Walt Disney World has an important 50th Anniversary coming up in 2021 and the following year in 2022 will mark Epcot's 40th. From attractions to nighttime shows to restaurants, Disney looks to be celebrating these 2 milestones by opening up a bunch of new stuff.
But just what all can you expect to see in the upcoming years? We've got it all broken down in our list of Epcot updates. We've even added in a few rumors we hope just might be true.
Take a look...
In this article
Epcot updates - maps
We have a couple of maps that show the general areas of the current projects that have been formally announced by Disney. The locations aren't exact, but they should give you a good idea where all the new stuff will be going:
Epcot - Future World construction map
Epcot - World Showcase construction map
Experience Center
With so many changes to Epcot happening in the next few years, Disney is providing guests with an opportunity to preview what is coming.
Located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion (which is frequently used as the Festival Center during), a new "Experience Center" will provide Epcot visitors with a chance to see and explore (through interactive exhibits) the future of Epcot.
Look for the new Experience Center to be open sometime in mid to late 2019.
Takumi-Tei (a new Signature Restaurant in Japan)
Location: Japan pavilion in the World Showcase
Estimated completion date: Summer 2019 (exact date unknown)
Good news for all Epcot fans! A new Signature Restaurant will soon be open.
Disney is calling this a new "signature dining experience" which means it will fall into the same category of the priciest Disney restaurants. One cool thing to note is that this new dining location is being operated by the same people that operate the stores, kiosks, and restaurants in the Japan pavilion: Mitsukoshi USA.
The name Takumi-Tei means "house of the artisan" and the design elements used in this new restaurant will "celebrate the relationship between Japanese craftsmanship and the natural world."
While exact details on the menu haven't been released, Disney has said that it will highlight "wagyu beef in a sublime setting" and for guests wishing to indulge, a multi-course tasting menu (complete with tea service) will be available.
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue
Location: American Adventure pavilion in the World Showcase
Estimated completion date: Late 2019 (exact date unknown)
More dining updates coming to Epcot! A new quick-service restaurant will soon be taking the place of Liberty Inn which will be closing on July 8th.
According to Disney, the "new location will be a modern barbecue smokehouse, with all the accompanying sights, sounds, smells and flavors you love – including a large smoker preparing fine food every day right on the pavilion’s promenade. There will also be a redesigned patio for you to enjoy, so get ready to grab a brew, some barbecue, and relax inside Epcot."
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
New park entrance
Most people that visit Epcot may not know that the space between the entrance and Spaceship Earth used to look a lot different than it does now. Originally that space was a lot less "concrete" and a lot more "green".
That's why the announcement that the main entrance into Epcot would be getting a makeover reminiscent of the original design was so exciting to hear.
As you can see in the concept art above, the new entrance will have a lot more green spaces, winding pathways, and even a re-imagined fountain. And, while not identical to the original entrance it definitely has the same feeling.
No date has been given for this update but most people speculate that the project should be completed by Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary in 2021.
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
Park entrance closures, refurbishments, and new locations
As you can imagine, a construction project this large in scale will include a lot of closures and refurbishments. Here's what we know so far:
- Leave a Legacy - the photos have been removed from their current location and will eventually be relocated to an area just outside the park's gateway.
- Fountain of Nations - closing September 8, 2019
- Electric Umbrella - closing winter 2019 (no exact date known)
- Camera Center - closing sometime in 2019 and this storefront will become the new spot for Pin Central when it reopens
- Innoventions East (including Colortopia & Nanooze Break) - closing September 8, 2019
- Character Spot - closing September 8, 2019. Characters will be temporarily relocated:
- Mickey Mouse and Goofy - temporarily will be located in Innoventions West. Later on, Mickey will have a new permanent location in the Imagination! Pavilion.
- Minnie Mouse - Wold Showcase Gazebo
- Daisy Duck - American Adventure
- Joy & Sadness - moving to a yet-to-be announced location
- Baymax - unknown at this time
- Pin Central - Closing September 8 and will eventually move to the former Camera Center location
- Fountain View Starbucks - closing later this fall and will reopen in a temporary location
- Club Cool - closing September 8 and will reopen in the future at a new location
- Mouse Gear - Refurbishment scheduled (no exact date is known) but Disney has said that it will move to a temporary spot during the construction
- Art of Disney - closing September 8 and will reopen in the Heritage Manor location in The American Adventure
Awesome Planet film moving to former Circle of Life theater
Billed by Disney as an "on-screen exploration of the realm we call home", a new film focusing on the world around us will be coming to the Land Pavilion.
While not many more details have been released, it is nice to see something new coming to the Circle of Life theater.
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog
Wonders of Life pavilion to become a new "Play Pavilion"
Attraction type: interactive experiences
Location: Former "Wonders of Life" pavilion (new name TBD)
Estimated completion date: 2021 (exact date TBD)
Rumors of something coming to the former Wonders of Life pavilion have been swirling for several months and now we know what Disney has planned.
