Disney Attraction Posters: The New Epcot Collection

Love Epcot? Love EPCOT Center even more? Do you love Disney park attraction posters? Me, too! As you look through this incredible collection of posters for Walt Disney World's once most ambitious theme park, take a look and first read the original vision as inscribed on the dedication plaque:

To all who come to this place of Joy, Hope and Friendship - Welcome.

EPCOT is inspired by Walt Disney's creative vision. 

Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, 

wonders of enterprise and concepts 

of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all.

May EPCOT Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, 

may it instill a new sense of belief and pride 

in man's ability to shape a world

that offers hope to people everywhere.

 

Let's take a poster tour through what was once Future World and then World Showcase.  The designers of these posters did, and they played on our love for classic EPCOT Center. Nostalgia sells. Disney may be more interested in that than actually improving the attractions from the past that still remain.

 

 

Communicore - and not the upcoming concert venue.  The little blue robot SMRT-1, the one with the playful childlike voice, is the perfect character to capture the innocent and hopeful look of the park. 

 

 

Count me is as a guy that is undecided on this latest addition to my once favorite park. Does Moana belong?  Sure- in another park. But in the context of them also adding Marvel to the park, I guess it will do. Will our journey of water be worth destroying the elegant symmetry of the buildings that were once there? No. Did the park need a refreshing and maybe even some more greenery? Yes. Will I like the new addition? It's possible. Moving beyond the hub / core of the park...

Universe of Energy or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? Yes, Epcot needed a coaster to sell to the masses and especially the teens that go to Universal Orlando Resort. Was Marvel the right move or the easy one? So many questions, so little well thought out answers. The Imagineers of old are turning over in their graves.

 

Here I am PLAYing around with a new unopened pavilion and comparing it to Wonders of Life. The character infusion is the new focused of the park whether Imagineer Zach Riddley and crew will admit it or not. Will PLAY! be better than what came before? Hard to say by what is represented by the two attraction posters. Time will tell.

World of Motion and Test Track. Which would you prefer? As I like to say, because of that blessing of size, could we not have had both? If only. Smarter, cooler, longer thinking, heads should have prevailed.

 

 Here, the answer is more obvious. Would an updated Horizons blow Mission: Space out of the water? Yes, 100x over again and again. A space restaurant is clever, however. 

Now, crossing over to the other half of Future World...

A trio of well done posters representing The Land. I like the top one as it represents that old version of the park where each pavilion had multiple pieces to discover instead of one 4 minute long attraction. Ah, Kitchen Kabaret. Fun while it lasted, but too corny for a modern audience- and certainly one that wasn't all that favored by me even at opening. Soarin' the attraction is a winner in any form!

The one, the only, the original Journey into Imagination. Whenever the suits decide they need a quick inflow of cash, they pull out our beloved Figment and Dreamfinder. Nothing in Epcot pisses me off more than seeing how they destroyed this iconic attraction. Nothing.

Turtle Talk with Crush is a delight! Charming and family friendly and definitely something unique. It's a crowd pleaser and an undiscovered gem of this pavilion. The Living Seas was more ambitious- but then, so was the rest of the park back in the day.

The name World Celebration is ridiculous. That said, I was a fan of this project shown above. It seemed to have a sense of ambition and sleekness of the original park design for The American Adventure. It would have been a perfect nod to the past as well as a focus clearly on the future world.

Still one of the best parades Disney has ever produced. Timeless!

May this classic NOT Rest In Peace. May it return one day.

Nighttime entertainment has always been best at Epcot. Dare I say it- Harmonious or Illuminations?  Perhaps they couldn't come up with a good name for this last poster? Has imagination died within the Walt Disney Company? That may be a loaded question when it is applied to this once epic theme park.

 
Are you ready for the attraction posters for World Showcase?
 

 

  

For how well designed so many of these attraction posters are, these just don't do it for me. Coco will come to Mexico some day as this poster lets us know. The Gran Fiesta Tour will end, and the Three Caballeros will move on. All I can say is, where's the poster for the opening day attraction, El Rio del Tiempo? 

 

 

Norway, the Maelstrom, and a very Frozen Ever After. Characters in World Showcase blending with local culture. I've given up and given in. After all, who can resist the very lovable Olaf? But, and I mean this sincerely, isn't this cultural appropriation in the worse way possible? Absolutely.

 

 

After having seen the real Terra Cotta Warriors of China, I am even more interested in the cultural artifacts in this pavilion and its beautiful film. This poster is serviceable. I will never embrace the Dragon, however. Hong Kong needs to be free.

What about that once proposed Germany attraction, the Rhine River Cruise? Appropriate that it is missing in action, but that is a shame. There's a whole article about it here. And there's some incredible (not Incredibles) concept art.

