EPCOT Report: Construction Update, Flowers & Leave a Legacy Return
It’s time for another EPCOT update as we take a look at a range of changes in Future World and World Showcase. This Walt Disney World park report will offer photos & commentary about construction progress on Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Play Pavilion, Harmonious, Italy pavilion, mystery project, and more. Plus, the return of Leave a Legacy, Flower & Garden Festival, and crowds.
As is probably evident from the photo above, the 2021 Taste of EPCOT Festival of the Arts is still ongoing through February 22. It’s not covered extensively here, but see our 2021 EPCOT Festival of the Arts Review for thoughts and photos if you’re visiting in the next week.
Although totally unrelated, Mardi Gras 2021: International Flavors of Carnaval began on February 6 and runs until March 28, 2021 at Universal Studios Florida. That’s mentioned here because it and Festival of the Arts are two of the best events of the year at Orlando theme parks, despite being overshadowed by Halloween and Christmas.
On top of the fact that Festival of the Arts and Mardi Gras overlap by several weeks, it’s also worth noting that flowers and decorations typically begin going up a few weeks early for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. This is already happening, as you’ll see below.
Just something to consider for those already contemplating early 2022 Walt Disney World and Universal vacations. You could aim for February 12-18, 2022 and “triple dip” on these events. While it’s still way too early to predict crowds, Presidents’ Day isn’t until the following week: February 21, 2022.
Our past few visits to EPCOT had been almost totally devoid of crowds, but that changed heading into the holiday weekend.
The worst of the holiday attendance surge should now be behind us, but expect Walt Disney World crowds to be elevated for the remainder of the week as compared to the last month-plus. With no Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans, expect an even bigger than normal exodus to Florida. We’ve been warning of this for months–it’s old news at this point.
On the construction front, we’ll start with another “roofing report” from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Work continues on the metal supports that will hold solar panels. There’s also a variety of new scrim and progress on the facade and in front of the eventual attraction marquee.
From what we can see, the Play Pavilion’s roof replacement is finally finished.
This was moving at a fast pace last summer, before stalling for what seemed like months at ~90% done. We still have absolutely zero insight into how far along Play Pavilion’s interior is, or when it will open. Based upon its interactivity and the lack of any updates from Walt Disney World, our guess is that this has been delayed into 2022.
Testing continues on the Harmonious barges that have already made their way into World Showcase Lagoon.
Right now, this is the most active construction project at EPCOT. It’s obviously difficult to tell from static photos that appear largely the same from one week to the next, but there’s visible programming and testing occurring on a daily basis–even over the holiday weekend.
Continuing around World Showcase, work appears to be nearing completion on the permanent gelato stand (“La Gelateria”) in the Italy pavilion.
Our totally uninformed speculation is that this opens around late March or early April. It could almost certainly be finished before then, so the real question is when Disney (or Patina; I can’t recall whether this is theirs) wants to open an ice cream stand during the winter off-season.
Speaking of Patina, I received an update from them with the subject line: “The Italy Pavilion in Epcot is Not Currently Hiring.”
Apparently, there have been some reports that state Patina Restaurant Group is currently hiring at The Italy Pavilion in Epcot and this news is “completely incorrect” per Patina. I have no clue whatsoever about the specifics of the rumor here…but apparently it’s incorrect? So there you have it.
WHOA, STOP THE PRESSES, WE’VE DISCOVERED A HUGE MYSTERY PROJECT.
Not sure what this mystery project could be, but safe to say it’s something major. Perhaps laying the groundwork for monorail expansion, Villain Mountain, or a fifth gate. Maybe all of the above.
As noted in our last EPCOT update, merchandise for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was released early. Most of this was already out of stock last time we checked.
It’s back now–or at least was when we visited.
Continuing our stroll around World Showcase Lagoon, we catch a glimpse of the centerpiece mosaic floral quilt for the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
This is always a welcome addition, although the colors this year appear a bit more muted and earthy.
I’ve been advised that maybe I should keep my uninformed flower talk to a minimum after the weird rambling in our recent Magic Kingdom Report.
However, I can’t help myself. I prefer more vibrant colors that scream “SPRING!”