Billed as "unlike anything you've ever seen" at Epcot, the former Wonders of Life pavilion will be transformed into what Disney is calling a "play pavilion" that will be devoted to immersive fun.
Featuring an "innovative city", this pavilion will host "interactive experiences, Disney characters, hands-on-activities, and engaging entertainment."
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
New nighttime spectacular (replacing Illuminations: Reflections of Earth)
Final showing of Illuminations will be September 30, 2019
A new nighttime spectacular will be coming to the park in 2020.
This new show will celebrate how Disney music inspires people around the world and will include large-scale floats, LED panels, fountains, lights, fireworks, and lasers.
Disney has said this new show, when it debuts will be on a massive scale "like we've never done." Sounds amazing!
Epcot Forever (interim show beginning October 1, 2019)
But, before this new show begins Epcot will host a limited-engagement nighttime show (which is similar to how Disney rolled out Rivers of Light with the Jungle Book show running with a limited engagement before Rivers of Light began).
This new show debuts in the fall of 2019 and will be called "Epcot Forever". Music for the show will feature all of your favorite Epcot tunes and will include something new to nighttime shows at Disney world: special effect kites!
In a recent post on blooloop.com it was revealed that the kites will be kept afloat in the air by 8 Jet Skis (each with a driver and kite handler on-board).
The music for Epcot Forever will feature some classic Epcot tunes including rumors of the classic "One Little Spark" from Journey into Imagination. Check out this video preview of what to expect with the new show:
Updates
March 2019
Construction on the islands in World Showcase Lagoon is well underway. If visiting Epcot, expect to see lots of activity as crews continue the necessary upgrades to bring the new shows to life.
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
Attraction type: show
Location: France pavilion
Estimated completion date: TBD
Building on the popularity of the Frozen Sing-Along in Hollywood Studios, Epcot will soon be getting its own Beauty and the Beast version.
Disney has confirmed that this show will not replace the popular Impressions de France, but rather rotate showings with it, however, no dates have been announced yet.
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
Updated films for China and Canada pavilions
Announced at Destination D in November 2018, both China and Canada will be getting updated 360-degree films, however, no dates on when they will premier have been released.
Read more about these updates in the Disney Parks Blog.
Guardians of the Galaxy attraction (construction underway)
Attraction type: roller coaster
Location: inside the old Universe of Energy building and a new building being constructed adjacent to it
Estimated completion date: Disney hasn't confirmed anything, but the general thought is it will be completed by Spring of 2021
Way back in July of 2017, Disney made the announcement at the D23 Expo that Epcot would be receiving a new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction.
Rumors had long been swirling that Hollywood Studios would be the home of the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction with Tower of Terror getting a makeover much like the one at Disney's California Adventure. So, as you can imagine, there was quite a bit of surprise when Epcot was announced as the location instead.
Epcot's new Guardian of the Galaxy themed attraction will be located at the old Ellen's Energy Adventure location. The general thought is that the old building will hold the queue while the attraction itself will be housed in a new building, which is currently under construction.
Updates
November 15, 2018
Ride vehicle concept art
The new attraction has been described as a "storytelling coaster" and therefore will require a new and innovative ride vehicle.
When talking about the new vehicles, Bob Iger said: "On most coasters, the vehicles point straight ahead throughout the ride. But on this attraction, each individual cab will be programmed to direct your eye to the story happening around you."
Concept art for the vehicles is below.
May 17, 2018
Construction photos
Recent photos of the area now show a new construction wall and a crane clearly visible behind the building.
May 4, 2018
Foundation is poured
What do you get when you mix 960 truckloads of concrete, 80.4 miles of rebar, and a lot of human power?
In Disney's case you get the foundation for a massive new building being built to house the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed coaster.
Read more about it in the Disney Parks Blog.
February 11, 2018
New Guardians of the Galaxy attraction confirmed to be a roller coaster
In February at the D23 Expo in Japan, Disney shared more information about this coming attraction, and it was there that it was confirmed that this would in fact be what the fans had been hoping for: a roller coaster.
Billed as a "one-of-a-kind family attraction", Disney says it will be one of the longest enclosed coasters in the world and the new ride system is guaranteed to "wow" guests.
Read more on the Disney Parks blog.
Space-themed restaurant
Location: in an undeveloped swath of land between Test Track and Mission: SPACE
Estimated completion date: It has been confirmed that it will open in 2019 (probably late 2019)
Another July 2017 D23 Expo announcement was of a new space-themed restaurant.
This restaurant will be located next to Mission: SPACE and will be heavily themed to appear as if guests are dining among the stars.
If you are familiar with the layout of Epcot, a new restaurant on that side of Future World is a welcome addition indeed!
Updates
May 2019
Disney surprised a lot of people by announcing this new Table Service restaurant will be "clear for launch" beginning in 2019. Most people (ourselves included!) put the estimated opening sometime in 2020 or even 2021.
