Epcot is in the process of a HUGE multi-year transformation, and today has delivered more news regarding several new and reimagined aspects coming to the park!
Spaceship Earth
Let’s dive in!
NEW Play Pavilion
A new first-of-its-kind Play Pavilion “will be devoted to playful fun and feature an innovative city” under the dome of what was formerly known as the Wonders of Life Pavilion! The city — “an energetic metropolis unlike anything ever seen before at Epcot” — will offer interaction with Disney characters and new interactive experiences including hands-on activities along with new entertainment.
Play Pavilion Concept Art ©Disney
It will open “just in time” for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort (October 1, 2021)!
Disney shared the following quote by Zach Riddley, portfolio executive, Walt Disney Imagineering: “This innovative, new pavilion is beyond anything we’ve ever created and is completely unique to Epcot. Built on the power of play, it introduces an immersive and interactive ‘city’ where you can explore, create, and interact with some of your favorite Disney characters. This is an experience worthy of our bold vision for Epcot – and another signature element of our transformation.”
REIMAGINED Park Entrance
Expect big changes coming to the entrance into Epcot! The plaza “will welcome guests with new pathways, sweeping green spaces and a newly reimagined fountain. This new design will pay homage to the original park entrance with fresh takes on classic elements.”
Reimagined Park Entrance ©Disney
Note that the Leave a Legacy photos which can currently be seen upon entering the park will be moved into a setting just outside the park’s gateway. There will also be redevelopment between Spaceship Earth and the World Showcase Promenade. However, those plans will be revealed at a later date.
NEW Experience Center
And later this year, guests will be able to visit the new Experience Center inside The Odyssey Pavilion! The space will feature “interactive exhibits to help visualize park projects throughout this unprecedented period of transformation.”
The Odyssey
George A. Kalogridis, president, Walt Disney World Resort also shared the following: “Epcot has always been, and always will be, an optimistic celebration of the real world that is brought to life through the magic of Disney. The exciting plans we have on the horizon will honor Epcot’s rich legacy of creativity and innovation while continuing to exceed the expectations of our guests for decades to come.”
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
What do you think of Epcot’s transformation? Please let us know with a comment!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
So no Life pavilion for a festival center… and no Odyssey since it’s going to be the showcase for construction. So where are the classes and shop and all that goodness going to be this year (err…. years)?
We just got back from what was our last trip ever. Epcot is our favorite park and we spent most of our 10 days there. Glad we got to go before the park changes and before Illuminations changes.
Tasel, I can’t even find the seminars for Flower & Garden. Does anyone know if they still have them? I would have thought the schedule would be up by now.
I agree with Tasel – I’m wondering what they’re going to do about a Festival Center and place for demos. Since Epcot is a nearly year-round Festival park, I’m sure they’ve thought of something (hope so!).
I have a few ideas of where the Festival Center stuff can go. How about the building behind UK where the The Millenium Villiage was? Or maybe the Odyssey will have room to spare even if it is the showcase for the projects? How about all of that empty Innoventions space? Even if they demolished half of those two buildings they would still have room. I am excited for these changes! I have always loved EPCOT and can’t wait to see it’s big revival.
October 2021! They better get moving then! I see some IP in these photos. If that has to be the case, I really wish they would just do a Zootopia land.
Oh by the way, I’m so glad those monoliths are being moved.
There’s a lot of room in Innovations to transform into a festival venue. Whatever Disney plans to do with Future World will be a lot better than what has been there. At least they’re starting to use these buildings and not letting them sit to rot.
All of this sounds wonderful to me!
I hope they truly don’t get rid of Leave A Legacy or give us the chance to buy our tiles. My late brother and I have a tile as well as one with my son when he was a teenager. I’d be upset to lose those without a chance to get them, should they decide to remove them permanently.
Darn, that Odyssey pavilion always had a special place in my heart and I always had a little dream to hold an event there. Bummer.
I remember eating in the Odyssey Restaurant. Always was an out of the way place.
I’m glad they are not destroying the grave yard. My wife and I have panel in there from our honeymoon.
Sounds like all good changes. Those areas are so underutilized.
I personally love the Leave a Legacy panels. My family has a couple of photos on them and we love going to find them each year to see how we’ve grown and changed. It’s the very first thing we do on our first day at Epcot each trip. I’m sorry to see them being moved.
I’m going to wait and reserve judgment until the changes are up and running. Sometimes I like the WDW changes,sometimes ,not so much.
As for Leave A Legacy,my parents did it about 19 years ago. My mother passed away from Alzheimers 5 years ago and Dad,who is 97,is in early dementia. I asked the LAL office if they could send me the picture the etching was made from,which they did very quickly. I was surprised to see my parents holding up a picture of my younger brother,who passed away in a Florida car accident shortly before the etching happened. There was absolutely no way to tell they did that from the etching. I’m glad they are moving it to a more appropriate place,but still within visiting distance. I wish they were still doing this. It would be a great way to make money for a good cause-like Make A Wish visits to Disney……
I am thrilled about these changes. I’ve often said it’s embarrassing to know that the Wonders of Life Pavilion and Odyssey aren’t being used in the ways they were intended. And I’ve always thought Communicores were far better than the Innoventions. Beyond happy those horrible Leave A Legacy things are being removed, which should have happened 19 years ago. I think George K is taking Epcot back to it’s original roots and partly back to what Walt himself wanted Epcot to be.
Change is never easy. I wish it could be faster. I missed the,Odyssey plans. I remember it from many years ago.
So happy for some changes and that they are keeping/moving the Leave a Legacy exhibit. It is nice to keep the old and incorporate the new. It will be nice to see some new and exciting changes. I still wish they would add some new countries to the World Showcase and bring more to the ones that are already there. Let’s hope!!
Went to Epcot in December. Loved Epcot but, Let’s just hope they create an entrance just for the monorail. Going through Security TWICE in un nessessary. No other park does this.
Lori, thank you for sharing your story about Leave a Legacy. I’m so glad they were able to get you the original picture!
So excited for the changes coming to EPCOT!!! This park deserves this attention. As it is I can spend days here and with all the great new attractions coming there may be a time when we only visit EPCOT
I would love to be able to leave another tile for Leave a Legacy exhibit. My son is now an adult and there are plans for an upcoming marriage. It would be great for them to be able to add their part of the history we have created on trips to Disney World over the years.
Glad that it doesn’t seem that they’re *removing* Leave a Legacy. my fiance’s late mother has a tile there and visiting it is always an emotional experience for him, more so than even visiting her grave because of the memories he has at Disney World with her. I’m very very relieved to hear that they’re just moving them to change up the entrance.
Everything else is exciting, I’ve noticed in my last few trips to Epcot that it seems like there’s less and less beyond just the World Showcase worth visiting. I hope this revitalizes the park. 🙂
We took our daughter to Disney World in 2004 when she wad nine and we had Leave a Legacy as part of a package deal vacation. Her picture is on one of the slabs and when she and I went back in 2016 we looked it up. It’s fun to do this and remember a past time and I hope they never completely do away with them. As has been said here, too many memories in them of both return visitors and of those no longer living.
So sad legacy moved. We had a panel. Disney big mistake.
Carolyn, the Legacy stones will be moved outside the entrance but will still be available.