Future World is open from
9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
World Showcase is open
11 a.m to 9 p.m.
IllumiNations Nightly at 9 p.m.
Epcot Extra Magic Hours
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To all who come to this place of joy, hope and friendship, welcome.
Epcot Center is inspired by Walt Disney's creative genius. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, the 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. (Dedication Plaque)
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On October 1, 1979 ground broke for the second Theme Park at Walt Disney World. Three years and $1.4 billion later, on October 1, 1982, Epcot Center opened at the Walt Disney World resort. The new Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow was connected via monorail to the familiar Magic Kingdom theme park.
It was Walt's Dream to have a self-contained city reside here... unfortunately he passed away before it could be built. The Walt Disney Company created a theme park which incorporated Walt's love for World's Fairs and the promise of the future!
Epcot has come along way since the early days.
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OVERVIEW
Welcome to Epcot, a theme park design to both entertain and educate. Epcot is twice the size of the Magic Kingdom, so be prepared to walk. You really won't be able to see it all in one day, so if that's all the time you have, plan carefully.
The 9,000 space parking lot rarely fills. Trams take you to the main entrance of Epcot where you enter the turnstiles and find yourself right in front of Spaceship Earth.
Epcot is made up of Future World and World Showcase. Future World is where you can experience the past and future of technology advancements. World Showcase highlights the art, architecture and culture of the countries that surround the World Showcase Lagoon.
Epcot is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Most of Future World remains open until 7 p.m.; World Showcase opens at 11 a.m. and remains open until 9 p.m. IllumiNations is shown nightly, at closing, around the World Showcase Lagoon. On busy holidays (4th of July, Christmas, Easter) Epcot may remain open until 10 p.m. or later.
Ever wonder what EPCOT stands for? The official answer is Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Epcot visitors and cast members have other answers: Every Person Comes Out Tired, Employee Paychecks Come Out Tuesday, and so on.
What's New?
Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival - March 18 - May 31, 2009
Ratatouille Remy -- As of March 9, guests who dine at Les Chefs de France restaurant are being treated to a unique kind of entertainment, allowing them to meet the culinary rat Remy, from the movie Ratatouille. Remy is an Audio-Animatronics puppet who, along with the restaurant maitre d' (a comedic actor), engages guests by performing a series of humorous, theatrical vignettes, using a moving food cart with a silver-domed cheese platter as their stage.Remy can be seen 12:30 - 6 p.m. at Les Chefs de France through September 5, 2009.
Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure - A new interactive adventure officially opened January 28, 2009. Guests can play Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure in seven of the World Showcase pavilions: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan, France and United Kingdom. Each pavilion features a unique mission including distinctive visual events and a different super villain from the animated series.
Nine Dragons Restaurant in China reopened September 25, 2008.
StormStruck - Innoventions Exhibit! - Opened August 2008 - 3D Virtual Weather Experience
Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining have opened in Japan - Menus Teppan Edo/ Tokyo Dining and
Photo Gallery
What's Coming?
The Great Piggy Bank Adventure, the interactive exhibit is scheduled to open this spring at Innoventions. The exhibit will "bring basic saving and investing concepts to life in a fun and captivating way" and will encourage families to "engage in regular dialogue about the importance of saving and how to manage money responsibly."
The "Sounds Like Summer" Concert Series returns to the America Gardens Theatre in Epcot's World Showcase again this year, June 15 through August 9.
Epcot's Food and Wine Festival - September 25 - November 8, 2009 and Eat to the Beat concerts
What's Going - Going - Gone...
Living Seas Manatee Returned to Sea - Marine mammal experts from Walt Disney World Resort returned a manatee to its natural habitat in the warm waters of the St. John's River. The manatee, named "Bock," was rescued as an orphan from the St. John's River in 2001 and arrived at The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot in 2003, weighing about 500 pounds.
“Epcot Creating the World of Tomorrow” gallery, which celebrates the past 25 years, is located in Innoventions West in Future World. Photographs, memorabilia and models highlight the exhibit. Closed late September 2008.
The Great American Farm - Innoventions Exhibit - Closed September 27, 2008
A wide variety of sources were used to obtain the Epcot information found on AllEars.net including: Fact Sheets obtained from the former Discovery Center at Epcot, Discussions with Cast Members, various Epcot Center and Epcot Guidemaps, "Walt Disney Imagineering" by the Imagineers, "WDW 20 Magical Years" by The Walt Disney Company, Disney A to Z The Official Encyclopedia (Dave Smith), The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot, Eyes and Ears (WDW cast newspapers) and "The Art and Science of Gardening at WDW" 1984 a WDW Production.
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