Epcot 2021 Update

The 2010s was an exciting time of growth for the Walt Disney World parks. 

In 2012, Magic Kingdom expanded Fantasyland with two new themed areas – Storybook Circus and The Enchanted Forest. Along with theming came a new dark ride, a new rollercoaster, a table service restaurant and a meet and greet area for the ever popular Princesses. 

In 2017, Animal Kingdom not only opened the innovative alien land of Pandora, but added nighttime entertainment such as the Tree of Life Awakens and the Sunset Safari. 

A year later Toy Story Land, followed by Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge upped the desire to go to Hollywood Studios. 

It seemed as if all the parks were getting makeovers – Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios – but one park. Epcot and its Future World were stuck in the 2000s, and it was time for the park to move forward.

With just a few more months of the decade left, Epcot’s makeover was announced at the 2019 D23 Expo. And it was clear that the Imagineers had saved the best for last. Epcot was to receive an entire overhaul of Future World. There would be an attraction called Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana built in between The Land Pavilion and The Sea Pavilion. For the kids, the interactive Play Pavilion would revive the long abandoned Wonders of Life Pavilion. A Festival Center Thrill-seekers were excited by the news of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster. A new space themed restaurant would wow guests as they dined 220 miles above Earth. And finally, the park’s icon attraction, Spaceship Earth would be updated along with a newly designed park entrance which would include an interactive fountain, a wishing tree (whatever that is) and a statue of Walt. 

But that’s not all that was announced! The World Showcase would also be receiving some additions. The UK Pavilion would become home to Cherry Tree Lane and Disney’s most beloved nanny would finally get her own attraction. France would get a copy of the Paris’s own Ratatouille ride. China and Canada would get their films updated. And to top it all off, a new nighttime show would debut in 2020.

But 2020 had other plans, the details of which we are all too familiar with. 

Early in 2020, the new films debuted in the World Showcase. Since then, we have not heard many status updates on the other expected additions. The Spaceship Earth refurbishment has been put on hold (maybe for forever). Park fans are wondering if Imagineers will cheapen out and use shortcuts just to finish Journey of Water or the Play Pavilion. The Cherry Tree Lane update and highly anticipated Mary Poppins attraction have quietly been cancelled.  The fate of the Festival Center remains unclear. And nighttime shows have been discontinued resort wide and may not return for a while. 

This is not the first time Epcot’s designs didn’t go as planned. Epcot wasn’t even supposed to be a theme park originally, but a real, livable, innovative city. After Walt’s passing, Imagineers really struggled with what the park should be. But after a decade of redesigns, Epcot as we know it opened to the public and quickly became a favorite of many die-hard Disney fans.

Despite all the setbacks, three huge projects are definitely headed for completion. Guardians of the Galaxy is being worked on everyday. It is rumored that the Ratatouille ride is already finished and Disney is waiting on the right time to open it to the public. And Space 220 is rumored to open later this winter. And as a bonus - a new water fountain was added to the entrance of the park before 2020 ended.  

Maybe the Epcot that was unveiled to us at the 2019 D23 Expo will never be fully realized. We are still getting some excitement added back into the park, hopefully in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary later this year.  As for the other projects, I don't doubt that the Imagineers will come up with creative alternatives. 

 

If Epcot’s history reveals anything, it’s that Epcot doesn’t always go according to plan, but that doesn’t mean what it ends up being is any less awesome. Epcot has captured the imagination of people for almost 40 years, infecting minds with the message of innovation and human connection. The park, its Imagineers and its fans will continue to ensure Epcot holds on to this meaning.