Changes

====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. 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"/>.

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 [[Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable]] replaced the pavilion's original attractions <ref> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=654 </ref>. 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 <Ref name= "year"> http://www.disneydrawingboard.com/WDW/ECArea/EC%20Park/ECPark.html </ref>. Also in 1994, CommuniCore closed its doors for a length renovation <ref name= "communicore"> http://www.lostepcot.com/communicore.html </ref>. 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]] <ref name= "communicore"/>. Besides changing exhibits, Innoventions also featured more darker and metallic looking aesthetics<ref name= "communicore"/>. Another change to hit Epcot in 1994 was General Electric ending its sponsorship of Horizons <ref name= "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<ref name= "horizons"/>. Also in 1995, the name EPCOT '94 was updated to EPCOT '95, before Disney finally settled on simply “Epcot” in 1996 <ref name= "year"/>. 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 <ref name= "energy"/>. The pavilion reopened in September of that year, as [[Ellen's Energy Adventure]] <ref name= "energy"/>. 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 <ref name= "energy"/>.

More closures hit Epcot in 1996 when the [[World of Motion]] closed <ref name= "motion"> http://www.lostepcot.com/worldofmotion.html </ref>. After a series of delays, the pavilion reopened in 1999 as [[Test Track]] <ref name= "motion"/>. 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<ref name= "motion"/>.

Change continued to be a constant at Epcot, as the park got ready for its Millennium Celebration. In 1998, the popular [[Journey Into Imagination pavilion]] closed for refurbishment <ref name= "imagination"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=95 </ref>. During the renovation, the [[Journey Into Imagination attraction]] was replaced by the unpopular [[Journey Into Your Imagination]], and the upstairs [[ImageWorks]] was closed off to guests (a smaller ImageWorks reopened in the pavilion's first floor) <ref name= "imagination"/>. Following the renovation, the pavilion was renamed simply Imagination! <ref name= "imagination"/>. The following year, in January of 1999, Horizons closed for good <ref name= "horizons"/>. The pavilion had remained unsponsored since GE ended its sponsorship in 1994, and it was beginning to look dated<ref name= "horizons"/>. As opposed to repurposing the pavilion, Disney instead chose to demolish it, to create room for the previously announced [[Mission: Space]] attraction<ref name= "horizons"/>. In 2000, Disney also decided to add a large mickey arm holding a wand to the top of Spaceship Earth <ref name= "wand"> http://www.yesterland.com/icontower.html </ref>. The large dedication “2000” was also added at the end of the wand, although this was subsequently changed to “Epcot” starting in 2001 <ref name= "wand"/>.

Following the addition of the wand, Epcot stayed relativity stagnant until 2003 when [[Mission: Space]] finally opened <ref name= "space"> http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/epfw-mission.htm </ref>. The new attraction was a motion simulator thrill ride which was themed as an astronaut training program for the first flight to Mars <ref name= "space"/>. In 2005, Another simulator was added to the park, this time to the Land pavilion in the form of the new attraction Soarin' <ref name= "soarin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=208 </ref>. Initially created for Disney’s California Adventure, this motion simulator gave guests the feeling they were hang gliding over California <ref name= "soarin"/>. In 2006, The Living Seas was rethemed to tie in with the Disney-Pixar movie Finding Nemo, subsequently renamed [[The Seas with Nemo & Friends]] <ref name= "seas"/>. The pavilion now housed a dark ride attraction (also called the Seas with Nemo & Friends), as well as Turtle Talk with Crush, and the interactive exhibits in Sea Base<ref name= "seas"/>. Overall, the pavilion took a much more of a fantasy tone, as opposed to the previously scientific tone of the pavilion.