ORLANDO, Fla. — From the numerous construction walls inside Epcot, it's clear the park's massive transformation is still well underway.


What You Need To Know

  • Epcot is undergoing a massive, multi-year transformation 

  • How the park will look in the future is becoming more apparent as new attractions, restaurants and shows debut

  • The park will soon have a new "Guardians"-themed attraction, as well as a "Moana"-themed attraction

​The multi-year project includes new attractions, restaurants, shops and shows for the 39-year-old park.

Some of the changes have been visible for months — the park's redesigned entrance plaza and the new fountain near Spaceship Earth, for example — while other new additions have only just arrived or will soon be on their way.

The park is now divided into four neighborhoods: World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and World Showcase — a change that debuted Oct. 1, as Disney World kicked off its 50th anniversary celebration.

Each neighborhood represents a different aspect of the park, and Disney Imagineers looked at number of factors when coming up with the designations.

"As part of our transformation, we pulled all the way out to how the park was organized, and looked at new stories, different things we were bringing in and also just the original DNA of the park," said Zach Riddley with Walt Disney Imagineering.

World Celebration is at the center of the park and is about global connection. It includes Spaceship Earth and the new fountain.

For World Discovery, the focus is on exploration, curiosity and science. The neighborhood include attractions such as Mission: Space and Test Track, as well as the new space-themed restaurant Space 220

And World Nature, which is home to The Land and Seas pavilion, is dedicated to preserving and understanding the nature world.

The park recently debuted its new flagship merchandise location called Creations Shop, and right next door is the new Club Cool, offering free samples of Coca-Cola flavors from around the world.

Over in the World Showcase, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure has opened in the expanded France pavilion. The trackless dark ride zips riders through Gusteau's restaurant. The expansion as has a new courtyard as well as a new restaurant called La Creperie de Paris.

Epcot also has a new nighttime show called "Harmonious." The show, which Disney says is one of the largest it’s ever done, features large floating set pieces installed in the World Showcase lagoon. It also has moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics and a soundtrack of various Disney songs in multiple languages.

As for what's next for Epcot, the park will soon have a new attraction inspired by the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, the highly-anticipated indoor roller coaster, is set to open sometime in 2022.

A "Moana"-themed attraction is coming to the park's World Nature neighborhood. Journey of Water will be a walkthrough attraction featuring interactive fountains and other water elements.

Spaceship Earth's new lighting package will also play a part in Epcot's future. For Disney World's 50th, the park icon will transform into a Beacon of Magic each night.

"Spaceship Earth is really special in that it's the first time that we will actually have an integrated lighting system," Riddley said. "Our imagineering team invented a brand new technology to bring this grand icon to life at night."

However, once the anniversary celebration is over, the new light tech will remain and be programmed in different ways that can be experienced from other parts of the park.

-

Facebook Twitter