad and uninspired.
I’m fine with these changes. I’d go so far as to say I’m fine if they tore down the Imagination pavilion. The Journey into Imagination ride that enchanted me as a kid is never coming back, and better to have something else than a pale imitation of the original.
Absolutely agree with this.
It’s 100% true that the EPCOT millennials and Gen X-ers knew is not coming back. But, given how amazingly advanced technology has become, wouldn’t it be lovely if something true to the original concept of imagination, but re-invented for the 21st century, could take it’s place? Is that really an excessive ask?
Honestly, of all ‘Pavilions’ that were original,’ J into I’ seems among the most translatable (pardon the fake term) of any of them. Let’s cheer the Imagineers on and see what they can do! I personally was hoping for a LOT more today, including news on the the future of J of I. which is currently an anachronistic wasteland.
Perhaps Disney just thinks it’s “too big to fail” and hasn’t noticed the strides that Universal Orlando is making.
But there’s so much more that can be done to appeal to the history of Epcot, and to the future of vactioneers (the Gen Zs and Gen Ys).
Where is that?
Universal is moving at 100 mph, Disney is moving at 20 mph with their slow construction and re-themimg. Universal is going to pass by Disney sooner than they expect.
I wouldn’t consider Universal Studios continous use of Virtual reality rides to be 100 mph.
@Dawn S – While I understand your statement about the relative lack of ride types at Universal… opening a 4th park (Epic Universe) is a big deal.
Along with very compelling resorts that Disney has absolutely no direct ability to compete with (meaning, the very compelling Cabana Bay or ‘Endless Summer’ resorts), Disney should be MUCH more concerned than they seem to be.
What is the estimated completion date of this project?