The genesis of Epcot began in the early 1960s with Walt Disney himself. After having many grandchildren, Walt began to worry about the world they would grow up in. He looked around the cities of America and thought he could do better. The cities were full of crime, disorganized, dirty and hectic. Disneyland was the opposite of these things, and Walt decided he could take the Disneyland philosophy and apply it to the real world. Disneyland also proved that Walt and his company were very efficient in the art of building and designing buildings. With that idea in mind, he began to read about how to start a city.
This idea of a utopia utopian city got it's name in 1966. Walt Disney narrated a video in which he described his dream. The city would be housed near Disney World, and would be called the Experimental Community of Tomorrow or EPCOT. Walt called EPCOT, “the most exciting, by far the most important,” and the heart of what he planned to do in Disney World. The city would take its cues from the new ideas and technologies of American industry and would be a “community of tomorrow”. Walt wanted to plan and design every detail of the city, in order to meet the public's needs. Industry was also expected to partner with Disney to solve the problems of the society. Walt said that EPCOT would never be finished, it would always be improving. He hoped that when it was built, it would house about 20,000 people.
EPCOT was laid out to be the perfect city. It took it's design from Disneyland, in that their would be a central hub that roads and monorails would connect to the other parts of the city. The center “hub” of EPCOT would have been a large business area. The area would have been under a dome that would control the temperature and weather. The busines business area would have also included office buildings, shopping, and the “crown jewel” of EPCOT, the Cosmopolitan Hotel. The hotel , which would be located at the center of EPCOT and would be 30 stories tall. The Hotel hotel would also house, (in the basement, ) the transportation lobby of EPCOTthe city. Underground, People Movers would transport people to the various parts of EPCOT. Cars town, and cars and trucks would also have underground highways that they would be able to use. No gas vehicles would travel above land. The hub would feature offices, theaters, nightlife, restaurants, and a shopping center featuring items from around the world.
Outside of the business area would be the high density apartment housing. Citizens who lived here would have the luxury of being close to the business area, but would have live in apartment complexes. Outside of the apartment housing was to be the recreation area. The recreation area would have consisted of things such as pools, parks, churches and schools. Beyond the recreation area would have been the residential neighborhood. This is where a large number of families would have lived. The area would have consisted of housing and small recreation areas such as playgrounds.
When Walt Disney died in 1966 the future of EPCOT was forever changed. In 1967 the Reedy Creek Improvement District was signed into law giving Disney more liberties when it came to construction. Although this seemed like the first step towards the construction of EPCOT, the board of the directors decided that they did not want to build the city. Although Roy O. Disney wanted EPCOT to be built, when Walt Disney World opened it consisted of only The Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary, and the Fort Wilderness campgrounds.
In the late 1970's Disney CEO Card Walker brought the EPCOT idea back to the board of directors. Once again however, the idea was scrapped. The company felt that people would no not want to come live in a place where they would constantly be watched and analyzed. In 1982 it was decided that EPCOT would open as a theme park, not a city. The theme park was named EPCOT Center to reflect the fact that the park would get it's inspiration from Walt's EPCOT city. The park took the idea of promoting technology and industry and incorporated it into attractions. The Imageneers Imagineers at the company were divided over what the park should look like. Some felt it should be a futuristic theme park that would help promote technology. Others felt that it should be an international themed park, one that celebrated different cultures. After much heated debate, two Imagineers literally pushed together the two models. EPCOT now resembled a World's Fair, and would later be called “a permanent World's Fair.”
===Construction and Layout===
In 1978 Disney announced to the world they would be constructing a new theme park, the EPCOT Center. Construction began on May 1, 1979 and was completed September 27, 1982. Epcot went under 19 different design renovations before the final World Showcase/Future World design was accepted. Originally, the east side of Future World was supposed to have shallow lagoons. This idea was eventually scrapped and East Future World became the dry side, while West Future World became the wet one. 4,000 workers worked on phase 1 of Epcot. 10,000 workers and 3,000 designers were used in total during the creation of Epcot. <!-- This included moving an astonishing. -->
While the basic plans for Epcot had now been finalized, Imagineers decided that they needed an icon, something in the skyline to draw guests into the park. The Imagineers liked the idea of the dome that Montreal had built for the 1967 World's Fair, but wanted something a little more dramatic. What they ended up building would be the world's first full geometric sphere structure, Spaceship Earth. Science fiction writer Raymond Bradbury helped design the sphere, which was 160 feet in diameter. Disney also enlisted the help of MIT to determine what kind of pressure the sphere would create under it. Disney feared that the pressure would create a wind tunnel underneath the sphere, but this ended up being untrue. Another problem that engineers faced was how to hold the sphere up. There had been little data available on geometric spheres so Disney had to look inward for a solution. What they decided to do was put six large legs between 120 and 160 feet into the ground for support. The legs were then reinforced at their base, before the sphere was built. Inside the sphere an elevator, track, and show scenes for Spaceship Earth were built.
