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Epcot

Epcot, stylized in all uppercase as EPCOT, is a theme park at the Walt Disney World resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences division. The park opened on October 1, 1982, as EPCOT Center, the second of four theme parks built at the resort. Often referred to as a "permanent world's fair", Epcot is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, particularly technological innovation and international culture.

"EPCOT" redirects here. For the original concept upon which the theme park was planned from, see EPCOT (concept).

Location

Walt Disney World, Bay Lake, Florida, United States

28°22′16″N 81°33′00″W / 28.371°N 81.550°W / 28.371; -81.550

Operating

October 1, 1982 (1982-10-01)

Disney Experiences
(The Walt Disney Company)

Walt Disney World
Key people:
Kartika Rodriguez (VP)[1]
Javier Rossy (GM, Operations)[2]

The magic of possibility

Year-round

disneyworld.com/epcot

During early development of the Florida property, Walt Disney wanted to build an experimental planned community showcasing modern innovation, known as "EPCOT", an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. After Disney's death in 1966, the company felt his grand vision was impractical. However, it laid the groundwork for EPCOT Center, a theme park that retained the core spirit of Disney's vision. The park was divided into two distinct areas, Future World reprises the idea of showcasing modern innovation through educational entertainment attractions inside avant-garde pavilions, while World Showcase highlights the cultures of various nations. From the late 2010s to the early 2020s, the park underwent a major overhaul, adding new attractions and Future World was restructured into three areas: World Celebration, World Discovery and World Nature.


The park spans 305 acres (123 hectares), more than twice the size of Magic Kingdom. Attracting over 12 million guests in 2019,[3] Epcot remains a popular destination, with Spaceship Earth, a geodesic sphere, serving as its iconic landmark.

The , inaugurated in 1994, uses specially-themed floral displays throughout the park, including topiary sculptures of Disney characters. Each event takes more than a full year to plan and more than 20,000 cast member hours.[47]

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

The , inaugurated in 1995, draws amateur and professional gourmets to sample delicacies from all around the world, including nations that do not have a permanent presence in World Showcase. Celebrity chefs are often on-hand to host the events. In 2008, the festival featured the Bocuse d'Or USA, the American semifinal of the biennial Bocuse d'Or cooking competition.[48]

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts, inaugurated in 2017, is a festival showcasing visual, culinary, and performing arts. The first annual event took place on weekends from January 13 through February 20, 2017.[50]

[49]

Disney's Candlelight Processional

Epcot hosts a number of special events during the year:

List of Epcot attractions

Epcot Resort Area

WestCOT

and David Green. Building a Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Imagineers Who Designed Epcot. Themeperks Press, 2007, ISBN 0-9729777-3-2.

Alcorn, Steve

Mannheim, Steve (2002). Walt Disney and the Quest for Community. Routledge.  0754619745.

ISBN

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Official website