Here at home, we get an overpriced series of eateries and a couple of well done landmark recreations. Tokyo Disneysea gets it all- a gondola ride and a real Soarin' attraction housed in a mega-beautiful building. Why is that? There really is no excuse. And I hope the Pinocchio remake flops.  Disneyland's dark ride attraction in its original form does not belong in this park. If they used artsy puppets and a fresh presentation style to tell the story, I might be interested.

The centerpiece and the only remaining Audio-Animatronic show in the park. Visitors to the park that have not experienced this patriotic but honest show about our country's rich history have missed one of Disney's best. This is a great poster, even if a little simplistic.

Pure and simple- I dislike this poster that represents Japan, one of my very favorite pavilions in this park. Could I do better? No, honestly, I couldn't. Maybe decades ago, but not now. My artist skills have waned. I'm now just a blogger.

 

Morocco. Exotic, stunning, and the most authentic of them all.  It's really worthy of an attraction, but my guess is that ship has sailed. Unless the suits decide to bring an Indiana Jones Adventure to this park instead of one for the Studios. I hope they don't.

 

We never miss visiting France when we travel to the park. The food, the atmosphere, and the beautiful Impressions de France. I'm looking forward to experiencing Remy's Ratatouille Adventure for myself. I've read mixed reviews and seen the on-ride videos, but the source film is my very favorite Pixar movie.

 

Saving the best - that is the biggest disappointment - for next to last. Announcing then not mentioning but seemingly dumping a Mary Poppins attraction? It's a slap in the face to us old school fans- and probably, privately, to Julie Andrews, Dick VanDyke, and even Emily Blunt as well. The U.K. showcase needs an attraction that gives homage to this incredible and beloved film.

 

Oh Canada! Your gardens are beautiful but your Le Cellier restaurant is now overpriced. And yes, your film is now something people laugh at- and not in a good way. Time to respect your own culture.

 

There you have it! All of Epcot's new attraction posters in one single article. Enjoy!

 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Thanks to the late Alan Littaye for his help on these.)

My 40 Year Love Affair with EPCOT

On April 5th, 1982, I saw EPCOT Center for the very first time. From the monorail that ran from the Walt Disney World Transportation and Ticket Center, the night sky seemed to glisten with thousands of stars- or were those stars in my eyes? My wife and I were married two days prior, and a short stop at Walt Disney World was the beginning of our honeymoon in the Bahamas. 

My soon to be favorite Disney park was still under construction. As we entered into it and rounded the bend in front of the World Showcase Lagoon all lit up, I was struck by how massive the project was. And just how beautiful! It seemed to call me to explore and discover all this new Disney world would offer. I knew a little about it, but I had to have more information.

It'd be several months later when I finally got my hands on the greatest book about the once greatest park, Walt Disney's EPCOT Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow by Richard R. Beard, I was convinced a visit upon opening was a requirement as a die hard Disney theme park fan. How right I was! I devoured every page and poured over each piece of Imagineering concept art (usually by Herb Ryman) over and over again.

In April of 1983 for our one year anniversary, we traveled to the World specifically to experience EPCOT. Taking it slow, we savored every experience over the two plus days we spent just at this park.  

Future World sparkled with fresh ideas at Communicore, a variety of attractions kept us busy for hours on end before even entering World Showcase. The Imagineers gave it their very best making sure each pavilion was varied in tone as well as in style of attraction. Spaceship Earth was informative and set the stage for the adventures ahead. Universe of Energy was powerful in its presentation and the surprise movement of its theater cars. The journey back to the realm of dinosaurs was thrilling and unexpected. The story of World of Motion was told humorously but with no less impact. The show was Audio-Animatronic heavy, expertly done and included a not-so-subtle not to Imagineer Marc Davis' unbuilt Western River Expedition.

The other side consisted of the warm and engaging Land pavilion with the Listen to the Land boat journey and a new theater show Kitchen Kabaret, a spiritual cousin to the Country Bear Jamboree. Of course, Journey into Imagination wowed us with the never to be improved upon adventure with Dreamfinder and Figment. We easily spent an hour playing with all the games in the Image Works. 

As fun and informative as Future World once was, once we entered World Showcase, my heart was captured by what was designed for the other half of the park. I was always drawn to travel to distant locales, and this chance to experience the flavor of places I had yet to visit drew me like a moth to a flame. 

Mexico, China, Japan and France were early favorites, and each had its own charms. El Rio del Tiempo was an instant favorite, at once both mysterious and familiar. (It's been a ride I write about in one form or another on this blog for Cinco de Mayo.) Its theme song was a delightful piece of ear candy. Impressions de France wowed us with its beautiful score and equally gorgeous sights. It'd be several years more before I'd finally travel there, but the experience set the longing in motion.