Topiaries are also being installed around Future World.
We have these butterflies, Bambi, and even a dinosaur (?) garden over by Mission Space and Test Track.
Pretty flower beds (now these are the vibrant types of colors I dig!) are also starting to pop up around Future World.
As a reminder, EPCOT’s springtime festival doesn’t officially kick off until March 3, 2021. We cover everything you need to know in our Guide to the 2021 Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
Finally, late last week Leave A Legacy returned to EPCOT. This caused outrage on social media from all directions among Walt Disney World fans.
Unpopular opinion time: we like this. In fact, I’ll go a step further: I honestly do not get this criticism in the least.
This is, very transparently, a “contractual obligation” solution. Like when I have to write a blog post after convincing Sarah to go to the All-Star McDonald’s or buy a dozen doughnuts for the sake of research.
The end product is somewhat minimalistic…but what was anyone expecting?
More to the point, what do Walt Disney World fans suggest as a superior alternative?
Keep in mind that you have to work within the parameters of a bunch of faces and corresponding numbers on a grid. Also be cognizant of the fact that any budget spent on this cannot be spent elsewhere.
It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of Leave A Legacy. Past posts frequently derided the Leave A Legacy monoliths as tombstones, and pointed out the irony that the first thing guests saw upon entering the theme park rooted in optimism and the future evokes a cemetery or war memorial. Several readers, presumably Leave A Legacy buyers, objected to my jokes.
With that said, my reaction to the new Leave A Legacy is that it’s a “lemonade out of lemons” solution.
Obviously they look very temporary. Because they are.
The panels have been installed overnight and can easily be removed overnight. These Leave A Legacy tiles expire over the course of the next 6 years, and you better believe they’ll all be gone by 2027.
They’re also criticized as being like 9 feet tall, as if that’s some ill-conceived design flaw. Did you ever consider the possibility that the upper panels are all owned by the Na’vi?
Or that space at the front of EPCOT is finite, and Disney calculated that to fit all of the tiles on these walls, this was the necessary height?
At least the new design is colorful so it doesn’t instantly evoke a memorial. The new Leave A Legacy is also tucked out of the way, so guests arriving via Disney transportation (who are more likely to be first-timers) won’t ever even see it.
Those who want to seek out Leave A Legacy can head over towards the far parking lot, and search for themselves or their favorite celebrities there. (Pretty sure I spot Jay & Silent Bob in separate squares above. Or maybe just dudes with similar 1990s styles.)
I’m not an ardent defender of every half-baked decision Disney makes. However, it’s pretty obvious this one was only cooked halfway on purpose, and fans critiquing all of the “flaws” are sort of missing the point. It’s also very odd to me that those who also disliked the Leave A Legacy monoliths are criticizing this. Again, what did you expect? What’s a superior (low-cost) solution?
Beyond that, pick your battles. When you criticize everything, it undermines legitimate critique–and there’s no shortage of opportunities for that right now when it comes to Disney’s decisions. Complaining about everything makes it easier for Walt Disney World and Imagineering leadership to paint diehard fans with a broad brush as being averse to all change, ignoring all of our feedback as a result.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about what we’ve covered in this EPCOT update? If you’ve visited recently, what was your experience like at EPCOT? Are you okay with the new “lemonade out of lemons” Leave A Legacy installation, or do you think the criticism is justified? Thoughts about construction progress on Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Play Pavilion, Harmonious, Italy pavilion, etc? Guesses as to what the major mystery project could be? Excited for the start of Flower & Garden Festival? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
i just can’t get past the fact that if your face is on the LaL plaque above 5 ft you’re pretty much not gonna be able to find your etching. am i missing something?
We left a message in April 2003 relating to a previous family holiday with my wife’s Mother & Father in 1993, which got us “hooked” on Disney world, and has led to multiple trips from our home here in the UK. I wasn’t a great fan of the Epcot Monoliths, but we always paid a visit to our “tile” on every trip. Was disappointed to see them disappear, but now really happy to see all the Legacy’s redone and reinstalled. Perhaps those visitors who never left a Legacy don’t really understand the value of having a memory at Epcot, especially for those family members who are sadly no longer with us. Hoping to see this new installation in (maybe) 2022 when the USA allows us back in, and things have returned to normal!!