There are actually two spheres located within Spaceship earth - an outer sphere and an inner sphere. The inside sphere is made of steel, pyramid shaped pipes. The outer sphere was then created by covering the outside with Alucobond pyramids, a polyester plastic, which was finally covered in two sheets of aluminum. The two layer sphere solved two problems for Imagineers. The first was the need to protect Spaceship Earth from fire and weather damage. The Alucobond protects the inside sphere, while also looking pleasant for guests. The other problem that Alucobond solved was the issue of run-off rainwater. Imagineers left a gap between the Alucobond pyramids which allows water to run into a gutter system in the inner sphere before eventually draining in World Showcase.
The opening day of Epcot featured seven pavilions in Future World and nine pavilions in World Showcase. The Future World pavilion pavilions all had corporate sponsors who agreed to pay for the pavilion to be constructed, as well as maintain the attractions within for a certain number of years. The opening day pavilions were:
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==Opening==
Epcot officially opened October 1, 1982 - exactly 11 years after the Magic Kingdom. However, was considered a soft opening because only Spaceship Earth was dedicated. On hand were dignitaries from 23 countries who poured a gallon of water into the Fountain of Nations as a sign of unity. A Grand Opening Week was held October 17 17th through October 2727th. VIP members, key press, celebrities including Drew Barrymore and Marie Osmond, and top executives from sponsor companies were on hand for the events. On October 2424th, Epcot was officially dedicated.
{{Quotation|To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship—welcome.
October 24, 1982}}
Walker's dedication was followed by speeches from Florida Governor Bob Graham and AT&T president William Ellinghouse. CBS aired a television special, ''EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration''. The special was hosted by Danny Kane and actually aired the day before the official dedication, October 23. Also on hand for the opening were marching bands and dancers who performed, “We've Only Just Begun To Dream” and a new Sherman brothers song, “World Showcase March”. Various musical acts from different countries also performed in World Showcase. At the finale of the opening , doves and balloons were released in celebration.
==Additions To Epcot Since 1982==
After the Grand Opening in October of 1982, EPCOT Center continued to expand rapidly. The expansion, known as Phase II, began on October 1, 1983 with the addition the Horizons pavilion. Horizons was sponsored by General Electric which took guests into the 21st century to see what the future might be like. The attraction would be one of EPOCT EPCOT Center's most popular rides in the 1980s. Exactly one year after the addition of Horizons, the Morocco pavilion opened in World Showcase. Future World saw even more expansion in 1986 when The Living Seas opened on January 15. The Living Seas focused on oceanic study and was sponsored by United Technologies. In the Living Seas, guests would board ride vehicles and witness large aquariums with all kinds of fish and sea creatures. World Showcase was the next to expand when in 1988 Norway was added, followed by the popular attraction the Maelstrom a year later. The Maelstrom was a boat ride which transported guests to the Norway of myth. 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. The pavilions completion signaled the end of Epcot's major additions.
The mid 1990s brought a lot of change to EPCOT Center. For starters, in 1994 the name of the park was changed to Epcot Center '94. This change helped add the World Fair atmosphere that now defined EPCOT Center. Also in 1994 CommuniCore closed its doors. The pavilion was becoming somewhat dated, so it was under a long renovation. The pavilion reopened July 1, 1994 as Innoventions. Innoventions was themed similar to CommuniCore in that it featured hands-on technology. The new exhibits however were much flashier and appealed to a younger audience. Besides changing exhibits, the pavilion also changed color, becoming much darker and metallic looking. Horizons also went through changes in 1994 when General Electric canceled it's sponsorship. The attraction closed, but was reopened in 1995 due to all the other closures in Future World. The name EPCOT '94 was updated to EPCOT '95 that year, before finally settling on Epcot in 1996. The new name was not capitalized as it had been in the past, witch meant that it was no longer an acronym. More closures hit Epcot in 1996 when the World of Motion closed. The pavilion would re-open in 1999 as Test Track, still sponsored by General Motors. Test Track took guests through the rigors of the testing procedures cars go through. Test Track is the fastest ride in Walt Disney World, reaching up to 65 mph.
Main Article: [[The Land]]
Perhaps the most popular pavilion in Epcot, The Land opened with the park in 1982 and is located in Future World West. Inside the pavillion pavilion guests will find Soarin', a motion simulator attraction that takes guests hang gliding over California. Also located within the land is The Circle of Life film. This attraction is an environmental fable starring Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba from Disney's The Lion King. The final attraction located within The Land, is Living With the Land. This attraction is a boat ride that takes guests through the history earth's land. After seeing its history guests are shown Disney's working greenhouse. The greenhouse grows unique vegetation, and is also used as a research facility. Some of the food grown within The Land is used in restaurants includeing the restaurants located within The Land, The Garden Grill and the Sunshine Seasons.
