October 1, 1982. EPCOT Center, the third theme park Walt Disney Productions has created, opens to an anxious public in Florida. EPCOT sits right at the center of the massive WDW property, and right at the center of the new philosophy: That with technology and each other, humanity can create a better world.
October 24, 1982, Card Walker makes the dedication speech on a stage IN FRONT of Spaceship Earth. Future Corps (or an early incarnation thereof) is present, and they play the park's new anthem ("We've Just Begun to Dream"). This is going to be not just a return to form for WED and Walt Disney Productions, but a renaissance of everything Walt had dreamed of doing. The company poured more money into EPCOT Center than any project in their history. It literally took everything they had to complete the project for opening day, much as Disneyland had in 1955, and Horizons still wasn't ready!
To keep in the "original spirit of the park", the name was changed in early 1994 to "EPCOT '94". The idea was, the name would change each year, thus bringing EPCOT closer to it's heritage as a permanent World's Fair. The plan was a disaster, and, after one additional name change to "Epcot '95" a year later, the name went to just plain Epcot. A word, not an acronym.
World of Motion was the first original pavillion to be closed. This slow moving omni-mover trip through the history of motion, from the invention of the wheel to the transportation systems of the future, closed in 1996.
Journey into Imagination (the original attraction), which featured EPCOT Center's two signature characters (being Figment and The Dreamfinder) went away forever on October 10, 1998.
Horizons shut down in 1998, and was removed entirely in 1999. The building, the actual structural supports, were unsafe and were sinking into a bottomless sinkhole. Not only could the attraction (in which guests rode into the future and chose their own ending) never reopen for safety reasons, the building itself was condemned.
October 1, 2000. With the 15-month long Millenium Celebration in full swing, 18 years after Epcot (Center had, by this time, been dropped from the name) opened to an excited, hopeful public, mistakes are being made with the park that will cost it much time and money in the near future. A giant "Sorcerer Mickey Wand" is erected on a tower that rises next to and curves over Spaceship Earth. Atop the tower is a glittering "2000". Many wondered if WDI was pulling an "Epcot 94".
The Millenium Celebration brought many positive changes to World Showcase, but Future World continued to suffer. "Leave a Legacy", one of the final show designs by Imagineering genius John Hench, provided contrast to the Spaceship Earth entry plaza, but for some reason never quite fit with what was being done. Spaceship Earth became more and more outdated, a problem that would not be fixed until late in the decade. Wonders of Life went seasonal in early 2004, and opened rarely for the next few years.
Eisner's era- specifically, Eisner and his crew of executives- did more damage to the mouse house than any other group of executives in the long history of the company. Their effects were felt strongly during the Millenium Celebration, and while Disney continued to grow and change as a company, it was during this turbulent time that Eisner began to generally distrust the Imagineers and their capabilities to produce winning attractions without supervision.
Some of the visible effects of Eisner's later years in the parks can be seen via the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat at Disney-MGM Studios, the "Magic Wand" that was erected next (and hanging over) Spaceship Earth at Epcot, and the general decline of Disneyland itself via the installation of Paul Pressler as a president, followed by the equally unconcerned Cynthia Harris.
All that said, Uncle Mikey started out believing in the parks, and believing that there were great things on the horizon. He attempted to begin projects like WestCOT and Disney's America, and tried to expand Walt Disney World with a fourth gate (which eventually became Disney's Animal Kingdom, in a somewhat trunkated format, minus the giant Beastly Kingdomme that executive designer Joe Rhode had wanted to build).
Eisner eventually became more interested in Disney as a brand- essentially putting hotels into production for WDW at an unprecedented wait. It's thanks to him that we have award winners like the All Star Resorts now in our midsts- set right on Disney property, in an age when Disney had already lost most of its class due to the failure of California Adventure and the decline of attendance levels at the florida resort.
All was nearly lost. Finally, Eisner made a final blow. After a battle royale with Feature Animation head Jeffrey Katzenberg (who ended up staring Dreamworks SKG with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen), Eisner announced he would be downsizing the animation unit- and removing them from their offices at the original animation building on the Burbank Disney Studios lot. The animators were devastated.
