Epcot is an amusement park located at the Walt Disney resort at Lake Buena Vista in Florida. It was the second amusement park to be built at the resort and opened in 1982. The amusement park was originally known as the EPCOT Center until 1994. It gets its name from the original vision that Walt Disney had of the amusement park when he came to create it and the acronym stands for ‘Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow’. It was built a total cost of $1.4 billion and took 3 years to construct. At the time, the amusement park was the largest construction project in the world.
The amusement park sits on 300 acres of land and is twice the size of Disney’s Magic Kingdom close by. In 2008 alone, almost 11 million people visited the amusement park which made it the third most visited amusement park in the entire United States that year.
Epcot consists of two sections – Future World and the World Showcase.
Future World is more focused on technological applications and innovation in technology. Attractions in this part of the amusement park include Innoventions, Mission: SPACE, Imagination, Universe of Energy and the Seas with Nemo and Friends.
The World Showcase at the amusement park features 11 different pavilions which replicate shops and restaurants of different countries, serving food and drink typical of the nations represented. The 11 nations are USA, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, China and Mexico which were there from the beginning but since then, both Morocco and Norway have been incorporated into this aspect of the amusement park. Each of the 11 pavilions is also staffed by national citizens of the host countries.
Some of the sections of the World Showcase also feature rides and a variety of shows. The latest attraction is Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure which is based on the Disney animated series ‘Kim Possible’ and is a kind of electronic scavenger hunt. Another popular attraction is ‘IllumiNations which is a stunning display which occurs at closing time that incorporates fireworks, water fountains and lasers into a breathtaking visual spectacle.
See also:
Amusement Parks: Disney Quest - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Discovery Cove - a Potted History
Amusement Parks - Lion Country Safari - a Potted History
Amusement Parks: Blizzard Beach - a Potted History