===Mission Space===
Main Article: [[The Sea's With Nemo and Friends]]
Formally known as the Living Seas, the pavilion opened in 1986 and is located in Future World East. The Sea's With Nemo and Friends is a dark ride that takes guests through the story of The Disney's Finding Nemo. In order to do this, characters from th Disney -Pixar movie are projected onto large aquariums that hold fish and other sea animals. Also located in the Seas pavilion is Turtle Talk With Crush, an interactive “digital puppetry” show. Turtle Talk with Crush gives guests the opportunity to meet and interact with Crush the turtle from Finding Nemo. The only restaurant in the pavilion is the Coral Reef Restaurant which specializes in sea food and steaks.
===Spaceship Earth===
Main Article: [[Universe of Energy]]
The Universe of Energy opened with the park in 1982 and is located in Future World East. The attraction located inside the Pavilion, [[Ellen's Energy Adventure]] , features three films and a seven minute dark ride. The attraction looks at the history and future of energy and stars Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Nye. Ellen's Energy Adventure opened in 1996 and replaced the similar Universe of Energy ride that was housed in the pavilion.
==Former Future World Pavilions==
Main Article: [[Wonders of Life]]
The Wonders of Life Pavilion opened in 1989 in Future World East. The pavilion focused on human health and was sponsored by MetLife. Inside the pavilion were three attractions: Body Wars, Cranium Command, and the Making of Me. Body Wars was a motion simulator attraction that “shrunk” riders so that they could enter a human body and carry out a mission. The attraction is considered to be Epcot's first thrill ride and was also often compared to [[Star Tours]] at [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]]. Cranium Command was a humorous film that taught guests the importance of the human brain. The show featured Buzzy an Audio Anamatronic Animatronic who is a “brain pilot”. The attraction followed Buzzy as he used a host human's brain to go through an average day. The final attraction located in the Wonders of Life Pavilion was The Making of Me. Hosted by Martin Short, The Making of Me was an education film that taught guests how babies were born. The Wonders of Life closed in 2007 after MetLife dropped it's sponsorship.
==World Showcase Pavilions==
Main Article: [[Mexico]]
The Mexico Pavilion opened with World Showcase in 1982. It is the first pavilion guests reach if they go left at the entrance to World Showcase. The pavilion is shaped like a large Mesoamerican pyramid. The pavilion is home to the boat ride attraction, The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. On the attraction guests board small boats and tour Mexico, while watching Jose and Panchito (from the 1944 Disney movie The Three Caballeros) search for Donald Duck. Located right next to the attraction is the San Angel Inn, a Mexican restaurant. Also inside the pavilion is a large Mexican shop which sells Mexican themed merchandise as well as Disney Merchandise. Outside of the pavilion guests can eat at either the Cantina de San Ángel or the La Hacienda de San Angel. Located on the lagoon, both restaurants are counter service restaurant which offers Mexican cusinecuisine.
===Norway===
Main Article: [[Germany]]
As guests pass through China the next pavilion they will come across is Germany. The Germany pavilion is themed to look like a small German town and has decorations such as a statue of St. George slaying a dragon and a clock tower. The German pavilion was supposed to have a boat attraction like Norway and Mexico which was going to be built with Phase II of Epcot. However, when Germany was not willing to pay for the attraction the plans were scrapped. The German pavilion is home to Beiergarten Restaurant a buffet style German restaurant , and Sommerfest a quick service restaurant. Also in Germany are four shops, and miniature train and village.
===Italy===
Main Article: [[The American Adventure]]
The next pavilion guests will encounter after passing through Italy is The American Adventure. Opened in 1982, the American Adventure is themed after a colonial American town. The pavilion gets its name from it's only attraction. Inside the American Adventure attraction, guests will travel through American history with Ben Franklin and Mark Twain. Audio AnmantronicsAnimatronics, images and video are used to tell the story of America. Also inside the American Adventure building is the a Capella cappella group, The Voices of Liberty. The group sing sings Americana songs to for guests, before the beginning of each show. Also located in the American Adventure, is the Liberty Inn which offers chicken, burgers, hot dogs and salads. Another restaurant, the Fife and Drum sells turkey legs, frozen beverages and beer. The American Gardens theater, an outdoor amphitheater also hosts concerts and other events. Finally, there is one shop located in the pavilion, Heritage Manor Gifts which sells American merchandise.
===Japan===
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
* Guests can see a model of Walt Disney's Experimental Community of Tomorrow when riding the Tommorowland [[Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover]].
* Epcot cost nearly 1.4 billion dollars to create.