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Epcot

476 bytes added, 01:35, 11 June 2016
/* History Since Opening Day */
====History Since Opening Day====
After the Grand Opening in October of 1982, EPCOT Center continued to expand rapidly. The first expansion, known as Phase II, began on October 1, 1983 with the addition the Horizons pavilion<ref name= "horizons"> http://www. lostepcot.com/horizons.html </ref> Horizons, which was sponsored by General Electric, <ref name= "horizons"/> was a dark ride attraction that took guests into the 21st century, to see what the future might be like. The attraction would be one of EPCOT Center's most popular rides in the 1980s. Exactly one One year after the addition of Horizons, the [[Morocco]] pavilion opened in World Showcase<ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/09/vintage-walt-disney-world-morocco-pavilion-opens-at-epcot/ </ref>. Although the pavilion didn't feature any new attraction, the popular Restaurant Marrakesh opened at this time. Future World saw even more expansion in 1986 when [[The Living Seas]] opened on January 15th<ref name= "seas"> http://www.lostepcot.com/livingseas.html </ref>. Although a Seas pavilion had always been planned for EPCOT Center, changes in design and budget constraints delayed the pavilion’s construction. Sponsored by United Technologies, The Living Seas focused on oceanic study, and housed the world’s largest aquarium (at the time of its construction)<ref name= "seas"/>.  World Showcase was the next area to expand, when in 1988 the [[Norway]] pavilion was completed<ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/05/this-day-in-disney-history-norway-pavilion-debuts/ </ref>. Although not ready for the pavilion’s opening, the popular [[Maelstrom]] attraction opened later in 1988<ref> http://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/July05.html </ref>. In 1989 the final pavilion was added to Epcot, The Wonders of Life. The pavilion was sponsored by Met Life and featured the popular motion simulator Body Wars as well as Cranium Command and the Making of Me. The addition of the Wonders of Life signaled the end of EPCOT Center’s expansion.
Beginning in the 1990s, EPCOT Center (specifically Future World) went through a series of refurbishments and change. From 1993 through 1994 The Land pavilion went through a series of changes. Kraft assumed sponsorship of the pavilion, and Food Rocks, [[Living with the Land]], and [[The Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable]] replaced the pavilion's original attractions. In 1994 the name of the park itself also changed- to EPCOT '94 as an illusion to the World’s Fair atmosphere that now defined EPCOT. Also in 1994, CommuniCore closed its doors for a length renovation. In order to revive the dated CommuniCore’s popularity, new interactive exhibits featuring hands-on activities were added. On July 1, 1994, the pavilion reopened as [[Innoventions]]. Besides changing exhibits, Innoventions also featured more darker and metallic looking aesthetics. Another change to hit Epcot in 1994 was General Electric ending its sponsorship of Horizons. Although the pavilion initially closed, it later reopened in 1995 due to the renovations taking place in The World of Motion and Universe of Energy pavilions. Also in 1995, the name EPCOT '94 was updated to EPCOT '95, before Disney finally settled on simply “Epcot” in 1996. Of note, is the fact that the new name was not capitalized as it had been in the past; which meant that the name was no longer an acronym. In January of 1996, The Universe of Energy closed for a major refurbishment. The pavilion reopened in September of that year, as [[Ellen's Energy Adventure]]. Although the main focus and some of the attraction’s scenes remained intact, with the addition of Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye the Science Guy, the pavilion took on a more comedic tone. More closures hit Epcot in 1996 when the World of Motion closed. After a series of delays, the pavilion reopened in 1999 as [[Test Track]. Still sponsored by General Motors, Test Track took guests through the rigors of automobile testing procedures, including a speed test, where guests reach a maximum speed of 65 mph.