June 3, 2013

International Village to World Showcase, EPCOT Center

Here you go: Version One of World Showcase, known as International Village, back when it was a whole separate theme park from Future World.  EPCOT Center went through a lot of changes before it became the incredible park it was at opening 1982.

Looking at this piece of Imagineering concept art, its pretty easy to see the PeopleMover in the background. There's the international signs pointing to the various countries, and alas, there's also the very 70s looking concrete version style that has plagued Disneyland's Tomorrowland since 1955!

Thankfully, the designers took a second and third look at the plan, and decided to present a more traditional architecture for each of the countries represented. The end result: much more charming- and  a vision much more in line with the fantasy version of countries imagined by travelers that never make the journey overseas.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

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