This new Table Service option will be ran by the Patina Restaurant Group and will have a menu that features "internationally-inspired cuisine, more than 1,000 bottles of the world’s finest wines and a wide selection of craft beer."
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog
March 2019
Construction is well underway as evident on the photo below. Just outside the view to the right is Test Track, and to the left is Mission: SPACE.
May 9, 2018
Location revealed
Disney finally revealed the location of this new restaurant, which will be in a newly developed spot located between Mission: SPACE and Test Track.
The restaurant will be operated by the Pantina Restaurant Group, which also operates the popular World Showcase eateries of Tutto Italia and Via Napoli.
Read more on the Disney Parks Blog.
Disney Skyliner (construction underway)
Location: The Epcot station will be located at the International Gateway. Other stations will be located at Hollywood Studios, Art of Animation/Pop Century, and Caribbean Beach.
Estimated completion date: Fall 2019 in time for the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge
While not an attraction or restaurant, the announcement of the Disney Skyliner at the D23 was very well received by nearly all Disney fans.
This new mode of transportation will allow guests to easily move between 4 resorts: Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Disney's Riviera Resort and 2 parks : Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
Updates
March 2019
The station near the International Gateway is nearing completion. From this angle you can clearly see how Disney has done a fantastic job adding details that will blend this new structure into that area of the park.
May 17, 2018
Towers visible
The towers are now fully visible around the International Gateway.
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure (construction underway)
Attraction type: 4-D ride similar to the Ratatouille: The Adventure ride at Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris
Location: France pavilion in the World Showcase
Estimated completion date: Disney hasn't confirmed anything, but the general thought is it will be completed by spring or summer of 2020
This attraction is inspired by the one at Disneyland Paris. Check out the video to see what to expect when it opens at Epcot.
Updates
May 17, 2018
Construction clearly visible
Now clearly visible high above the trees is the top of the new Ratatouille attraction in the France pavilion.
Epcot rumors
New Epcot resort hotel (rumor)
This rumor has been floating around since the D23 Expo in July 2017 and has been picking up steam again recently as permits have been filed that may indicate the preliminary work to begin prepping for infrastructure construction will be starting soon.
Most people are guessing that if this new resort happens, it will be situated towards the front of the park, possibly even near the monorail station.
DuckTales themed World Showcase interactive game (rumor)
This rumor suggests that the current Agent P's World Showcase Adventure will be replaced with a DuckTales themed adventure.
The current Agent P adventure takes guests around World Showcase in an interactive scavenger hunt game to crack clues in order to defeat Dr. Doofenshmirtz. If the rumors are true, the Agent P aspect of the game will be re-themed to Ducktales.
*************
Lots of changes coming to Epcot in the next few years! Which of the Epcot updates are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.
11 Comments
With all the changes to EPCOT, the Skyliner dropping at International Gateway, and the ongoing construction at the front of the park, do you expect the World Showcase to open at regular park opening, instead of the 11am opening time?
Hello
Is it true that the Gondolas are going to be dropping off at the Int. Gateway in EPCOT.
Thanks
Dude why does everything have to be commercially based? Let’s make it something to do with a movie or a character. Is everyone so mesmerized by media that there really is no imagination and everything has to be about merchandising? not everyone gives a shit about Star Wars!
Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. I have spent more time at WDW than I can count, practically every summer since I was born in 1979, and EPCOT center has been neglected for the past 25 years. It is a shell of what is supposed to be and represent. If Walt Disney were to come back and look at EPCOT he would probably say Thats it? That’s all you’ve done? Build a new EPCOT with vision and promise for the future, inspire hope through technology and real imagination. Take the current EPCOT ball and turn it into the Death Star, make the whole park Star Wars themed with different worlds from the movies. Take the test track ride and turn it into an X-Wing ride. But I won’t imagine they will ?. It takes guts to build something truly amazing. The kind of guts Walt Disney had.
Isn’t something happening with Spaceship Earth?
I believe just renovation. They’re keeping the original ideas and concepts but adding a new scene towards the end and updating the narration. I also believe they will be updating the animatronics, but these are just rumored. Disney has not released any official updates on the future of Spaceship Earth.
I’m excited about the Guardians Of The Galaxy ride as I am a huge Marvel fan although I think it would have been better at Hollywood Studios being that it is a film based ride.
I am looking forward to the Space Restaurant and the Skyliner Ride.
Wish the Ratatouille ride used animatronics instead of (yet another) 3D movie.
I am not a huge fan of Illuminations, so I will be excited to see a new show there. Also, since we always stay at POP, I’m super excited for the Skyliner to be completed.
Epcot opened in October 1982. Doesn’t that make the 40th anniversary in 2022, not 2021?
Yes! I got so fixated on opening dates for things that I mixed the anniversary date up but it is fixed now. Thank you!