It’s TIME! One of our favorite things about EPCOT is finally BACK!

EPCOT

Does anyone else miss those fun lights that were embedded in the ground back when Future World was a thing in EPCOT? Well, we have good news for you!

The glowing sidewalks are officially BACK in EPCOT!

Glowing sidewalks

The new version is a little bit different than the lights you remember from several years ago. Previously, they were little sparks like this…

Lights | 2019

…but now they’re more like glowing lines on the ground!

Glowing sidewalks

We first heard that these glowing sidewalks would be appearing in World Celebration over a year ago, and we couldn’t wait to check them out. Now that the World Celebration Gardens are finally open and it’s gotten dark enough outside, we can see them!

EPCOT’s NEW Glowing Sidwalks

When it was first announced that the glowing sidewalks would return, an EPCOT Imagineer shared that the lighting fixtures would incorporate updated technology and “controllability to deliver some fun new lighting capabilities.”

Cool new lights

Part of those new “capabilities” is that the lights coordinate with the lights on Spaceship Earth!

The glowing walkways change colors and are synchronized with Spaceship Earth! pic.twitter.com/ZEFGeMKhFL

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 5, 2023

We talked to some Imagineers today who told us that the glowing sidewalks were inspired by that fiber optic concrete we remember and contain over 300 LED lights embedded in the pavement.

We’re gearing up for the new World Celebration Gardens area of EPCOT to truly LIGHT UP after the sun goes down!

Cast members that worked on this project shared with us how the lights are synchronized to Spaceship Earth! pic.twitter.com/1MsQLvnzuX

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 5, 2023

They synchronize with the Spaceship Earth show and can be easily adapted to each new show every time it changes. We frequently see new shows on Spaceship Earth for the various EPCOT festivals, so it’s fun that the lights here will change too.

Synchronizing with Spaceship Earth lighting

The lights are located in the Dreamers Point section of the World Celebration Gardens (by the big planter). They make up the EPCOT logo that’s on the ground around the central planter.

Here we go! ✨ pic.twitter.com/XGaTIfCX1X

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 5, 2023

There are also some other lights in this area, including underneath some of the benches…

Lights under the benches

…and hanging from poles.

More lights

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news!

Click here for a FULL TOUR of the NEW land in EPCOT!

What do you think of the new glowing sidewalks? Let us know in the comments.

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their media event about the new World Celebration Gardens. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