The park has undergone some serious revamping and reimagining throughout the years. World Celebration Gardens recently opened, and soon we’ll welcome the all-new festival area: CommuniCore Hall and Plaza. Within the overarching umbrella of Disney adults, there are some folks who consider themselves to be loyal EPCOT adults. Today, we’re here to explore three types of them. Let’s go!
Alright, we’re going to give brief overviews for each type of EPCOT fan, and then it’s up to you to decide which one you are. You ready?
1. ’80s Original EPCOT Adult
The ’80s were a wild time! Or…so I hear. In 1982, EPCOT opened for the very first time as EPCOT Center. Then, the park was 260-acres, compared to the current 305.
Then, there were six pavilions in Future World and 9 of the 11 pavilions in World Showcase on opening day, but, uh there weren’t very many RIDES in EPCOT. Let’s take a look at the opening day attractions:
The American Adventure (Show)
Astuter Computer Revue
Bird and the Robot (Show)
El Rio del Tiempo (Ride)
Energy Creation Story (Film)
Energy, You Make the World Go ‘Round (Film)
FutureCom (Display)
The EPCOT Work Station Film (Yes, a Film)
ImageWorks (“Creative Playground of the Future)
Impressions de France (Film)
Kitchen Kabaret (Show)
Listen to the Land (Ride)
Magic Journeys (Film)
Mirrored Theater (Film)
O Canada! (Film)
Spaceship Earth (Ride)
Symbiosis (Film)
Wonders of China (Film)
Universe of Energy (Film)
The Water Engine (Film)
Wow, ’80s kids! We’re guessing you like MOVIES! I mean, we know that several more rides opened during the 1980s, but if you were there opening day, EPCOT felt like an educational film festival!
If you consider yourself to be a film person and have an affinity for Spaceship Earth — you’re a true blue ’80s EPCOT Center adult! Bonus points if you were THERE on opening day! If you’re craving the feeling of checking out all those films, you can swing by the Magic Eye Theater in the Imagination pavilion for a handful of Disney and Pixar shorts.
Magic Eye Theater
We know, we know. It’s not the same. But it’s still pretty great — and the closest thing to that opening-day feelin’! So, keep rockin’ your Figment merch and keep singin’ the Veggie, Veggie, Fruit, Fruit tune from the OG The Land pavilion.
2. ’90s and Early 2000s EPCOT Adult
The 1990s and early 2000s were just as exciting at EPCOT! These two decades are when the park introduced the festivals we know and love so much today — starting with the Flower and Garden Festival in 1994.
EPCOT
The ’90s are also when EPCOT started to experiment with adding more thrilling rides. Rides like Test Track, Mission: SPACE, and even Soarin’ were introduced to the park.
Mission: SPACE
If you love spending time Soarin’ Around the World, long for the iconic Innoventions exhibit, and yearn for the gigantic wand that adorned Spaceship Earth from 2000 to 2007 (oh, you forgot about that?), congratulations! You’re a Y2K EPCOT adult! (Oh, and bonus points if the Flower and Garden Festival is your favorite out of the four that take place each year.)
Yep, this was a whole vibe
You probably also giggle during the “Big Bang” portion of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind pre-show. That’s a reference to Ellen’s Energy Adventure! And what’s more 90s than that ride, huh? From the retro animatronics to the Bill Nye the Science Guy cameo, this was part of a very specific EPCOT era. It’s OK to admit it if you miss this version of the park. We do, too.
Cosmic Rewind
The good news is that the majority of the things (sans gigantic magic wand and Innoventions) are still available for you to enjoy. If you’re craving that Y2K feeling, you can still go for a spin on Test Track, toss your cookies on Mission: SPACE, and eat all the snack at the festivals.
3. Futuristic EPCOT Adult
Finally, we have the folks who love modern EPCOT. The folks who are dreamers and can’t wait to see what happens next with the park. Isn’t that the whole point of the park? To be focused on tomorrow? You probably spend a lot of your time on the newest rides and keep lots of tabs on the current construction in EPCOT.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Currently, we’re looking forward to even more additions as EPCOT is finally winding down on this modern era of transformation. What will come next, after CommuniCore is complete? (By the way, it opens on June 10th, 2024!)
CommuniCore construction
If you love saving the galaxies in your Starjumper, galavanting through Paris with Remy, and learning about the water cycle with Moana, then congratulations! You’re a futuristic EPCOT adult! You’re probably just fine hanging out over in World Discovery.
Well…what do you say? Which type of EPCOT Adult are you? Or are you a different type entirely? We’re always here to bring you the latest Disney news as well as fun posts like these, so make sure to follow along to join in on the fun!
One Reply to “There Are Only 3 Types of EPCOT Fans — Which One Are You?”
Fun article! My friends and I make those distinctions as well. Although I first visited in 1986, I think of myself as a ’90s-2000s Epcot fan.
Fact check: “Universe of Energy” was not a film, but an attraction–or as you call it, a “ride”–which *included* the film components you call “Energy Creation Story,” and “Energy, You Make the World Go Round.” The ride system was innovative, and powered in part by the solar cells on the building’s roof; the slogan was that you were “riding on sunshine.”
Fun article! My friends and I make those distinctions as well. Although I first visited in 1986, I think of myself as a ’90s-2000s Epcot fan.
Fact check: “Universe of Energy” was not a film, but an attraction–or as you call it, a “ride”–which *included* the film components you call “Energy Creation Story,” and “Energy, You Make the World Go Round.” The ride system was innovative, and powered in part by the solar cells on the building’s roof; the slogan was that you were “riding on sunshine.”