Welcome to WDWNT’s coverage of D23 Expo 2019! We are on the show floor and here to show you all of the details, concept art, and more that’s on display.
Some of the biggest announcements yesterday revolved around the ever-changing Epcot, including a Journey of Water interactive walkthrough maze inspired by Moana, the Walt Disney Imagineering Presents the Epcot Experience center, and even a new park logo:
We’ll try to categorize the concept art by category for better understanding. For reference, here’s a look at the overall concept art released, plus a map we released early on when we broke the story on Project Gamma:
As an overview, you’ll have a new Food and Beverage concept taking over the Electric Umbrella. Mouse Gear will also be getting an overhaul and remodel, so a new store/merchandise concept also makes an appearance in the art. As far as outdoor spaces are concerned, we’ll see the addition of a new Festival Center, as well as an Epcot garden. In keeping with the outdoor garden feel, the Journey of Water trail will lead guests over to The Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion. In the middle of World Showcase Lagoon, you have the premiere of “Epcot Forever”, to be superseded by “A Celebration of Disney Music” in May of 2020.
Retro-Inspired Entrance Fountain
Ah, yes, the triumphant return of the retro Epcot entrance fountain!
If you recall our fountain concept art piece from back in July, it’s an exact match. Walls recently went up around the current stone version of the entrance fountain, and chunks of rock are being removed. This new version will harken back to the original lucite fountain that had originally graced Epcot’s entrance…
Epcot Garden
Disney knows guests want more places to sit, relax, and scroll on DisTwitter. Enter the Epcot garden.
Almost out of a page from Pandora – The World of Avatar, light-up orbs and trees will grace the greenways.
Epcot Forever
A Celebration of Disney Music
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Space Restaurant
Do note that an official name has yet to be revealed for the Space Restaurant going up next to Mission: Space.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
We’d like to reiterate that this is not a ride but a walkthrough interaction where guests are encouraged to interact with all of the water elements.
Play Pavilion
Want to know what’s inside the Play Pavilion? Just click here.
Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster
Festival Center
Walt Disney Imagineering Presents the Epcot Experience
Set to open this October, guests will be able to visualize all of the exciting plans for Epcot at a new experience center in the Odyssey Events Pavilion, called Walt Disney Imagineering presents the Epcot Experience.
Mouse Gear (New Merchandise Concept)
New Food and Beverage Concept
A futuristic world map will line the walls of this quick-service eatery, which apparently will have pizza on the menu.
Windows will look out at the epic, illuminated Epcot garden just outside. You can check out a video of all the concept art straight from the Disney Parks “Imagining Tomorrow, Today” Pavilion below:
So, what do you think of all these changes? Everything looks very clean and inspired, and suddenly, I don’t find myself missing the perennially sticky Club Cool floors anymore…
It’s kind of funny…the future of EPCOT is hearkening BACK to the PAST with a fairly original looking logo. Even the concept photos look like they’re from the 80s. I LOVE IT!
Why do they get our hopes up with all of this beautiful concept art when Chapek is just going to budget-cut it down to a green building and some plastic tents?
The Festival Center looks incredible in the concept art! My gut tells me what actually gets built will resemble that in location only, but hoping for the best.
No one wants to eat in Future World when there’s World Showcase. What FW needs is more attractions (meaning a net increase, not tearing down old ones…there’s tons of room). The fact that Future World per se is being de-named and Balkanized is a disaster.
This will be an improvement on a cosmetic level, but that’s about it. They could have added entertaining rides that still honored the original purpose of the place. Pseudo-educational pseudo-attractions don’t cut it.