They retreated to a parking lot less than a block from Walt Disney Imagineering on Flower Street in Glendale. It was in those trailers that the spark that had made pure magic for the studio in the early days was once again ignited. Here, they could concentrate on their art without Disney management (who had all but decimated the Animation unit, and looked on those who remained as meaningless) breathing down their necks. Here, the renaissance of animation began.
Eisner, busy concentrating on opening his Disney-MGM Studios to help compete with Universal's new operations to the north, ignored what was happening in the Glendale parking lot. His absence gave rise to The Little Mermaid, and a new Golden Age of Disney Animation.
Eisner's effects were felt at Epcot, too- but Epcot suffered from problems with its fundamental nature, which undid many of the original pavilions. Having left the price tag for most of future world (and World Showcase) up to corporate and political sponsors, many of the pavilions were now in neglected states. The problem was, the sponsors didn't have a grasp on how to run a theme park. They hadn't the faintest idea. All they knew was, their name was plastered up on the signage together with a name that could sell an empty can of paint to a master painter: Disney. Most of them were happy to be a part of the project, but few understood its ramifications. The exhibits they sponsored would assuredly need upkeep. WDI and the maitenance folks at the park would need funding- continued and relentless funding- to help the attractions in Epcot's Future World stay in the future.
Reportedly, when the president of United Technologies saw the concepts for the building's exterior, he gawked, and complained to WDI that he wanted the entrance area to be affixed with "six bright white panels." Imagineering legend John Hench, who was a lead designer on the park, explained that the Florida sunshine would reflect off those panels and blind the guests as they approached. The UT man refused to listen, so Hench set a date for them to visit the site. As they stood, hardhatted at the construction site of the new pavilion, Hench revealed a color palette, and asked the president of UT to select the colors he thought would work best with the coloring on the rest of the structure. At this point, the man's wife, along for the tour, leaned over and asked Hench in a very confused tone, "Why are you letting Harry pick the colors? He's colorblind."
So, there were major problems with corporate sponsors. Future World excited corporations because of the chances for advertisement, so though very few of them grasped the meaning of the deals they struck, they were all excited to jump on board. World Showcase was another matter entirely.
Early in the planning stages of EPCOT Center, WDI had a weekend retreat for many of the leaders of countries they had contacted to participate in the project. The retreat was held mostly at the Contemporary Hotel, near the Magic Kingdom Park. The dignitaries spent a day touring Magic Kingdom and then called on the Top of the World Restaurant (now called the Grand Canyon Concourse) at the Contemporary's glass skylight for dinner. Here, they watched the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom.
The next day, a large meeting was held in a conference room at the hotel, where the concept plans and artwork for Epcot were shown to the dignitaries. Many of them were excited, but few of them immediately decided that their countries would be involved.
Sponsorship having been an issue in the past, the Millenium Celebration, with its themes of world peace and togetherness, brought a whole new generation of sponsorship, and allowed for the extensive refurbishment of several pavilions. This included the construction of Mission: Space in Future World, the Millenium Village exhibition at World Show Place (the entertainment venue between the UK and Canada), and the new parade and laserlight show Tapestry of Nations and Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, respectively.
Epcot seemed to be coming back strong. The intervening years have been a long, difficult transition. EPCOT Center was originally envisioned by Walt Disney as what he called "The community of tomorrow, where our children can live, work and play." He wanted a thriving city, complete with several expanded versions of Disneyland's popular transportation systems, to be the heart of the florida property. What it had now become was a permanent World's Fair, and what had been added to the mix, particularly during the Millenium Celebration, was the focus on Disney.
Epcot was now to feature the traditional Disney characters within attractions for the very first time. It would have its own character meet and greet constructed in the building on the far side of Fellowship Fountain Plaza. Epcot was changing, for better or worse. Soon, celebrities also started to endorse projects, and appear in the attractions themselves. Mission: Space got Gary Sinise, Universe of Energy recieved the ill-advised "Ellen's Energy Adventure", starring Bill Nye the Science Guy and sitcom star Ellen Degeneres.