I honestly am shocked people have a problem with the new LAL…. they add some color and don’t overtake a ton of walk space. Plus, it seems like it’s way easier for people to find themselves.
Confused. I know that Presidents Day is typically the third week in February, but on every calendar I’ve looked at, it was February 15th this year. Our schools, banks, post offices, etc., were all closed on the 15th. Why is Disney showing it as February 21st? If the holiday was celebrated on the 15th nationally, why wouldn’t the crowds not have been higher then?
It’s the third Monday in February. Just like MLK Day is the third Monday in January.
I can’t believe anyone objects to the new LaL. It looks good, fits in with the new entrance, and honours their commitments to those who bought into the scheme in good faith.
Re Epcot, I’d have loved to have read more reviews of the food booths. You’re normally so thorough reviewing those and I always enjoy reading them, especially about items I’m on the fence about.
“I’d have loved to have read more reviews of the food booths.”
This isn’t happening for a couple of reasons: we normally split food with others on the first few days of the event (something we haven’t done post-reopening for obvious reasons) and there’s less reader interest.
We are not willing to waste food, so “try a bite and throw the rest away” is not an option. We eventually buy many/most of the items during the normal course of leisurely visits to EPCOT, but by that point, there’s no point in reviewing the booths. Perhaps we’ll try doing the Flower & Garden booths given how long it’ll last, but if not, Food & Wine for sure.
Thanks, that makes sense. That said, even if it wasn’t the full booth reviews as normal, I’d have still loved to see some incidental comments about highlights and lowlights in the articles over the last few weeks, as there were in the first FotA article! 🙂 It’s your blog though, of course.
I think the new leave a legacy looks great, for what it is. I’ve read there would need to be a security perimeter in/near this area anyway, and if that’s the case, this is a fantastic solution. I think it’s an attractive feature that I’d be in favor of remaining beyond the contract, and I’m not a the owner of a tile. I’d go so far as possibly even making a small special effort to walk by it on my next visit.
I completely agree with you about the old leave a legacy was like a graveyard, and I really like the pretty, cheerful new ones. They look great in the pictures. Question–you mention the contractual obligation and them all being gone by 2027. So they were guaranteed until 2026 or 2027, or a number of years, or what?
I loved the original walk around the world bricks. That they just destroyed those seems like breaking a contract or promise at least. I think everyone who bought one expected it to be there forever.
They shouldn’t have thought they would be there forever. The end life of the bricks was known on the contract. They were actually extended beyond the end date. I don’t think they were selling the bricks on our first trip in 1997 (I thought the sale had ended) and they were only removed about five years ago or so.
Love the new look for Leave a Legacy! It’s bright, looks fun, and appears to be a very creative solution by the Imagineers. As someone who left a photo there, I’m very thankful that they kept it and improved it. I feel like my photo is on something bright and positive instead of a national monument or memorial.
I have two tiles, me and my husband, and my two children. Every year we go and take a picture by it. I love our tiles, we get to be at EPCOT everyday. I hope they keep it up for my someday grandchildren to see…
Your take on Leave a Legacy is spot on. What previously looked like a threatening, dystopian, painful, gray barricade / maybe-windbreak (in place of the the soothing gardens that welcomed guest originally,) is now an optimistic parade of Kodak colors. Which will be phased out soon enough. Good for those designers!
Never liked Leave a Legacy. Besides the whole overbearing tombstone look of the area, the individual images were/are horrible. All black lines, no real detail. Although that varied depending on the individual image. I do like the overall new “solution” but I think your joke about the top areas all belonging to the Navi was flippant and unfeeling. Anyone who’s image it above 6 or so feet will never be able to see or experience it again, as so many here have expressed an interest in.
I guess if you’re not Na’vi – you could snap a picture to be able to see it.
Don’t joke about Villain Mountain, sir. It knows, and it doesn’t like it.
