Hello, and welcome to Dateline Disney World! This week, Epcot took some large steps towards their massive renovation… and we were there to check them out for you. Let’s take a look at what’s new and what’s about to wink out . . .
Regal Eagle Smokehouse – OPEN!
Before we take our tour of the park, some news from as far back in the park as you can go . . . the American Adventure! The new BBQ restaurant, to be called Regal Eagle Smokehouse, opened today!!! We’ll grab some interior shots and take a taste for you soon.
Signs of the Times
Now, on with our update . . . We’ll start our journey with new Epcot signage! This one’s located at the front of the park.
The new directional signage around the construction sites is pretty easy to follow. The font type and colors feel very Epcot.
These mirrored signs found in the Camera Center and Pin Traders shops under Spaceship Earth recently received some pretty cool light features…
Dead End!
A few more areas are now closed off for construction, with new pathways opening up to accommodate guest flow. This new path goes around the back of the Camera Center shop and leads to The Living Seas and The Land pavilions:
Where you would normally walk to get to the center of Future World is now a dead end, and only serves as an exit for Spaceship Earth.
…And there’s a dead-end along the other side of Spaceship Earth near Guest Relations as well.
The Electric Umbrella closed over the weekend, temporarily removing one of the largest quick-service locations in the park. Disney has yet to share future plans, themes or menus for the Electric Umbrella, or if that will even still be its name.
Sadly, behind all of these walls and closures are the beloved fiber-optics embedded into the pavement. We hope those twinkling lights make a comeback in the new World Celebration area. . . Perhaps in an even bigger way.
A new pathway opened up behind the Innoventions East building, relieving some Future World dead ends and crowding. This also puts us right next to the new Guardians of the Galaxy attraction!
East Side of the Future
Guardians of the Galaxy is making some major progress . . .
Test Track is still closed, slated to return on February 26th. This seems to be a routine refurbishment, but we’re still curious as to why the attraction is present on the “Future of Epcot” model. Does it mean that another retheme of Test Track may eventually be on the way? With TRON opening at Magic Kingdom next year, Test Track’s current theme may start to seem stale. What would you like to see happen to this ride?
Heading from Test Track, the east breezeway is now walled off. The park’s flagship merchandise store, MouseGear, has moved to a temporary location just behind the Electric Umbrella.
The west breezeway is also blocked off:
We’re not entirely sure what these walls near Mission: Space are, but this could be the eventual entrance for Space 220, the new restaurant is still slated to open this winter. End of February or early March, perhaps?
Flower and Garden Festival . . . First Bloom
Flower and Garden will be here before we know it! The springtime Epcot festival begins on March 4th (debuting alongside Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway over at Hollywood Studios)! Flower beds are already cropping up in Future World, livening all that construction with color…
Catching a monorail pass through the park never gets old…
Before Flower and Garden starts, we still have a few days left of the Festival of the Arts!
This year, the paint-by-number mural is posted on a construction wall, doubling as a roadblock to the center of Future World, which is now completely closed for renovations.
Speaking of Space 220 and Guardians of the Galaxy, these limited-edition stylized poster prints are available at the Festival of the Arts – only 100 of each were made!
Whirled Showcase
Let’s start our World Showcase journey in Mexico…
No updates can be found here yet, but there was no line at La Cava – which means it’s tequila time!
France is looking bare since the trees were removed. We’d love to see some more greenery added to complement the Parisian architecture.
Here comes Mary, strolling through the UK – the only hint of Poppins in the pavilion so far…
Another Festival of the Arts fun find: Peter Pan’s shadow in the UK!
Imagine This
On our way out of the park, we took a look at the rapidly aging Disney/Pixar Short Film Festival in the Imagination Pavilion. It’s not exactly a crowd-pleaser any more. With Rick Moranis coming out of retirement to reboot the Honey I Shrunk the Kids franchise, would anyone be opposed to a limited return of Honey I Shrunk the Audience? At least until this pavilion gets its long-promised redo?
Even with all the construction walls, Spaceship Earth is quite a sight.
The Agent P Showcase Adventure starting point is now closed. A new interactive adventure will begin soon, themed to DuckTales!
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Let’s Hear From You!
Lots of big changes happening at Epcot! Do you like what you see? What additions are you most looking forward to? Have any special requests for the Imagineers? Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!
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