Finally, in 2005, Epcot recieved a gift worthy of it's name. Soarin' was constructed within The Land, and the Nestle corporation poured money into the project, which led to a revival of the entire pavilion. Soarin' was the first attraction added to Epcot that had come from another park which actually themed with the area it had been constructed in (while Mission: Space replaced Horizons, the previous attraction was about the promise of tomorrow, not space travel specifically, and Test Track focused on speed and thrills instead of the much-broader topic of the history of transportation from World of Motion.)
The Living Seas became simply "The Seas" for a time, after the addition of Crush to Turtle Talk (which brought the first "Disney Character", Figment not withstanding, into an attraction in the park), and eventually recieved a million-dollar makeover into "The Seas with Nemo and Friends", which featured a plethora of experiences designed around Pixar’s hit film Finding Nemo.
As Epcot continued to navigate away from its intentions, longtime fans began to ask about the reasons. They weren’t as complex as one might think, and actually, it boiled down to two people put in charge at the Walt Disney Company that perhaps should not have been.
The first was Epcot’s previous president, Brad Rex. He focused on profit, and neglected everything in the park into a state of decay, much the way Pressler had done with Disneyland. One need only to have taken a trip aboard Spaceship Earth in its final months before rehab to see the kind of trouble Epcot was really in.
The second was Mike Mendenhall, the vice president in charge of marketing for Parks and Resorts that had Eisner’s backing and a tremendous effect not just on Epcot, but on the entire Parks and Resorts division. It was Mendenhall who frightened WDI into total submission to synergy with his antics. To explain, he felt that all blue sky attractions needed to go through a “Marketing Review” before it could be put into production. Any attraction that failed Disney Design Group's Marketing Standards would be shut down immediately and put on the shelf.
Imagineers lived in fear for years of Mendenhall and his terrible policies. Finally, he stepped down and left the company. Two days later, new Epcot president Jim MacPhee announced that Epcot would be having an official twenty-fifth anniversary celebration. In effect, it was the beginning of a new era for Epcot, and for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. While Jay Rasulo remains at the helm, so far things are looking pretty solid. Spaceship Earth has undergone a massive rehab. Project Tomorrow, the new postshow area at Epcot’s thesis pavilion, reopened to rave reviews earlier this year.
The new management at Walt Disney Imagineering is certainly making things change, and making many in WDI uneasy at the moment. Everyone agrees, though, that there are positive changes on the way. When SSE reopens, it will be an entirely interactive experience. The American Adventure recently added scenes, under the direction of WDI veteran Rick Rothschild, to update that opening-day attraction into the twenty-first century.
With Mendenhall gone, MacPhee (who had been a transportation guest service manager at Epcot when it opened in 1982) and company were quick to announce that Epcot would have a proper celebration- or as proper a celebration as could be compiled in the little amount of time that they had. With less than six months to prepare, everyone sprang into action.
October 1, 2007. I had the privilege to be a guest at the park, from open until close, and what a day it was. While many were disappointed, I was ecstatic that the company had decided to do anything at all. The first signs were evident at the toll plaza, where big posters had been erected with an “Epcot25” Logo. The cast member there seemed unnaturally happy, and actually smiled and waved at me as I went through.
At the entrance, “Listen to the Land” played, while excited cast members admitted folks through the main entrance. Spaceship Earth, though not open itself just yet, had the wart (Wand. I mean wand.) removed from it’s face in the preceding months, and it glowed in the beautiful Florida sunshine this morning. The original pavilion themes played out at the entrance, and it was a truly special moment in history to walk through those gates on that day. Inside, we beelined for the special commemorative merchandise, including the special t-shirts designed by an up and coming artist at the Disney Design group, after Mendenhall’s departure.
There was also a very special ceremony featuring MacPhee, Marty Sklar and a special group of frontline Cast Members from each of Epcot's pavilions, and of course Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Years of neglect at Epcot seem to be coming to an end with the changes in personnel. One can only hope that the words used to rededicate the park will be acted upon:
“When the park opened on October 1, 1982*, a live band played an original piece of music that became Epcot’s unofficial theme**. Many remember the music, but few knew the name of the song. It was “We’ve Just Begun to Dream.” (Tracy Wu, a Test Track frontline CM)
Next, Epcot designer and WDI Ambassador to the World Marty Sklar:
“Today, we rededicate Epcot, and ourselves, to a new future: A future that begins now.”
