Home
Parks & Resorts
Walt Disney World Resort
Tom Corless··20 Comments·1 min read

Permanent Future World Festival Center and Beer Garden, New Starbucks, Water Maze, and More Coming to Epcot for “Project Gamma”

While a new entrance area, Experience Center, and more has already been announced for the massive overhaul of Epcot, Disney has remained quiet about the future of Innoventions Plaza and the center of Future World since showing off some very early concept art at the 2017 D23 Expo.

Concept art shown to guests at the 2017 D23 Expo

What you see above has changed tremendously and now looks something like this…

A crude model of what’s to come. We’ll see how long it takes a YouTube show to recreate this.

As we alluded to in past posts, Innoventions West will be bulldozed, as will the Fountain of Nations, and Pin Central. The demolition of Innoventions West also means the demise of Club Cool, the Epcot Character Spot, and the Art of Disney store. Innoventions East is set to be only partially removed, leaving Electric Umbrella and MouseGear remaining. A new path to the left of Electric Umbrella will lead guests to the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster and the Play Pavilion more quickly from the park entrance when both open in 2021.

Replacing Pin Central and the Fountain of Nations will be an Epcot Garden area, accompanied by a permanent Beer Garden. Speaking of permanent, a new custom-built structure will be home to the Epcot Festival Center, a place for various events that are part of the now four annual events hosted at the park. With the popularity of the festivals, a dedicated bridge over this side of Future World will extend from near Spaceship Earth to the main entrance of this new Festival Center.

New, stand-alone structures will also be erected for Starbucks and various character meet and greets. This particular meet and greet facility should be a new home for Mickey and the gang, while Big Hero 6 and Inside Out characters will go elsewhere.

The final component is a trail called Journey of Water, leading down towards The Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion. This trail will reportedly consist of a number of water features and will also be a child-friendly maze experience.

Disney has yet to announce any of the above offerings, but is expected to do so at the 2019 D23 Expo or sooner. This is all part of the ongoing reimagining of Epcot and specifically “Project Gamma”, which includes the yet-to-be-announced 2.5 year refurbishment of Spaceship Earth. It is expected to be completed in 2022 in time for Epcot’s 40th anniversary.

For more information on booking your next trip with our official travel agent sponsor, the Vacationeer, visit wdwnt.travel.

Tom Corless
Tom has been regularly visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort from the time he was 4 months old. While he made countless visits in that time, he did not become a truly active member in the Disney fan community until the summer of 2007, when he decided to launch the WDW News Today website. Tom has since become an Orlando-local and is a published author on Walt Disney World. Contact Tom at [email protected]

20 Comments

  1. Do we know when they’ll start closing the current structures to star construction? I want to know what to do one last time before they’re gone and when!

  2. Sadly, this no longer matters to millions of Americans who are now persona non grata at Disney Parks. This due to a new short sighted, bigoted, anti-smoking and anti-vaping policy going into effect May 1st, 2019. The result will be the segregation millions of families who can no longer bring the entire family to the Disney Parks.
    Discrimination is alive and well in the 21st century and I would never have expected it from such a family oriented company. Well, it’s still family oriented if you don’t count grandpa cigar, or aunt menthol, or cousin vape, but they are real people with names.

    1. I will enjoy the clean air with my family. People should qant to stop smoking and live longer and enjoy their family

    2. One would think you would want to stop smoking and enjoy many years with your family. I personally will enjoy the clean air and without the disgusting cigarette butts all over the floor. Dirty habit, wish everyone would stop smoking

    3. Boohoo! Go fake cry somewhere else! Don’t care or want you in the park anyway! Millions more will enjoy it! So go away!

    4. They can still come. They will just have to get by during the day without their smoking addiction – which yes, is an addiction if they can’t make it for just a few hours a day

    5. You do realize that Disney Parks are private property, yes? I don’t think anybody is going to feel bad for your take, you made a personal choice to become a smoker.

    6. Smoking has killed millions of people, not really sure why you’re complaining about this. Saying that this is going to ‘segregate’ families is literally the dumbest thing I’ve personally heard in my entire lifetime, you do realize that Disney will be providing smoking areas outside of the park itself? So if daddy wants to get a cig in he can exit the park, and go to the designated area while the rest of his family enjoys the park without being exposed to the toxic fumes that would be there had this rule not have been passed.

      Also calling this ‘discrimination’ made me laugh out loud.

    7. Smoking has killed millions of people, not really sure why you’re complaining about this. Saying that this is going to ‘segregate’ families is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, you do realize that Disney will be providing smoking areas outside of the parks right? So if daddy wants to get a cig in he can leave the park and go to one of the designated areas while the rest of his family enjoys the park without having to worry about being exposed to the toxic fumes.

    8. You shouldn’t be smoking anyways this is a family park kids should not be subjected to smoke it’s disgusting

    9. So, they are bigots for enforcing a no smoking policy. Do you know what a bigot is? There is no smoking policy in all Florida bars and restaurants. Guess they too are all bigots. Here’s an idea, if you don’t like the new rules, don’t go back to Disney. I’m pretty sure it will survive without smokers inside their parks.

      However, you can still smoke at the designated smoking areas they are setting up outside the entrance ways to all parks.

    10. Definitely not unwelcome. Just not able to smoke or vape. I have many friends to my house who are very welcome, just not able to smoke or vape in my house. Same with the house of Mickey.

  3. But the important question….will a version of “Club Cool” live on somewhere else? Maybe in Play Pavilion or in the Beer Garden? I have to be able to continue to trick the next generation into trying Beverly, while I continue to get my Frosty Melon action!!

  4. Too many sales points. Not enough attractions. It’s good they’re improving, but too much in way of sells points, rather than ‘experience points’.

  5. I do hope that they don’t remove the big fountain behind spaceship earth. Have always loved that

  6. This may be a bit off topic but does anyone know if GOTG coaster will have any scientific/educational elements, since it’s Epcot?

  7. Why would they put in a “Beer Garden” when they have Germany right across the lake?? Seems like a waste!

  8. So where do we pin trade pin trading is a fun family tradition we actually enjoy it ita a way we bond ..is that area gonna still be there for pin trading is there gonna be a new area ?..also what is a beer garden …that mite be intresting

  9. It also very likely mean the demise of those wonderful dancing lights embedded in the sidewalk just outside Innoventions West. So simple, but the kids love them, and I do too.

    Is the Fountain of Nations the one that plays the Rocketeer music with choreographed water jets, or the one out in front of Spaceship Earth closer to the entrance?

  10. The idea of the fountain of nations being demolished makes me incredibly sad.

Comments are closed.

Previous
Guest Experience Team Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on April 14
Tomorrowland Paint
Next
PHOTOS: Tomorrowland Gets A New Coat of Paint at the Magic Kingdom