Regal and inspiring, The American Adventure remains one of Disney's best attractions in any park. Very befitting to be center stage as the host nation for this permanent World's Fair. A walking Audio-Animatronic? You had to see it to believe it. It was the forerunner to all Disney has accomplished today with its more dynamic robot actors 40 years later. 

Long before the Food & Wine Festivals(s) took over the park, EPCOT was the place to go for a great meal! Chefs de France, San Angel Inn Restaurante, and The Good Turn restaurant provided terrific service, good food, and great atmosphere at a fair and decent price. Shopping was part of the experience as well, but it wasn't an overflow of Disney characters here. Goods unique to each nation made browsing stores a unique experience in each pavilion. Something Disney has forgotten, but perhaps it will return as the Disney suits grapple with one more great aspect learned by its competitor who created a slam dunk experience with Harry Potter down the road. 

Not once were we bored, wishing instead to be at the Magic Kingdom, or missed any of the Big 5 Disney characters.

Each day at the new park, we stayed until the it closed, well after dark, taking in the lights of each building, shop, restaurant, and garden. Another magnificent Disney creation.

Part of EPCOT's Golden Age.

It was during this visit, we discovered that we were about to be parents for the first time. Our kids would be introduced to this place to discover there was more to Disney than just animated movies and Disneyland. 

The year 1989 brought our next visit to Florida, and this time it was with three young children. We began our tour with a day at EPCOT Center, believing they'd be more open to the park as a first experience than if it came after a visit to the Magic Kingdom or the brand new Disney-MGM Studios. We need not have worried. All our kids loved to learn, and Disney made sure the second park on the property was as enjoyable as it was educational. 

Since our earlier visit, the park had opened both a pavilion in Morocco and Norway to World Showcase as well as the Living Seas and the amazing Horizons to Future World.  Disney had debuted a new nighttime show IllumiNations as well, and it instantly became our family's favorite evening experience.  

This park just kept getting better and better! Then it all stopped.

We came back in 1992 for another visit with my sister and her family. The Disney-MGM Studios had more attractions added and the resort continued to grow, but EPCOT stood still. And it remained that way for years. 

By our next visit in 1999, the suits had made only minor changes to the park while concurrently destroying some of what made it great. The death of Journey into Imagination into both versions much less magical was only the beginning. On the plus side, the new parade for the Millenium, Tapestry of Nations was added for a brief time. Disney could still pull off the magic, but the suits began to make one bad choice after another when it came to this once ambitious theme park.

I continued to love it, remaining upbeat about its future. I still loved World Showcase but found myself less and less excited about Future World as the company continued to ignore it, update it, and even give it proper care and maintenance. 

Resting on its laurels.

We began to travel elsewhere, and it would be a decade before I would return to the World in 2009. EPCOT Center was gone for good.  Optimism had been replaced with the ordinary and expected. Test Track and Mission: Space were great fun, but they should not have come at the expense of the iconic attractions they replaced. Soarin', however misplaced, was a great addition. World Showcase would see nothing new aside from a growing number of food booths. By and large, the park was ignored, and it showed. Our most memorable experiences that trip were outside the parks.

We returned with family in 2018 and 2019- this time with grandkids- and again in 2021 with our youngest son, now a grown adult. All three trips, I was excited to share my favorite park. Gran Fiesta Tour and Frozen Ever After made it clear where they were headed. Neither family was all that impressed with what they saw, and our youngest son found it to be last on his list of parks in Orlando. Telling.

"New" Epcot.

Does Imagineer Zach Riddley's Epcot give me hope? Not really. (Read this.) Sure, there's more characters, more Marvel, more and more  commercialism. There's also less inspiration, less innovation, and less charm. I can't blame him. It's our fault too. (I prove it here.) Yet, the Walt Disney Company is all about the buck now. Instead of providing the first class experience they were once known for, it's now about drawing more money out of each guest.

I'll still enjoy Epcot as a memorable family vacation from time to time. But now it will be with even greater memories for what once was. Sad to think the park's glory days are behind it. But I'll still go. Just not as often and with more lowered expectations. I guess that means my 40 year love affair with Epcot will continue but with a more matured pair of less rose colored glasses.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

-------

Want more Epcot? It's one of my favorite places to write about. Here are links to some of the articles, but there's tons more to discover:

Epcot's Unbuilt Costa Rica Showcase

Disney Park Countdown- #2 Epcot 

Thursday Night at Epcot's Germany Showcase

Disney World After A Decade Away: Epcot

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo at Epcot 

Abandoned Science and Technology Pavilion for Epcot

Imagineer Harper Goff's Rare Plans for Epcot

Epcot at 30 

EPCOT Center Dreams Fill Coffee Table Books 

Dine or Ditch: The Land's Garden Grille Room 

Japan's Never Built Omnimover Ride 

2021 Trip Report: Epcot 

2019 Trip Report: Turning Epcot Upside Down 

Can Epcot Be Saved?