If the twenty-first century really began on October 1, 1982, then maybe our new future began on October 1, 2007. Here’s to the hope of a better 25 years, Epcot.
*For clarification purposes, the park DID open to the public on October 1, 1982, but the actual dedication ceremony took place at the front side of Spaceship Earth on October 24, 1982. A stage was erected there just in front of where the giant white spires once stood. During her speech, Erin Wallace, VP WDW Operations, stated that it was a thrill for her to be standing on the very stage where the park was dedicated 25 years ago on that day. This information was intended, no doubt, for nostalgic purposes, but is historically inaccurate.
The actual dedication ceremony featured E. Cardon “Card” Walker, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company at that time, as well as Lillian Disney (Walt’s widow) and the “first family” of Epcot. At the close of the ceremony, cast members released balloons into the skies above Spaceship Earth (a practice that perhaps began with the opening of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom in 1975) and Card then invited everyone to join him in an inaugural voyage aboard Spaceship Earth.
**Also, “a live band”, though not called so at that time, was to become Future Corps, the live entertainment group that frequented Epcot until the mid-1990s. Future Corps was a Drum & Bugle Corps founded in 1982. They competed in Drum Corps International’s world championships for several years and won several titles there. They also toured Japan and recorded several albums, which used to be sold at the park. The band that played on the day of the park’s dedication, I clarify, was not Future Corps, though it probably became Future Corps shortly thereafter. Based on the most accurate information available, it appears the piece was originally composed by Steve Skorija, Gregory Smith and Jack Eskew.
The title of the piece played on that day was, indeed, “We’ve Just Begun to Dream”. It became part of Epcot’s opening music every morning in the early years, and had accompanying lyrics (see below) and a dance troupe that performed alongside the live musicians. There was also a narration that ran each morning after the instrumental opening and before the lyrical portion of the tune.
The lyrics to "We've Just Begun to Dream":
A new creation (it's all around you)
A celebration (a celebration)
A new sensation (it will astound you)
An inspiration (a fascination)
A celebration (a celebration)
A celebration (a better nation!)
Imagination! Celebrate! As we create! A new Tomorrow!
Celebrate! A dream is made! A new Tomorrow!
The world awaits, celebrates
A new creation
We've Just Begun (We've just begun) to dream!
Epcot’s principle designers from Walt Disney Imagineering were a group of young Imagineers and a group of legendary veterans, both eager to try something new. The primary designers were Tony Baxter (Journey into Imagination), Randy Bright and Rick Rothschild (The American Adventure), Marty Sklar (Overall direction), Marc Davis (World of Motion), Barry Braverman (Journey into Imagination and The Seas), and John Hench (Spaceship Earth).
It was Herb Ryman who changed the course of World Showcase, when Marty commissioned him to do an overhead of the area, and he provided a view of three of the countries which helped them conclude that to lay the pavilions in a circle and face the architecture right up against itself (each pavilion visually colliding with the next) would work as a design aesthetic. Hench worked closely with Ray Bradbury on the design of Spaceship Earth, and referred to Epcot as “his baby”. Barry Braverman later left the company, after many of his concepts and ideas for the WestCOT project (i.e. the version of EPCOT that was to have been placed in the old Disneyland parking lot in Anaheim) were systematically eliminated by management. Braverman did a series of interviews for the opening day coverage provided by ABC, where he explained his design choices and the overall philosophy of the project.
The park was imagineered by the brightest stars WDI has ever known, and it showed in the early years. Today, many great Imagineering talents continue to be involved in Epcot and its future.
With great projects like the all new interactive Spaceship Earth, the expansion plans of Project: Tomorrow and possible updates coming to Wonders of Life and Universe of Energy, Epcot's future may (hopefully) be brighter than its recent past.