Speaking of which, did you see this? https://twitter.com/JimShull/status/1360052179340386308
You got me Tom. I opened the blog excited to see a new project underway! Anyway, the leave a legacy is pretty nice. I was not aware that they were going to replace them. This is much nicer than what happened to leave a legacy bricks as the Magic Kingdom.
As someone whose face is etched into Disney history, I personally love the new Leave a Legacy look! It’s always fun to go back and see the picture of my brother and myself from 20 years ago and remember the joy of our trips to the park as a child. I just hope they keep it up long enough for me to be able to get to see it post-COVID!
I don’t get how anyone can see this new LAL as anything but an improvement. I was going to be happy with them just moving the tombstones outside the park and spreading them out, which would probably make them more memorialish admittedly, but at least that got them out of the ME and detracting from
SSE. They dragged down the energy and wonder you should feel entering that park. I think even with minor flaws, this is a marked improvement.
The colors in the mosaic look muted because the plants aren’t blooming quite yet. Give it a few weeks and it will be as colorful as normal.
whoa, whoa, whoa! there are people who are unhappy with this legacy thing? i mean this with no hint of sarcasm- why?? this was one thing i thought everyone could agree on and everyone wins. i was no fan of the tombstones, mainly for bottlenecking the walkway and secondarily for being an eyesore. these are colorful, happy, and most importantly, out of everyone else’s way who were not a part of the program. i was surprised to read they aren’t a more “permanent” option. they look great, in my opinion! the only comments i saw in a negative light about these were from a- people who wished they could still participate, and b- brick buyers who are still mad the bricks were destroyed (i still find the “walk around the world” ironic now because the walkway from GF is now finally open, yet no bricks anymore). people, there’s nothing wrong with this new legacy thing.
There are always people unhappy with anything. A sad fact of life. 🙁
But I agree wtih you – I think they did a nice job with these. They look “epcot-y” to me and as you say are out of the way.
“epcot-y” is the perfect wrod.
It looks like the “mystery project” is in the British section? Well it’s the right shape, but unfortunately too small, to be the TARDIS (which that part of Epcot has always cried out for).
Yep. That must be it. A TARDIS that transports guests to the 5th gate, new monorail line, and Villain Mountain! 😉
When my son worked for Disney Horticulture, the Flower & Garden Festival was put together pretty much over night the night before the festival started. Now they have a lot fewer employees doing the work, so they have to start earlier when not as many flowers are blooming. It’s a bit early for flowers. These green plants should have buds forming real soon and blooming in a week or so. Then they will look a lot prettier. Plus as the festival goes on, they will replace the early spring flowers with the later spring flowers. Now you’ll get more petunias, begonias. Later more sunpatiens. Usually lots of sunpatiens.
Looks like I should’ve heeded the advice to keep my uninformed flower talk to a minimum!
Thanks for the insight into this. I knew they changed the displays about halfway through into “prettier ones” but I have zero idea what begonias or sunpatiens are. Off to Google, I guess!
I appreciate the insight into the flowers, DebC. Thanks!
Last year there were a lot of orange-red geraniums, as well.
“Beyond that, pick your battles. When you criticize everything, it undermines legitimate critique…”
True for Disney parks criticism, and life writ large. Nothing is ever perfect, someone will always complain, and people (choose) to never be happy. Just do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may.
Very dreary in the mid atlantic- would kill for a low crowd stroll around EPCOT.
It never ceases to amaze me how some voices on social media have nothing but complaints. To be sure, no company is above reproach and I take a lot of issues with Disney’s decisions, but there comes a time when people need to reevaluate their own fandom and move on if everything is a negative. (Or at least, change their outlook–for their own health.)
If it makes you feel any better, you would not be enjoying a “low crowd stroll” around EPCOT today.
Discontentment is a state of mind many choose for sure. Things are pretty good. I choose to focus on that. Perfection is not the goal and Disney is great! Can’t wait for boarders to open and to get back to EPCOT!
OMG! I love this “Leave a Legacy” even more! I definitely in no way think this is depressing. If this is the homage your loved one desires and also loved Disney World, why isn’t this a good thing?! I think it’s cool! I will agree the colored panels are lovely as well!