The winds of change are about to hit the heart of Epcot. Let’s take a look at the massive number of closures about to hit Future World and see how it is about to be altered. We love it that Imagineering found a way to get the phrase “Epcot Center” back in the vernacular as well.
And while it will certainly be sad to see so much that we know of Epcot go away later this year, there’s no denying that central part of Future World was feeling dated and much of it just wasted space.
Welcome to Epcot!
Tombstones be gone . . .
You’ll notice things are a bit different as soon as you arrive at the park. Those giant Leave a Legacy monoliths are gone at long last. Some of them at least.
The right side of the entrance plaza is wonderfully open. I can’t wait until the proposed overhaul begins!
Leave a Legacy stones are still on the left side, however, which makes the entrance plaza seem rather lopsided. But not for much longer. Soon, the entry will be a green oasis.
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The Camera Center, Pin Central and The Art of Disney
There are so many changes are coming to the park over the year to come. The Camera Center will soon become Pin Central after closing in early September.
The Art of Disney store will be moved to a temporary location before being permanently placed in the American Adventure pavilion. The popular store will occupy the space where the Heritage Manor Gifts is located. Word is that Heritage Manor Gifts will be permanently closed and not relocated.
The Character Spot is set to close on September 8th, and the characters will be dispersed throughout the park.
For example, Minnie Mouse is moving to the gazebo at the entrance to World Showcase, while Mickey and Goofy will be moving to the Imagination pavilion.
Oh, Boy!
Starbucks, Club Cool and The Fountain of Nations
Starbucks will be moving to a temporary location this fall, after only a few years in its current location. Current thoughts are that the Starbucks will be temporarily based at the Odyssey, which is a long way to go for that coffee first thing in the morning. Unless you’re heading to see Anna and Elsa that is. It is likely that Starbucks will return to Epcot’s center when all the renovations are complete.
Club Cool is slated to be relocated, but there hasn’t been much released from Disney. This is your last call to step on the sticky floors to try free Beverly . . . for now.
Where am I going to get my 42 shots of Melon Frosty Fanta?
The Fountain of Nations was an opening-day attraction, so it will be very weird to see it removed in September.
As mentioned, Pin Central will be taking the place of the Camera Center under Spaceship Earth.
The Electric Umbrella, Mouse Gear and Inventions East
The Electric Umbrella is expected to stay open until November (or later), but then it will close and we should be seeing major changes to this location.
MouseGear, Epcot’s largest merchandise location will be relocated while the space gets completely renovated this winter. Still not a lot of information, but I would assume it would be in the Innoventions building.
Colortopia and Nanooze Break are set to close on the 8th of September in Innoventions East. Any thoughts on this space?
So, what do all of these closures have in common? Well, Disney is finally rethinking the future of Future World, and it’s green. When complete, Epcot Center will have trees, water, and a fresh new look.
We’ve gone this far . . . let’s take a loop all the way around the park . . . time to get some steps in and see even MORE changes on the way.
Guardians of the Galaxy and the Space Restaurant
But it’s not just the core of Epcot which is going under the knife. The Universe of Energy is now well on the way to becoming a Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster.
Not much to see outside of the future Guardians of the Galaxy attraction.
The Space restaurant is chugging along.
The Odyssey and World Showcase
The Odyssey, or Epcot Experience Center, is proposed to be the new location for Starbucks. How will this change affect the multitude of festivals that also use this space?
Some food and beverage booths have already gone up for the Food and Wine Festival, which starts on August 29th. Anyone doing anything else on that day?
There are walls up around the Liberty Inn. The restaurant is being renovated into a BBQ restaurant. Mmmmm…
The fancy Takumi Tei restaurant has opened in Japan. This new signature table service restaurant focuses on explaining and representing Japanese culture through food and service.
Is starting the Food & Wine Festival on the same day that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens a smart idea? Will it help pull crowds from Disney Studios? What do you think?
Ratatouille and the SkyLiners
You can see some of the Ratatouille show building poking out over the France Pavilion buildings.
Skyliner testing is happening at the World Showcase entry to Epcot!
Get your last look at Illuminations Reflections of Earth before September 30th, this well-loved show is closing for good. A temporary show will take over until the infrastructure for a big new show is ready next year.
Ireland booth has arrived in between the UK and Canada.
O Canada!
O Canada, the Circle-Vision 360 attraction, will be closing on August 1. Upgrades to the film and equipment will be conducted.
Tarps are covering most of the exterior of the Canada pavilion.
Farewell to Illuminations Merchandise
Wow! There is a lot happening in the park, and we should hear even more at the D23 Expo next month.
MiceChat Sip and Nibble 2019
Join us for an epic tour around World Showcase and the amazing Epcot Food and Wine Festival this October. We may a whole day of sampling items from EVERY booth in the festival!
MiceChat is headed to Epcot on October 18 for MiceChat’s 2019 Sip and Nibble. You can experience the epic grandeur of Epcot paired with fantastic selections of food and wine, while getting to know some fellow Disney lovers.
Of course, that’s not all, we’ll invade Orlando from October 17-19, and we would love for you to join us. We’ll attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, journey to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, visit Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights and much more.
After the theme parks, we’ll set sail on the largest cruise ship at sea, the Harmony of the Seas, for a trip to the Caribbean from October 20-27. This is a great opportunity to see the world, visit theme parks (particularly during Halloween) and meet some fellow Disney fans.
We invite you to join us for part or all of our October MiceTrip. For more information, contact [email protected]. Don’t miss the boat!
Do you like what you see? How do you feel about the widespread changes coming to Epcot? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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